Material Innovations Supporting Safer Water Storage 

Access to safe drinking water is a public health priority, especially as sanitation standards rise and systems grow more complex. For this reason, purifiers and dispensers must keep water clean and potable not just at the source but throughout storage and delivery. Components in contact with water must resist chemical degradation, inhibit microbial growth, and avoid leaching substances that could affect safety or taste.

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) hold up well as a preferred material, with chemical stability and a non-reactive nature that ensure long-term safety.

KRAIBURG TPE, a global manufacturer of thermoplastic elastomer products and custom solutions for various industries, offers TF8ONG-NTRL, a high-performance TPE for drinking water safety. This TPE for faucet seals and gaskets is engineered to meet the strict demands of components in contact with cold or warm water. Likewise, TPE for water filtration components is gaining traction.

Maintains low odor and flavor, hot or cold
KRAIBURG TPE’s TF8ONG-NTRL is a low-odor and flavor TPE, even under warm water exposure up to 60°C. The TPE for cold and warm water applications is free from plasticizers, phthalates, PVC, and heavy metals. The NSF/ANSI 61-compliant TPE meets Section 4 standards for drinking water system components at both cold (23°C) and domestic hot water (60°C) temperatures, and complies with KTW requirements for low odor, flavor, and total organic compounds (TOC) in hot water use.

Offers excellent process and design flexibility
KRAIBURG TPE’s TF8ONG-NTRL has a hardness of 80 Shore A and a density of 0.95 g/cm³, offering a balance of flexibility and shape retention, which makes it suitable for hoses, dynamic seals, and fluid-transfer components. It features optimized flow properties, clean processing, and strong adhesion to polyolefins, particularly polypropylene (PP), facilitating cost-efficient 2K overmolding designs. The compound is available in natural color and can be processed through injection molding or extrusion.

On par with global standards for safety and hygiene
KRAIBURG TPE’s TF8ONG-NTRL conforms to key international drinking water regulations, including EU Regulation 10/2011 and US FDA CFR 21, ensuring low migration and material safety for global food contact applications. As a drinking water-compliant material, TF8ONG-NTRL has common applications including NSF/ANSI 61-certified parts for residential and commercial systems such as flexible pipe fittings, water dispenser and filter housing gaskets, and O-rings for warm water use. Moreover, the compound contains no curing or crosslinking agents and meets the requirements of EU Regulation No. 10/2011 for food contact plastics and US FDA CFR 21 for raw material quality.

Sustainability from the get-go
At KRAIBURG TPE, sustainability is at the heart of our innovation. Our portfolio features bio-based TPEs and compounds with post-consumer (PCR) and post-industrial (PIR) recycled content. Selected TPEs carry GRS and ISCC PLUS certifications. We also provide Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) data on request to support sustainability decisions.
We have proudly earned the EcoVadis Gold Medal in 2025 and are committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), aligning our goals with global climate action.
From reducing emissions to increasing circularity, our sustainable TPEs deliver dependable performance and are available worldwide to help meet your applications while advancing your sustainability goals.
Get in touch today to explore how KRAIBURG TPE is able to support you on your sustainability and product development journey.
Disclaimer: The applications mentioned are illustrative of material capabilities only. Final product suitability and regulatory compliance must be assessed and validated by the customer.