Low-Hardness TPE Diaphragm Composition for High-Temperature Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thermoplastic elastomers exhibit poor mechanical properties, such as permanent elongation and surface hardness, at high temperatures, limiting their application in products like washing machine diaphragms and electric/electronic parts, and previous compositions fail to maintain required thermal properties while preserving flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A thermoplastic elastomer composition combining a block terpolymer of aromatic vinyl and alkene or conjugated diene-based compounds with paraffin oil, polyolefin-based resin, inorganic additives, and polyphenylene ether-based resin, optimized to maintain surface hardness between 0.1-40 A (shore A) and provide excellent mechanical, thermal, and chemical resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If thermoplastic elastomer is used to achieve flexibility and rubber-like properties at room temperature, then surface flexibility and ease of molding are improved, but mechanical properties including permanent elongation and tension set at high temperatures deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system consisting of a block copolymer (providing rubber-like flexibility) combined with a polyphenylene ether resin (providing high-temperature mechanical strength). This composite structure allows the material to exhibit both flexibility at room temperature and maintained mechanical properties at high temperatures, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability across different temperature conditions.
2Temperature
If thermoplastic elastomer composition is alloyed with another resin to improve high-temperature properties, then thermal resistance is improved, but surface flexibility is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the composition parameters, specifically limiting the polyphenylene ether resin content to 5-30 parts by weight per 100 parts of block copolymer. This parameter optimization ensures that enough flexible polymer matrix remains to maintain surface flexibility while incorporating sufficient high-temperature resistant resin to improve thermal resistance, thus resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
3Ease of operation
If surface hardness is reduced to 40A (shore A) or less to achieve vibration absorption and sealability, then flexibility and sealing performance are improved, but mechanical strength and structural stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material where the block copolymer matrix provides low hardness (40A or less) for vibration absorption and sealing, while the dispersed polyphenylene ether resin particles provide mechanical strength reinforcement. This composite structure allows simultaneous achievement of softness for sealing and strength for structural stability.
4Reliability
If polyphenylene ether resin content is increased to improve high-temperature mechanical properties, then thermal resistance and mechanical strength are improved, but surface hardness increases beyond 40A (shore A)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the polyphenylene ether resin content within a specific range (5-30 parts by weight per 100 parts of block copolymer). This parameter control ensures that the material achieves sufficient high-temperature mechanical properties while maintaining surface hardness at or below 40A (shore A), resolving the contradiction between reliability and surface hardness.
Data Source
AI summary
A thermoplastic elastomer composition of the present invention comprises (A) 30 to 40% by weight of a block terpolymer of an aromatic vinyl compound and alkene or a conjugated diene-based compound; (B) 25 to 50% by weight of a paraffin oil; (C) 1 to 5% by weight of a polyolefin-based resin; (D) 5 to 20% by weight of an inorganic additive; and (E) 5 to 15% by weight of a polyphenylene ether-based resin. The thermoplastic elastomer composition, which has a surface hardness of 0.1 to 40 A (shore A), shows excellent low hardness and has improved physical properties at high temperature, particularly, flexibility, restoring force at high temperatures, and the like.