Contact usIn general, the material you require depends on the properties you need. (Synthetic) rubber or Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE's) have both their specific properties.
Resistance
When resistance against UV and Ozone influence is of importance (use of material outside during longer periods), properties of the material can be adapted. Extreme heat or cold? Chemicals? Dutch Dipping can offer any specific resistance on customer demand.
Colour
TPE's are easy to colour: fluorescent, metallic and pearl effect, glow in the dark.
Elastic Tubes
We supply elastic tubes in any diameter or material, UV and Ozone resistant or covered with cotton or polyester.
Axis: 3 x 0,5mm till 120 mm wall thinness on request
Medical
All colours
Cutting and slitting
We have extensive knowledge in cutting elastic materials to any size or product you need.
Welding
TPE sheet can be easily welded, also to PE or PP material. This avoids the use of glue or tape.
What's the difference between rubber and thermoplastics?
For Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE's), the so-called styrene block copolymers are used, also referred to by the term TPE-S. This is an exceptional basic starting material because a molecule of block copolymers combines the properties of a thermoplastic with those of rubber. This produces a unique type of polymer in which two hard, rigid end-blocks are connected with each other by flexible, elastic mid-block.
This process is also referred to as physical cross-linking. In contrast to chemical cross-linking in the case of vulcanisable rubbers, this process is reversible. When the material is heated to above the Tg of the polystyrene, the domains will soften; at this point, the material can be thermoplastically processed by means of injection moulding, or extrusion, for example. As soon as the temperature returns to below the Tg of the polystyrene, the phase division also returns and the network described above is recreated.
SBS AND SEBS
The end-blocks are polystyrene, which provides the thermoplastic properties of rigidity and flow behaviour. For the elastic mid-block which represents the rubber properties, there are various possibilities but polybutadiene or polyethylene/ butylene are mainly used for this. The material produced in this way is known by the names SBS and SEBS.
