TPE compounds with excellent adhesion to PA

At Fakuma 2018, KRAIBURG TPE will introduce the FC/AD/PA THERMOLAST® K series – a product providing a wide range of design options and cost-effective processing that are intended to meet sophisticated TPE/PA applications in the consumer industry.

Ranging from softness to good grip to sealing functions – thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) offer attractive advantages that are important for many high-quality consumer goods. To consistently open up this potential, KRAIBURG TPE will present an innovative TPE technology that features outstanding adhesion to polyamides and complies with Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 for food contact at the 26th international trade fair for plastics processing, Fakuma.

The compounds of the new FC/AD/PA THERMOLAST® K series are characterized by excellent processability and superior surfaces that require no finishing after leaving the mold. The cost-effectively processable materials can directly be injection-molded onto PA6 and PA6.6 without any additional adhesive primer – translucent or precisely colored. With hardness degrees ranging between 40 and 80 Shore A, they combine tactile properties such as soft-touch and non-slip grip even at low wall thicknesses. They also provide superior tensile strength, elongation at break and abrasion resistance. Even during the development of these special TPEs, established requirements such as Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 have been taken into account.

That’s why the technology of the FC/AD/PA THERMOLAST® K series is targeted specifically at manufacturers and processors in the consumer and food industries.  Typical examples of applications are tool components that comply with food regulations as well as handles and surfaces of household appliances such as coffee machines and juicers. Further possible applications include health care aids from interdental brushes to eyeglasses frames to hearing aids, along with a wide array of cosmetics and sports articles.

“Theses materials that have been specially developed for the consumer industry underline the way in which our development know-how is resolutely oriented towards our markets and customers,” says Dirk Butschkay, Product Marketing Manager EMEA at KRAIBURG TPE. “They meet the increasing demand for thermoplastic elastomers that provide both promotional and functional properties in two-component applications with polyamides and help our customers maintain their competitiveness in dynamic market segments.”