MULTIBASE INTRODUCES NEW BREAKTHROUGH CATEGORY OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE TPEs

Saint Laurent du Pont, France (September 17, 2002) – A new category of high-performance TPEs that represents a plastics industry breakthrough has been introduced by Multibase, a Dow Corning Company.

Marketed under the TPSiV™ brand name, the new materials are thermoplastic silicone vulcanizates that offer cost-effective solutions for applications where alternative TPEs cannot perform. These new TPEs combine the high-temperature elastomeric performance of silicone rubber with the melt reprocessability and chemical resistance of engineering thermoplastics. The company explains that the cost-effectiveness of TPSiV™ materials is a result of their melt processability, reduced total materials consumption, and recyclability.

In addition to its melt reprocessability, TPSiV™ materials have a wide range of hardness 50 Shore A to 60 Shore D, excellent high temperature performance in air, excellent abrasion resistance, excellent resistance to chemicals including fuel and oil, as well as low compression set and tensile set at elevated temperatures. TPSiV™ materials are available in black or “appliance white,” can be colored, and are printable.

“The prospects for these materials are excellent due the unusual combination of properties and cost/value performance that is not easily available from competitive materials,” says Fernando Cuccioli, Multibase global marketing manager. “We are exploring application development opportunities as we continue to identify customer needs and determine how best to help them succeed.”

Typical applications for TPSiV™ materials include seals/gaskets, industrial hoses, and grips/handles in a wide variety of markets such as automotive, sports and leisure, electrical/electronic, agricultural, industrial safety, furniture, and domestic appliance/household.

TPSiV™ 1180-50D offers superior flexibility and strength at high temperatures without the use of plasticizers. It is a “flexible” nylon with a CUT of 140oC (284oF). It has excellent “drawing” capability for profile extrusion; excellent oil-, chemical- and hydrolytic-stability at high temperatures; and is particularly suited for automotive applications where oil, chemical and high temperature resistance are important, as well as industrial tubing for the petroleum industry.

The company has also introduced three new grades of TPSiV™ materials in its 3000 Series that offer a unique combination of high-temperature performance, oil and chemical resistance, softness, and high elasticity “all in one” formulation. These materials also offer high performance under harsh environmental conditions, and resistance to extreme temperatures, abrasion and chemical attack.

The 3000 Series can be fabricated through a variety of methods, including extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, co-molding and co-extrusion, over-molding and cohesive and adhesive bonding to PC, ABS, PU, PVC and PA substrates without adhesives.

TPSiV™ 3010-50A is the first soft TPE with hardness of 50 Shore A and excellent tensile property retention at a continuous use temperature (CUT) of 150oC (302oF). It also has excellent durability and hydrolytic resistance. It sustains its original physical properties when immersed in water for 1,000 hours in 100oC (212oF).

TPSiV™ 3010-60A is a plasticizer-free TPE with excellent durability and high-temperature performance including excellent sealing properties and bondability without adhesives.

TPSiV™ 3011-60A is a high performance TPE with an excellent soft, silky “feel” at high temperatures without plasticizers. Internally conducted sensory analysis shows that 3011-60A is warmer and less stiff, tacky, and rough as well as “quieter” than competitive TPEs and copolymers. This grade is particularly suitable for applications in the sports and leisure, furniture and electronics markets.

Multibase (www.multibase.com), a Dow Corning Company, is a leading global supplier of differentiated thermoplastic/elastomeric materials and solutions. Multibase’s headquarters is located in France with manufacturing faciliti

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