Materials

There are numerous soft thermoplastics on the market and their application possibilities seem endless.

On our website, we describe the six main basic types of thermoplastic elastomers plus soft PVC that we use.

Soft PVC

Soft PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a very traditional material that originated in the 1930s. Soft PVC has exceptional properties and a perfect price/performance ratio.

Are you looking for an affordable material with good optical properties, chemical resistance and high wear resistance? Then soft PVC could be a good option for your product.

PVC has very good insulating properties and is flame retardant, making it a popular material in the electronics industry. Soft PVC can also be widely used as a sealing material due to its good chemical and UV resistance.

In addition, soft PVC has excellent adhesive and printing properties, giving it clear advantages over thermoplastic elastomers in this respect.

A major disadvantage of soft PVC is its poor reputation. In the past, soft PVC contained phthalates as plasticisers, which were harmful to health. Although these substances are still used in some parts of the world, we only work with phthalate-free materials manufactured in Europe. The fact that many of the soft PVC types we use are approved for use in toys proves that PVC is still a popular material today.

Typical properties of soft PVC are:

  • Temperature application range: -40°C to +90°C
  • Hardness: 35 Shore A tot 70 Shore D
  • Resistance to oils: good
  • Resistance to acids: good
  • Resistance to bases: reasonable
  • Resistance to ageing (ozone): very good

A selection of our products

Thermoplastic elastomers are used in a wide variety of markets for different purposes: sealing, insulation, soft grip or as a 2-component product combining hard and soft in one product.

Soft PVC for your application?

Would you like to know more about the properties of soft PVC and its applications? Contact our material experts and let us advise you.

Kontakt