In our daily lives, TPE materials and silicone rubber materials are widely used, both of which are currently used in fields such as daily necessities, personal care products, and household appliances. Although there are many similarities in the expected fields of these two materials, they still have their own advantages in different fields. So which is better, TPE material or silicone rubber?

TPE material:
TPE material is a thermoplastic elastomer material with high strength, high resilience, and injection molding processing characteristics. It has a wide range of applications, is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and safe, and has excellent coloring properties. It can be used for strengthening and toughening modification of plastics. Self reinforcing, simplified formula, less restriction of the influence of the compounding agent on the polymer, and easier to grasp the quality and performance. However, the heat resistance of TPE is not as good as that of rubber, and the physical properties decrease significantly with increasing temperature, thus limiting its applicability.

At the same time, compression deformation, elastic recovery, and durability are relatively poor compared to rubber, and the price is often higher than similar rubber. Nevertheless, the advantages of TPE are still very prominent, and various new TPE products are constantly being developed. As a new type of energy-saving and environmentally friendly rubber raw material, its development prospects are very promising. But now it is generally used in high-end, highly transparent toys, adult products, suction cup materials, sports equipment, and sealing rings.

Silicone rubber:
Silicone rubber refers to rubber whose main chain is composed of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms, with two organic groups usually connected to the silicon atoms. Ordinary silicone rubber is mainly composed of siloxane chains containing methyl groups and a small amount of vinyl groups. The introduction of phenyl can improve the high and low temperature resistance of silicone rubber, while the introduction of trifluoropropyl and cyano groups can improve the temperature and oil resistance of silicone rubber.

Silicone rubber has good low-temperature resistance and can generally work at -55 ℃. After the introduction of phenyl, it can reach -73 ℃. The heat resistance of silicone rubber is also outstanding, and it can work for a long time at 180 ℃. It can withstand several weeks or more of elasticity even at slightly above 200 ℃, and can instantly withstand high temperatures above 300 ℃. Silicone rubber has good breathability and high oxygen permeability in synthetic polymers.

In summary, we can see that TPE material and silicone rubber are not actually in a better situation. Both materials have their own advantages, and their application fields are slightly different. For example, TPE material is more inclined towards food grade, sports equipment, and wire. Silicone rubber is more commonly used in the medical industry.