Before the popularization of thermoplastic elastomer TPE, rubber and plastic elastic materials are most used in three types of materials, PVC, silicone and (vulcanized) rubber. But with the emergence of TPE, the market space of these three types of materials have been suppressed and impacted to varying degrees. It is no accident that thermoplastic elastomers can occupy an increasing share of the competitive elastomer market, but TPE has some unique properties that they do not have compared to silicone and rubber.
　　1, TPE / TPR elastomer vs. silicone

　　Advantages of silicone: high temperature resistance (200~250℃); smooth feel; high elasticity, small permanent deformation; odorless, environmentally friendly and non-toxic; aging resistance, weak acid and alkali resistance; easier to pass the food grade LFGB olive oil test and FDA 177.2600 n-hexane test.

　　Deficiencies of silicone: longer molding cycle; material cannot be recycled for reuse; poor overmolding properties

　　Advantages of TPE/TPR: also environmentally friendly and non-toxic; can be molded quickly; soft and non-slip feel; reusable edge materials and scrap; more suitable for two-color injection molding overmolding.

　　The disadvantages of TPE/TPR: inferior to silicone in terms of high temperature resistance; greater permanent deformation than silicone, inferior to silicone in terms of resilience; inferior to silicone in terms of solvent resistance; more difficult to pass food grade LFGB olive oil test and FDA 177.2600 n-hexane test.

　　TPE/TPR alternative to silicone review: Based on faster molding cycle, improved production efficiency, and consideration of material recycling, some users consider replacing silicone with TPE/TPR, and some users also consider using TPE/TPR materials when developing new products. However, we should fully understand the respective characteristics of TPE and silicone, and choose a material that meets the requirements and maximizes the overall benefits according to the user's material requirements.

　　Although the high temperature resistance and resilience of silicone is better than TPE and TPR, but in recent years, TPE research and development progress, so that the heat resistance and resilience of the material have been improved. This has led to a larger market for TPE to replace silicone. At present, JEA can provide special TPE elastomer materials with heat resistance, high resilience and high scratch resistance.

　　Common applications of TPE instead of silicone: rubber rings, handicrafts, leather straps, tableware and kitchenware products, bracelets and wristbands, button and button products, etc.

　　2.TPE/TPR elastomer VS rubber (vulcanized)

　　Advantages of rubber: high wear resistance; resilience, good tear resistance; small permanent deformation; good mechanical properties; high temperature resistance; corrosion resistance.

　　Shortcomings of rubber: more processing procedures, long production cycle; materials cannot be recycled and reused; material odor, environmental concerns.

　　Advantages of TPE/TPR: fast processing and molding; edges and scraps can be reused repeatedly; low odor, environmental protection and non-toxic; wider adjustment space for hardness and physical properties.

　　Shortcomings of TPE/TPR: poorer heat resistance; larger permanent deformation; less mechanical and abrasion resistance than rubber; poorer solvent resistance.

　　TPE/TPR alternative rubber review: rubber's vulcanization chemical cross-linking system structure makes its mechanical properties, solvent resistance, heat resistance, etc. superior to the physical cross-linking structure of TPE/TPR. elastic rubber parts. In recent years, the TPE industry has made great progress in research and development, and the heat resistance and flexural deformation resistance of some special customized elastomer TPE have been improved, but there is still a certain gap compared to rubber. In the user's new product development process, the choice of TPE/TPR or rubber materials should be based on their specific requirements.