Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) & Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPVs)
If you would like to participate actively in this event as a speaker, please reach out to Roly Whear & Ayse Tugba Kokturk.
Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) and Vulcanizates (TPVs) were initially developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Historically their lack of mechanical properties has prevented their use in many engineering applications.
Recent developments in material technology now mean these groups of materials can now be considered as substitutes for traditional rubbers opening up opportunities in terms of reduced process times, recyclability and design flexibility.
This Afternoon Technical Discussion focusses on the potential opportunities these new materials offer and examples of innovative engineering applications.
Key takeaways:
- Find out the current challenges that the rubber industry is facing
- Opportunities to suggest solutions to those challenges
- Connect with the key stakeholders and companies in the rubber industry
- Meet with the key academic experts in elastomer materials
Agenda:
| 13:00 | Registration |
13:30 |
Prof James Busfield CEng FIMMM, Chair of the IOM3 Elastomer Group Welcome Address |
13:35 |
|
14:05 |
|
14:35 |
|
15:05 |
Materials That Perform Like Rubber, Process Like Plastic Hytrel? TPC and Santoprene? TPV Bernd Buraczewski, Market Development Santoprene TPV, Celanese |
| 15:35 |
A world without yield - helping mechanical engineers’ approach TPE use in component design |
| 16:05 | Networking Coffee |
| 17:00 | Close of event |
If you would like to participate actively in this event as a speaker, please reach out to Roly Whear & Ayse Tugba Kokturk.
Session Chairs: |
 Prof James Busfield FREng FIMMM FHEA Dr Roly Whear BEng CEng FIMMM FIMechE Tuğba Bayram KöktürkPresenters: |
Abstracts:Elios Portron & Alexis Walle - Thermoplastic-Elastomer mounting solutions for EV motorsSustainable development in E-mobility requires lightweight, low cost and low CO2 solutions. Vibracoustic and a global material expert developed together such solution for a motor mounting system. Using TPV material instead of natural rubber, Vibracoustic reviewed the concept of a silent block from scratch and achieved a linear isolation behavior in all direction without eigenmodes. The TPV we have selected is a sustainable material that is easy to recycle and need far less energy to manufacture than the previous natural rubber solution. This material allows to reduce costs through the use of dual injection production technique and can be tailored to the desired stiffness by simply modifying the geometry of the part. The use of TPV in NVH applications is an innovative alternative to natural rubber. Magdalena Michl & Michal Mucha - Shaping Tomorrow’s Material Solutions with TPS
This presentation introduces the potential of thermoplastic elastomers with a focus on TPS based on styrenic block copolymers (SBCs). It highlights the key material characteristics and broad application opportunities of TPS, demonstrating how these materials enable flexible, efficient, and high-performance design solutions. Furthermore, the presentation addresses the key drivers shaping next-generation material solutions, including advances in material technologies, the increasing integration of alternative and recycled raw materials, and the growing relevance of circularity concepts. The role of TPS as a versatile and future-ready material platform supporting performance, sustainability, and market requirements will be showcased.
Ger Vrooman - Sustainable Solutions in the World of TPE Materials
This presentation will highlight newly developed TPE materials from Teknor Apex that enable the replacement of traditional virgin materials with more sustainable alternatives across a wide range of applications and markets. The presented solutions maintain full compliance with all relevant technical and performance requirements of the final end products, while delivering a measurable environmental benefit.
In addition, the presentation will showcase several practical case studies in which conventional EPDM thermoset applications have been successfully replaced by recycled thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) materials. These examples clearly demonstrate how advanced TPE technologies can support both sustainability targets and high-performance demands, offering manufacturers viable pathways toward more sustainable product designs without sacrificing functionality or durability. Bernd Buraczewski - Materials That Perform Like Rubber, Process Like Plastic Hytrel? TPC and Santoprene? TPVMaterials That Perform Like Rubber, Process Like Plastic This presentation will introduce Celanese offerings of Hytrel TPC and Santoprene TPV as alternative materials to thermoset rubber. It will cover the value proposition of TPE and several established and new applications in and outside of automotive. There will be a deep dive into automotive sealing systems with Santoprene TPV and the presentation will be concluded by the introduction of a new Santoprene TPV grade. Lawrence Good - A world without yield - helping mechanical engineers’ approach TPE use in component design
As TPEs and TPVs move the boundaries of part performance on cars, new challenges come to light. How do we advise mechanical engineers on design limits when a material has no clear yield? How to convey the opportunities inherent in a thermoplastic elastomer’s mechanical properties for a given application? This talk will explore various mechanical tests that have been explored to help OEM engineers exploit the full potential of these often unfamiliar materials.
|
Upcoming elastomer events
- Free
Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) & Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPVs)
This Afternoon Technical Discussion Meeting focuses on the potential opportunities these new materials offer and examples of innovative engineering applications.
- Free
Elastomers in Transport
Elastomers in Transport. Hybrid meeting at The Bridge, University of Lincoln.
European Conference on Constitutive Models for Rubber XIV (ECCMR 2026)
ECCMR biennial series is the premier rubber research and technology event worldwide
Oxford
