Advanced Polymer Alloys' to Present Fluid Resistance Technical Paper at SPE Topical Conference

Wilmington, DE - Advanced Polymer Alloys, a division of Ferro Corporation (NYSE: FOE) and a supplier of Melt-Processible Elastomers™ (MPEs), recently announced that its technical team will present a paper – Specialty TPEs for Fluid-Resistant Applications – during the upcoming Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) Topical Conference, Sept. 12-14, in Akron, Ohio. The Society of Plastics Engineers' TPE Special Interest Group and its Akron Section are co-sponsoring the event.

J. Eric Ingram, manager of product development, will present APA's findings from a recent study on the effects of prolonged fluid exposure to melt-processible rubbers (MPR), TPUs, TPVs, and styrenic TPEs. APA manufactures Alcryn® MPR, which is highly resistant to damaging fluids like oil, gas, and other fuels. APA also developed special Alcryn MPR alloys tailored for maximum resistance to specific fluids.

The presentation will include overviews on the consequences of failing to consider fluid resistance when specifying a TPE; the relative oil resistance of various families of rubber; immersion fluid and plasticizer interactions; and the specific effects of oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, gasoline, gasohol, and antifreeze immersion on the physical properties of various classes of thermoplastic elastomers.

"Other than volume change, the effect of fluid contact on physical properties is an often-overlooked element of the TPE specifying process. This can make a critical difference in end use performance," Ingram said. "This paper shows that the general purpose TPEs, like the TPVs and the styrenic block copolymers, have inadequate resistance to be specified for service in contact with common oils and fuels. This presentation will offer side-by-side comparisons of how certain TPEs were affected by exposure to the various fluids. It's based on extensive research and we think the findings will be helpful to specifiers of TPEs and others in the plastics industry."

For information about the presentation, please call APA at 888-663-5005, or visit www.APAinfo.com.

SOURCE: Advanced Polymer Alloys