Submitted by Leah Molen on Tue, 02/23/2010 - 8:16pm.
First, I will preface this post by identifying myself as a civilian. I know nothing about polymer science. I'm not able to make a new post, however, since my curiosity is related to TPE, I'd like to reply to this thread and see if I can get an educated response. Thanks for your time.
In particular, I'm curious about TPE (& PER) yoga mats. I'm trying to learn how "eco" they really are and how they compare to each other.
My understanding is that TPE is a generic term for man-made plastic that can be made out a variety of sources, including petroleum and plant based sources. My understanding is also that TPE yoga mats are far safer and better than PVC based yoga mats.
However, I have the following questions:
Is TPE biodegradable?
If so, does it biodegrade only under certain special (termperature and light) conditions?
Can TPE yoga mats be recycled (really)?
Is TPE safer/cleaner/preferable to PER, or which is better for the environment?
Submitted by Leonard Horst on Tue, 01/19/2010 - 12:07pm.
Lisa,
Good plasticizer performance will depend greatly on the polymer system in which you are working. Dwight's suggestion is good for the compounds described, but mineral oil is a poor choice in other TPE/TPV polymer systems.
Submitted by Dwight Dixon on Fri, 11/27/2009 - 4:48pm.
SBS, SEBS, and SEPS, are frequently plasticized with mineral oil. There are also some solid state plasicizers used. For TPV's, you should seek out the advice of the materials suppliers.
Comments
TPE yoga mats
First, I will preface this post by identifying myself as a civilian. I know nothing about polymer science. I'm not able to make a new post, however, since my curiosity is related to TPE, I'd like to reply to this thread and see if I can get an educated response. Thanks for your time.
In particular, I'm curious about TPE (& PER) yoga mats. I'm trying to learn how "eco" they really are and how they compare to each other.
My understanding is that TPE is a generic term for man-made plastic that can be made out a variety of sources, including petroleum and plant based sources. My understanding is also that TPE yoga mats are far safer and better than PVC based yoga mats.
However, I have the following questions:
Is TPE biodegradable?
If so, does it biodegrade only under certain special (termperature and light) conditions?
Can TPE yoga mats be recycled (really)?
Is TPE safer/cleaner/preferable to PER, or which is better for the environment?
Thanks for your input.
TPE/TPV Plasticizers
Lisa,
Good plasticizer performance will depend greatly on the polymer system in which you are working. Dwight's suggestion is good for the compounds described, but mineral oil is a poor choice in other TPE/TPV polymer systems.
What is your base polymer?
Len
Plasticizers for TPE
SBS, SEBS, and SEPS, are frequently plasticized with mineral oil. There are also some solid state plasicizers used. For TPV's, you should seek out the advice of the materials suppliers.