Zhongsuwang TPE | What problems can arise from improper temperature control when processing TPE compounds?

When processing TPE compounds, temperature control is a key factor affecting product quality and processing efficiency. Excessively high or low temperatures can lead to a series of problems. Even slight deviations in parameters can not only cause surface defects and reduced performance, but also lead to raw material waste, equipment loss, and even production cycle delays. Therefore, exploring the problems caused by improper temperature control is crucial for optimizing TPE compound processing and improving business profitability. Let's take a look at what the Huizhou Zhongsuwang editor has to say.

1. Excessive Temperature: Material Degradation and Performance Deterioration

Excessive temperature can negatively impact TPE compounds in many ways. Appearance-wise, the compound is prone to discoloration such as scorching, yellowing, or blackening. Bubbles, silver streaks, or pitting can form on the surface. In severe cases, carbonized particles can even appear, directly resulting in unsatisfactory product appearance. In terms of performance, high temperatures can cause TPE molecular chains to break, significantly reducing its elasticity and toughness. This can lead to excessive hardness, brittleness, and decreased tensile strength and elongation at break, making it unsuitable for use.

From a processing perspective, high temperatures can dramatically reduce the viscosity of the melt, resulting in excessive fluidity, which can cause flash and overflow during injection molding and dimensional instability during extrusion. Low-molecular-weight substances produced by degradation can also corrode molds or equipment, impacting production continuity. Furthermore, some TPE materials containing oil or specific additives can release hazardous gases such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at high temperatures, polluting the workshop environment and posing a health risk to operators.

2. Excessively Low Temperatures: Incomplete Melting and Poor Molding

Excessively low temperatures prevent TPE compounds from fully melting, creating numerous processing challenges. During the molding process, undispersed particles or lumps can form in the melt, leading to injection molding shortfalls and surface roughness, streaks, and breakage during extrusion, making it difficult to achieve a complete product shape. At the same time, low temperatures cause poor material flowability and uneven molecular chain alignment, leading to excessive internal stress in the molded product. This can lead to warping, deformation, and cracking after cooling, which is particularly noticeable in areas with uneven wall thickness.

Under-melted rubber also results in a loose internal structure and inconsistent density, leading to localized variations in mechanical properties and compromising overall product stability and service life. Furthermore, the high melt viscosity at low temperatures requires higher injection pressure or extrusion torque to promote material flow. This not only increases the load on the equipment motor and mold wear, but also increases energy consumption and production costs.

In summary, TPE rubber is temperature-sensitive. During processing, the appropriate temperature must be set according to the hardness and substrate, maintaining a stable temperature across all components. That concludes my sharing. I trust you have a deeper understanding. See you next time.