New SantopreneTM TPE for strong bonding with engineering plastics

Xenical Chemical has developed a new Santoprene thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) product that can be tightly joined with engineering thermoplastics (ETPs) in overmolding applications. The new Santoprene® TPE bonding grade eliminates the need for adhesives, bonding aids, and physical or mechanical locking designs. It simplifies the process steps, thereby shortening product development cycles and reducing system costs. In addition, its advantages include unique soft touch and easy colorability, which can increase design flexibility. By combining these features and advantages, you can improve the overall component performance and appearance.

“For many years, processors have used mechanical locking designs or chemical auxiliaries to bond soft TPEs to rigid ETP substrates of complex parts. This has brought considerable problems, such as inconsistent contact surface quality and poor bonding. And high processing costs. For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), these problems can lead to component damage and high system replacement costs,” said Seth Bairon, marketing manager.

The new Santoprene® TPE bonding grades are designed for applications that require special soft touch, design innovation and bonding with ETP materials. These ETP materials include polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer (ASA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be processed using secondary injection molding or insert molding processes. One of the advantages of the new Santoprene TPE grades is their good performance in room-temperature insert substrates and thin-wall overmolding.

The new brand will make the designers of the products more creative and introduce more functional, soft-touch components into their designs. These grades also allow designers to introduce more colors into the product, thereby improving product aesthetics and product differentiation.

Currently available in two hardness, 60 Shore A and 75 Shore A. Santoprene TPE 291-60B150 and 291-75B150 maintain extremely high bond strength under various environmental conditions, including hot air, oil and aqueous solutions. High bond strength retention values ​​allow design and production of parts with high quality performance characteristics. These features include long-term sealability and extended short product life due to non-permanent adhesive strength, long-lasting soft touch, chemical and heat resistance (safety in the dishwasher), and non-slip feel.

SantopreneTM TPE bonding grades have been successfully used in innovative electronics such as MP3 player housings, mouse housings, and various digital camera components.

Source: Modern Packaging