How to Prevent Excessive Drying of TPE Materials?

TPE materials are polymeric substances that combine the properties of rubber and thermoplastic plastics. They exhibit high elasticity like rubber at room temperature and can be plasticized and molded at elevated temperatures. However, if TPE materials become excessively dry during storage or processing, it can lead to degraded material performance, processing difficulties, or even defects in the final product. Therefore, properly controlling drying conditions is crucial for ensuring the quality of TPE materials. So, how can we prevent excessive drying of TPE materials? Below, the TPE team at Shenzhen Zhongsu Wang provides a detailed explanation addressing this issue.

Methods to prevent excessive drying of TPE materials are as follows:

1. Control Drying Temperature

For general TPEs, drying temperatures should be maintained between 70–90°C, with specific values set according to the material supplier's recommendations. For heat-sensitive TPEs (e.g., SEBS, SBS), low-temperature drying (around 70°C) should be employed to prevent material aging caused by high temperatures.

2. Set Drying Time Reasonably

Conventional TPE drying time is recommended at 2–4 hours, with adjustments based on initial moisture content and ambient humidity. Avoid prolonged continuous drying by adopting batch drying or timed drying methods.

3. Use Dehumidifying Drying Equipment

Employ dryers with dehumidification capabilities to precisely control humidity in the drying environment and prevent over-drying. For high-demand applications, utilize vacuum drying equipment to efficiently remove moisture at low temperatures.

4. Categorized Storage and Labeling Management

Store different TPE types separately to prevent confusion and incorrect drying parameters. Clearly mark drying conditions on material packaging to facilitate proper execution by operators.

As outlined above, preventing excessive drying of TPE materials is crucial for ensuring their processing performance and finished product quality. By rationally controlling drying temperature and duration, utilizing advanced drying equipment, and strengthening storage management, the negative impacts of over-drying can be effectively mitigated. In actual production, drying strategies should be flexibly adjusted based on material type and process requirements to ensure TPE materials remain in optimal processing condition at all times.