Morphology development of (sub)micrometer thermoplastic vulcanisates

Abstract

[Excerpt] Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) combine the elastic properties of thermoset cross-linked elastomers with the melt processability of thermoplastics (1,2). The strong growth of TPEs in the last decade is mainly related to the relatively low tota-system-costs of end products produced via extrusion or injection moulding of TPEs, the possibility to recycle production scrap and after-use waste and, in some cases, an unique combination of physical properties. Thermoplastic vulcanisates (TPVs) are a particular class of TPEs, which are prepared via selective cross-I inking of the rubber during mixing of a non-miscible blend of a semi-crystalline thermoplastic with a rubber (dynamic vulcanisation). [...]