Teknor Apex has developed a vinyl-based thermoplastic elastomer with improved elasticity and low-temperature toughness, yet it costs as much as 40 percent less than competing thermoplastic elastomers.
The Pawtucket, R.I., company said Flexalloy 9604-75 is designed for outdoor cord jacketing and insert-molded electrical plugs. It has a Shore A hardness of 78, elongation of 285 percent and a brittle point of minus 82.6° F, properties that are similar to more expensive styrenic and olefinic TPEs.
Applications for the new compound include snow blowers, lawn and garden tools and extension cords. Teknor Apex uses its technology to compound ultrahigh-molecular-weight PVC in creating the Flexalloy product line.
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