Advantages of thermoplastic elastomers:

(1) It can be processed using general thermoplastic molding machines, such as injection molding, extrusion molding, blow molding, compression molding, transfer molding, etc.

(2) It can be vulcanized using a rubber injection molding machine, and the time can be shortened from about 20 minutes to less than 1 minute.

(3) Can be molded and vulcanized using a press, with fast extrusion speed and short vulcanization time.

(4) The waste generated during the production process (such as burrs and extruded rubber) and the resulting waste can be directly returned for reuse.

(5) Used TPE old products can be simply regenerated and reused, reducing environmental pollution and expanding the source of resource regeneration.

(6) No need for vulcanization, saving energy. Taking the energy consumption of high-pressure hose production as an example: rubber is 188MJ/kg, TPE is 144MJ/kg, which can save more than 25% energy.

(7) The self reinforcing ability is great, and the formula is greatly simplified, thereby greatly reducing the influence of the coordination agent on the polymer and making the quality and performance easier to grasp.

(8) Opening up new avenues for the rubber industry and expanding the application fields of rubber products.

Disadvantages of thermoplastic elastomers:

The heat resistance of TPE is not as good as that of rubber, and its physical properties decrease significantly with increasing temperature, thus limiting its applicability. At the same time, the compression deformation, resilience, and durability of rubber are relatively poor, and the price is often higher than that of similar rubber. However, overall, the advantages of TPE are still very prominent, while the disadvantages are constantly being improved. As an energy-saving and environmentally friendly new rubber raw material, the development prospects are very promising.