What are ARONKASEI's Elastomers ?
Standardmaterials of the next generation that realize cost reductions and environment protection.
“AROSTOMER & ARVAS series” are highly-functional thermoplastic elastomers developed by ARONKASEI.
They are styrene & vulcanizate thermoplastic elastomer compounds which can be molded as easy as general-use plastics while having an elasticity close to that of rubber.
Selection can be made from a large number of series according to the application,and as the molding process is also short, there are large expectations that this material will replace cross-linked rubber.
Also, properties such as flexibility, elasticity, and stretchability are closer to cross-linked rubber than other thermoplastics.
As recycling also is possible, this molding material of the next generation not only has a cost advantage, but draws attention from the point of view of environment protection.
This is the “AROSTOMER & ARVAS series”.
“AROSTOMER & ARVAS series” are used in a vast variety of fields ranging from automobile to electronic materials, electric devices, foods and beverages, medical, toys, and miscellaneous goods.
ARONKASEI's Elastomers are molding materials such as :
<Basic properties>
As elastic as cross-linked rubber.
Excellent in resistance to heat, cold temperatures and ozone and in fluidity.
Excellent in resistance to acids, alkalis and other inorganic chemicals.
Lighter by about 30% than cross-linked rubber.
<Material properties>
Not needed to be cross-linked when molded.
Easy to process and recyclable, therefore it is contributable to cost reduction.
Can be colored as general-purpose plastics can be.
Can be molded using an injection or extrusion molding machines for general-purpose plastics.
About Styrene thermoplastic elastomers (TPS) : AROSTOMER
Styrene thermoplastic elastomers have a base unit structure that
polystyrene components (hard segments) and polyethylenepolybutylene
components (soft segments) are copolymerized in a block shape (Diagram 1).
These are represented as SEBS.
An end block of polystyrene and a middle block of polyethylenepolybutylene are chemically bonded; however, they are not thermodynamically compatible at room temperature.
For the reason, the end blocks of polystyrene are mutually agglutinated and form ultrafine microparticles (domain) and dispersed uniformly (Diagram 2). This polystyrene domain becomes a physical cross-linking point and plays a role equivalent to the cross-linking point of cross-linked rubber, so SEBS show characteristics as an elastic body. However, polystyrene components and polybutadiene or polyethylene-polybutylene components are melted together at a temperature of140℃ to 230℃ that allow injection or extrusion molding. This shows the flow characteristics as thermoplastic resin.
In addition, SEBS have excellent heat resistivity and climate resistivity.
“AROSTOMER” are made by compounding these SEBS with the base.
About Olefin thermoplastic elastomers (TPV) : ARVAS
ARVAS is a dynamic cross-linking type olefin thermoplastic elastomer (TPV: Thermoplastic Vulcanizates Elastomer) in which polyolefins such as PP and PE are used as hard segments and the rubber component of Ethylene Propylene terpolymer(EPDM) is used as soft segments (Diagram 3).
A partially cross-linked type (VP series) with low specific gravity,
excellent moldability and colorability, and a completely crosslinked type (VF series) with excellent heat resistance, oil resistance and rubber elasticity are available.
Features of thermoplastic Elastomers
| Heat resistance | Weather resistance |
Water resistance |
Acid resistance/ Alkali resistance |
Oil resistance | Hygiene | Transitivity | Transparency | Printability/ Adhesiveness |
|
| TPS | 〇 | ◎ | ◎ | ◎ | △ | ◎ | 〇 | 〇 | △ |
| TPV | 〇 | ◎ | ◎ | ◎ | △ | × | 〇 | × | △ |
| TPU | △ | × | × | △ | ◎ | ◎ | ◎ | ◎ | ◎ |
| TPC | ◎ | △ | △ | △ | ◎ | △ | ◎ | × | ◎ |