Geoffrey Holden Bücher

One of the outstanding advantages of TPE's can be summarized in a single phrase: They allow rubberlike articles to be produced using the rapid processing techniques developed by the thermoplastic industry. The commercial development of TPE's enabled the rubber industry to utilize new processing techniques including blow molding, comolding and coextrusion, hot melt coating of pressure sensitive adhesives, and direct injection molding. New products, new processing techniques, new properties, and new applications have been experienced in the last decade. All this is reflected in this general introduction to the subject. Contents: Introduction Classification and Structure Styrenic Block Copolymers Multi Block Copolymers Graft Copolymers, Ionomers, and Core-Shell Morphologies Commercial Applications of Thermoplastic Elastomers Economic Aspects, Tradenames and Glossary, Future Developments

Thermoplastic elastomers are among the fastest-growing material groups, combining the processing advantages of thermoplastics with properties akin to vulcanized elastomers. Recent advancements over the last decade include new products, processing techniques, properties, and applications, all of which are thoroughly documented in this comprehensive reference work. It covers a wide range of topics, including thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers, styrenic thermoplastic elastomers, anionic triblock copolymers, and polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomers. The text also explores halogen-containing polyolefins, dynamically vulcanized elastomer-thermoplastic blends, and polyether ester elastomers. Additional discussions include thermoplastic elastomers based on polyamides, ionomeric thermoplastic elastomers, and hydrogenated block copolymers in interpenetrating polymer networks. Key theoretical aspects, such as block copolymer thermodynamics and order-disorder transitions in block polymers, are examined. The work also highlights innovative approaches like thermoplastic elastomers produced by bacteria, polymer blends with styrene/hydrogenated butadiene block copolymers, and polyacrylate-based thermoplastic elastomers, along with their various applications.