WEB EXCLUSIVE: PolyOne Corp., Cleveland, announced two extensions of its product lines for medical components at the recent MD&M West show in Anaheim, Calif.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: At the recent MD&M West show in Anaheim, Calif., two suppliers introduced medical-grade TPE compounds.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: PolyOne GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers, McHenry, Ill., has worked with Genesis Plastics Welding, Indianapolis, to adapt the latter firm’s new ecoGenesis RF welding technology for PolyOne’s Versaflex TPEs.

The K 2010 show will present new plastics materials for a wide range of industries, which makes it hard to generalize, but a few markets stand out prominently: packaging, medical, automotive, and electronic equipment.

The footprint of thermoplastic materials suppliers at this year’s NPE is going to be fainter than usual.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers, McHenry, Ill., a unit of PolyOne Corp., has introduced two new grades of halogen-free, flame-retardant (HFFR) TPEs for consumer electronic power cords and auxiliary cables.

Lots of new thermoplastic blends made news at the recent NPE show in Chicago.

WEB EXCLUSIVE At NPE next month, at least two materials suppliers will be featuring new developments in long-fiber thermoplastic (LFT) compounds.

A family of five new TPE grades for medical tubing is said to have FDA compliance with “extremely low extractables” for cleaner compounds that address health, environmental, and safety concerns.

A new line of TPE alloys from GLS, McHenry, Ill., is designed to replace thermoset rubber in medical gaskets and stoppers.

Olefinic TPEs originally comprised only two classes of rubber-modified polypropylene, known as TPO and TPV. More recently, these have been supplemented by new types of olefinic elastomers that can be used on their own or as the rubber component in TPO/TPV compounds. Additionally, a small handful of specialty TPEs using olefinic matrices occupy niche applications.

This first of two articles on directions in TPE development focuses on styrenic, copolyester, polyamide, and TP urethane elastomers. The following article covers olefinics—TPOs, TPVs, and POEs.

WEB EXCLUSIVE A new phthalate-free TPE alloy from GLS Corp., McHenry, Ill., addresses recent regulations limiting phthalate-based plasticizers and the growing market demand for low-extractable TPEs.

PolyOne Corp., Cleveland, completed its purchase of TPE supplier GLS Corp., McHenry, Ill.

Specialty compounder PolyOne Corp., Cleveland, announced a major expansion of its TPE business with the signing last month of a definitive agreement to acquire GLS Corp., McHenry, Ill.

The major thrust in new materials at K is engineering thermoplastics for automotive, appliance, medical, and electrical/electronic parts.

A new line of TPEs from GLS Corp., McHenry, Ill., boasts more than 10 times the oxygen barrier of conventional TPEs, making it thereby equivalent to thermoset butyl rubber for healthcare packaging and delivery systems.

A new series of TPE alloys from GLS Corp., McHenry, Ill., were developed specifi cally for gaskets and seals.

A new line of TPE alloys with high barrier to oxygen and moisture have been launched by GLS Corp., McHenry, Ill., for food, beverage, and medical applications.

From PPs for frozen-food packaging to nylons and alloys that withstand the heat of circuit-board soldering or automotive paint ovens, NPE 2006 was rich in news of commodity and engineering resins and TPEs.

Fewer thermoplastic materials suppliers will make the trip to Chicago this year.

New TPE specialty alloys slated for introduction at NPE in June are claimed to provide superior bonding to most types of standard and modified nylons in overmolding applications.

Quite a few new polyolefins are being featured at this year’s show, with a particular emphasis on specialty PP and PE materials.

 Over the past decade, soft-touch overmolding has radically changed the look, feel, and function of a broad range of consumer products.

New materials at NPE 2003 target automotive, appliance, and packaging sectors. Engineering thermoplasticsdominate the news, but there were also severalnew TPEs and a few polypropylene introductions.