Industry News

​During the processing and use of TPE pellets, prolonged or brief exposure to high temperatures can cause molecular chains to break and oxidize, leading to yellowing, brittleness, a sticky surface, and a significant decline in mechanical properties. This is known as thermal degradation. So how can we address thermal degradation in TPE pellets?

Kitchenware and baby products require high-safety materials for long-term direct contact. Most conventional encapsulation materials contain harmful substances such as phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These hazardous ingredients may leach out during high-temperature cooking, food contact or infant biting, posing hidden health risks. Moreover, ordinary materials easily age, peel and precipitate residues after repeated cleaning, shortening product lifespan and causing compliance failures and brand losses. For these high-standard scenarios, qualified TPR Encapsulation is essential for guaranteed product safety.

The focus of thermal aging tests for TPE overmolding compounds differs from that of standard TPE materials. While standard materials are evaluated for changes in properties such as hardness, strength, and appearance, overmolding compounds have an additional critical factor: whether the overmolded interface remains bonded at high temperatures.

Soft‑touch overmolding has turned into a mainstream design solution for power tools, smart wearables, home appliances and luggage accessories across global manufacturing sectors. Numerous conventional TPE grades suffer from insufficient substrate bonding, poor aging performance and narrow material compatibility, which bring high scrap rates and quality risks for injection molding manufacturers. This article uses Zhongsuwang’s newly released Kanplon series High‑grade TPE with Coating as a case study, illustrating how stable overmolding adhesion creates practical production and commercial value for downstream factories.

If the material is too soft, the non-slip components can easily be compressed or displaced. If it is too hard, however, the soft, rubberized texture and the anti-slip function are compromised. Selecting the right hardness for TPE products in pet bowls essentially involves striking a balance between anti-slip performance, structural support, and durability.

TPE materials combine the elasticity of rubber with the processing advantages of plastics. They are environmentally friendly, easy to mold, and have a soft texture, making them widely used in the automotive, electronics, consumer goods, toy, and medical industries. Below, Zhongsu Wang analyzes the practical performance of TPE materials from four perspectives—basic properties, application suitability, quality assessment, and product selection—to provide a reference for material selection in the industry.