Thermoplastic rubber was created to replace vulcanized rubber. Its key properties include chemical resistance, impact resistance, fatigue resistance, and it is also recyclable. You may wonder, does thermoplastic rubber contain latex? Below you will find helpful information about thermoplastic rubber and its unique properties.
Does Thermoplastic Rubber Contain Latex?
Thermoplastic rubber is synthetic and is not made up from any actual rubber-related components. Therefore, thermoplastic rubber does not contain any latex. In fact, it is manufactured from styrene and butadiene molecules. This combination of materials makes thermoplastic rubber great for projects that need rubber, but cannot use latex. The performance properties of rubber can be amazing in a variety of applications, but it can also seriously impact people who are allergic to it.
What is thermoplastic rubber?
Commercialized in the 1950s, thermoplastic rubber became the material used in rubber shoe soles. While the origins can be traced back to the 1920s, the material became popular in manufacturing in the 1960s. Thermoplastic rubber was chosen as it has the properties of rubber, but the ease of thermoplastics.
Thermoplastic rubber is a material that has both rubber-like and thermoplastic properties. It is a semi-crystalline material that is flexible and can be manufactured using melt processing techniques. The material is synthesized using block copolymers and is described as a thermoplastic elastomer. The purpose of using the material was because it was a more effective alternative to vulcanized rubber. Vulcanized rubber is expensive and difficult to manufacture.
Benefits of Thermoplastic Rubber
When choosing materials for your application, their beneficial properties are necessary to assess. Consider the following benefits of thermoplastic rubber.
- Chemical Resistance: Thermoplastic rubbers are resistant to a number of chemicals. For example, they are resistant to oils, grease, dilute acids, dilute alkalis, and hydrocarbons. This can be highly beneficial
- Recyclable: Reducing the impact materials can have on the environment is a win. Thermoplastic rubber can be easily recycled.
- Major Strength: Thermoplastic rubber is impact resistant and has great compression strength. Because of this it can withstand impact loads.
- Color Variation: Depending on your application, colors may be helpful or necessary. With that, thermoplastic rubber can be manufactured in a wide variety of colors. The material can also be painted over.
- Highly Elastic: Compared to vulcanized rubber and thermosetting elastomers, thermoplastic rubber has comparable elasticity. This is beneficial in a variety of dynamic applications.
- Wide Temperature Range: Certain applications have incredibly different temperatures. With that, thermoplastic rubber is an effective material as it has a range of temperatures that can go below 40 degrees Celsius all the way up to 120 degrees Celsius.
Thermoplastic Rubber Manufacturing Process
Thermoplastic rubber is a block copolymer made up of synthetic rubber. It is manufactured using living anionic polymerization. The process takes two monomers and polymerizes them into synthetic rubber, namely Styrene, Butadiene, and Styrene. This results in a polymer structure with hard crystalline regions and soft amorphous regions.
Thermoplastic Manufacturing Techniques
The final product is often plastic pellets which are used for a number of melt-processing
manufacturing techniques.
- Injection Molding: This involves the injection of molten plastic into a mold. Overmolding is similar but involves thermoplastic rubber being molded over a more rigid structure.
- Blow Molding: This technique involves the use of the force of air to line the inner surface with molten plastic. This creates thin-walled component parts.
- Calendering: This process involves the creation of flat sheets that are flexible. They can also include fabric cores in some cases.
Real Seal
No matter what your application needs are, thermoplastic materials can be a beneficial choice. In fact, there are a variety of seal materials that can ensure your project runs smoothly. Rubber polyurethane seals are effective and can be used in a number of applications. Contact the team at Real Seal today as they are the top manufacturer and distributor of seal products and mechanical component goods.
