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Plastics Discovery Tour

Fakuma

Rows of orange alloy wheels with black tires neatly arranged on metal shelves in a dimly lit storage area.

 that return to their original shape after deformation. They

 and return to their original shape after the load has ceased. This behavior is due to the 

 of elastomers. They are often referred to colloquially as 

 (e.g. acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and 

Production takes place in several steps, which can vary depending on the desired properties of the elastomers. Depending on the polymer, 

. As a rule, the polymer chains are then 

in order to achieve the desired shape of the elastomers. Various processes are available for this.

 are used to link the polymer chains. In some cases, however, this is already 

 of the elastomers themselves. In the case of 

 is traditionally used for cross-linking. The exact conditions of the vulcanization process, such as temperature and pressure, 

 between elastomers and the other two polymer groups lies in their 

r. This usually results in the chains being present as a so-called 

, causing the elastomer to stretch. If the load is reduced, the molecular chains 

. The load cannot be increased at will. If it is too high, the elastomers will be 

. It increases as the temperature rises, as the molecular chains can 

. At very low temperatures, however, elastomers can 

. In contrast to thermoplastics, elastomers cannot normally be 

, which can be melted in certain temperature ranges.

The areas of application for elastomers are very diverse and range from 

s. A common example of the use of elastomers are 

. However, elastomers are also used in other areas of the 

, among other things. These applications contribute to the 

Until now, old car tires have only been recycled to a limited extent. A process from Evonik is now set to bring about a breakthrough.

Crumb rubber from end-of-life tires before processing (left), after processing without devulcanization agents (center), and after processing with devulcanization agents (right): The objective of the project at Evonik is to increase the proportion of recycled material from end-of-life tires that can be reused in the production of new tires.

16:9

Kautschuk / Elastomere

Recycling

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Kunststoff-Recycling

On the Road Again

Medical-grade from Teknor Apex TPEs offer enhanced clarity, reduced spallation, and extended pump life.

Medalist MD-90000 Series Thermoplastic Elastomers were uniquely designed to address spallation issues with existing products in pump segment tubing applications.

Peristaltic pump with plastic tubes and rollers moving.

Thermoplastische Elastomere

Medizintechnik

Thermoplaste

TPE for Biopharmaceutical Tubing Applications

Momentive, Dätwyler and BSC Computer announce the industrial market launch of solutions based on Dielectric Elastomer Actuators in 2024.

Dätwyler has developed an automated manufacturing facility to produce DEA stacks on a large scale.

DEA Emerging from Research

In purchasing a new production line for TPE sealing strips, Bosch Rexroth has achieved considerable resource savings through a process optimization.

Bosch Rexroth’s in-house mold manufacturer designed a new 4-cavity injection mold with 8-drop valve system.

Spritzgießen

Linearführungen

Nachhaltigkeit

Energieeffizienz

Heißkanalsysteme

Nearly Four Metric Tons of Sprue Saved

starlim and the Software Competence Center Hagenberg are developing software that promotes the sustainable production of silicone parts without rejects.

Hundreds of injection molding machines work simultaneously at starlim and deliver large amounts of data.

Elastomer-Spritzgießen

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Big Data für die Qualitätssicherung

Silikonkautschuk

How Big Data Ensures  Consistent Quality

Analysis by the Fraunhofer ICT: Ultrasound-assisted extrusion allows production waste from crosslinked elastomers to be reused.

Wastes generated during the production of washing machine gaskets can be recycled. 

Fraunhofer ICT: New Potential thanks to Ultrasound-Intensified Extrusion 

Rubber Recycling of  Washing Machine Gaskets

The use of TPE materials with recycled content increases the sustainability of vehicles. They are also used more and more in the interior.

The selection of high-quality recyclate enables their use in demanding automotive applications.  

Recyclate Reduce the CO2 Footprint in Seals and Interior Applications

Kunststoff-Rezyklat

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Soft, Elastic and Recycled

The K 2022 offered an immense range of innovations and application examples for – and with more – sustainable materials. Interestingly hereby was that bio-based versions were extremely popular.

Shoes made from waste gas: genetically modified bacteria produce ethanol from waste gas, which is then used to create plastic, e.g. for the Cloudprime shoes from On.

Silikone

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

Masterbatches

Polyethylen

Streifinger, Florian

Polylactid

Polyamide

Biokunststoffe

Effektpigmente

Polypropylen

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Additive

Is Bio the New Standard?

At K 2022, it was clearly shown that with suitable materials not only can CO2 emissions be reduced, but also advantages in component design achieved.

The Japanese chemical company Asahi Kasei showed its concept vehicle at K 2022. The domed roof in particular could lead to a few changes in future automobiles.

With suitable materials CO2 emissions can be reduced and advantages in component design can be achieved.

Automotive Highlights of K 2022

Kunststoffe, biobasiert

Elektromobilität

Polymethylmethacrylat

Polycarbonat

Suitable Materials for Smart  Vehicle Design

This year, the world’s leading trade show K has succeeded in presenting practical solutions for greater resource efficiency on a broad front. A first foray through the trade show grounds.

K 2022 gave numerous practical examples showing visitors how recyclates can be reliably processed with digital aids.

State-of-the-Art Injection Molding Solutions for Greater Resource Efficiency.

State-of-the-Art Injection Molding Solutions at K 2022

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Solar / PV

Schaumspritzgießen

Temperiertechnik

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Condition Monitoring / Prozessüberwachung

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Oberflächentechnik

Digitalisierung

Spritzgießmaschinen

Compoundieren

It Can Be Done!

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions showcased two new additions to its Isolast PureFab FFKM material range at Semicon Europa 2022.

At Semicon Europa 2022 Trelleborg Sealing Solutions showcased two new additions to its Isolast PureFab FFKM material range.

Halbleiterfertigung

Perfluoroelastomers for Semiconductor Sealing

Dupont is adding new, more sustainable grades to the Hytrel TPC-ET product family. Hytrel Eco B is based proportionately on renewable raw materials.

TPC with up to 72 Percent Biomass Content

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions launches its latest lightweight thermoplastic composite bearing.

Trelleborg’s enhanced dual-layer bearing with a low-friction modified PEEK layer that reduces friction and increases wear performance for use in bearing, wear ring, and bushing applications.

Lightweight Thermoplastic Composite Bearing

Plastic manufacturer Dow has announced the launch of more sustainable polyolefin elastomers. The new brand will help the footwear industry to unlock a lower carbon footprint and develop more sustainable products.

Crocs is the first footwear brand to go-to-market with this new material technology.

Walking on Bioplastics

Kraiburg TPE is expanding its portfolio of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) for automotive interiors with grades with a recycling content of up to 38 %.

The post-industrial recycled raw material used is waste material derived from the manufacturing process for plastic products. © Kraiburg TPE

Recycling Content for Automotive Interiors

Important information about elastomers | What exactly are elastomers? ✓ Areas of use, applications, production and much more ► Read up now

Elastomers | Flexible Polymer | Plastics Insights

Alongside thermoplastics and thermosets, elastomers are one of the three major groups of plastics. They deform under compressive and tensile load and return to their original shape after the load has ceased.