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Plastic Pointers - Volume 2 Number 1

click here to view the Adobe Acrobat version of Plastic Pointers

What the Heck is TPE, and How Do You Fix It ?

The technical staff here at Urethane Supply Company gets several calls a day asking for information on plastics identification. More than any other, we get calls about a plastic identified by the symbol "TPE". What is TPE and what is the best way to repair it?

First of all, the letters TPE stand for "Thermoplastic Elastomer." Unlike PUR (polyurethane) or PP (polypropylene), TPE does not indicate an chemical composition; TPE is a catch-all category that encompasses a wide variety of elastomeric (flexible) thermoplastics.

There are nearly 1000 different compositions of TPE from 33 different manufacturers listed in the Plastics Digest. Depending on the application, the formulations can range from vinyls to polyesters to polypropylenes. In the automotive market, TPE's are used for everything from electrical insulators, hoses, belts, paint masks, CV joint boots, to auto trim and bumper covers.

Most TPE's used for bumper covers and trim items are very similar to TPO. They are typically polyolefin- based materials mixed with combinations of other materials including synthetic rubber. Exceptions include GE's Lomod TPE, which has been used on Cadillac bumper extensions and looks similar to urethane.

With all of these different formulations from various manufacturers, it is difficult to have one welding rod that would be compatible with all different types of TPE. This causes one of the biggest points of confusion about TPE: our Mini-Weld airless plastic welder does not come with a welding rod labeled "TPE." That being the case, what is the best repair method for TPE?

Glad you asked! Once again, Urethane Supply Company's 5003R8 Uni-Weld Ribbon comes to the rescue for repairing TPE parts.

Uni-Weld Ribbon is a thermoplastic adhesive which is applied using the Mini-Weld airless plastic welder. Uni-Weld Ribbon provides a very strong bond to any type of plastic, even the difficult-to-repair olefin- based TPEs.

The strong adhesion of the Uni-Weld Ribbon allows it to be sanded to a very fine featheredge even on problem plastics like TPE and TPO. This is not the case with many two-part adhesives, even when the recommended adhesion promoter is used.

To show you how easy it is to do, we repaired a Geo Storm front bumper in our lab. The photo sequence on the next page will take you through the entire repair process.

Polypropylene Remains Market Share Leader in Automotive Thermoplastics

"As has been the case since the 1980s, polypropylene continues to be the material of choice among all the thermoplastic options. Of the 1,895 million pounds of thermoplastics used in 1995, more than 595 million were polypropylene and TPO," said William Windscheif, Marketing Manager of Montell Automotive Business Group. By 2005, the projection leaps to 995 million pounds of PP and TPO.

"With the advances that we have achieved in polypropylene materials technology, it is now realistic to consider employing only polypropylene-based materials to manufacture very complex structures such as instrument panels, door panels, and bumper systems," explains Stephen Dwyer, Technology Director, Product and Applications Development Group for Montell Technology. The primary advantage to such an approach is minimal end-of-life handling for recovery/recycling. Average mass of polypropylene in U.S. automobiles is 51 lb., an increase from 34 lb. per vehicle in 1990.

-source: Automotive Engineering, Dec.1996

New and Improved Flex-Tex

In response to customer feedback, we have modified the formulation of our 3800 Flex-Tex flexible texture material to improve the consistency of the texture and the color.

First of all, the most obvious difference is the color. Our old Flex-Tex was dark gray, but we've changed the color to black to match most textured bumper applications. The new black color allows you to finish the job in a single step, without having to later color coat the Flex-Tex later on.

Another welcome change is that we've reduced the viscosity of the paint slightly for easier spraying and reduced cobwebbing. Finally, the resulting texture is more natural right out of the gun, with less dry spotting that has to be sanded out after the paint dries.

Just like the old Flex-Tex, you can vary the appearance of the texture by adjusting distance-to-work, air pressure, fan shape, and fluid flow. You can also use a Pre-Val sprayer to apply Flex-Tex to small areas like dashboard repairs.

After you get a feel for how it works, you'll be able to simulate many of the textured grain patterns used on bumpers and other trim items.

New Heat Gun Element Improves Durability

Over the years, our 6500VT Variable Temperature Heat Gun has proven to be a popular and durable aid in the repair of automotive plastics. The only problem with the gun has been that the ceramic heating element has been sensitive to overheating.

We now have available replacement elements made of mica, a material much more resistant to overheating damage. The improved element is available now at no increase in price. Order today!

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