Santoprene® is a thermoplastic rubber with flexibility and durability like natural rubber. It can be processed in various ways, is easy and cheap to produce, and can be recycled. It is used in various applications, including insulation, sporting goods, industrial tools, office equipment, and automotive parts. Its recyclability makes it a great way to make better use of resources.
As one of the best examples of thermoplastic rubber on the market today, Santoprene® is used in numerous applications. It is a thermoplastic compound that is processed in much the same way as any type of plastic. The difference is Santoprene® possesses the same levels of flexibility and durability commonly found with natural rubber compounds. Due to its increased durability in both extremely hot and cold environments, the material is often preferred over the use of rubber.
Santoprene® can be processed in various ways. The abrasion resistant material can be blown, teleformed or injection molded with ease. Besides the fact that the material is so easy and cheap to produce, it can also be recycled. After products made with it have seen better days, the same material can be reworked and shaped into new products. The impact of this easily recyclable plastic on our environment is therefore not only positive, but it can also help eliminate even more unwanted items that end up in landfills.
Around the home, Santoprene® products are often found to help insulate appliances and other areas. Pump seals, hose connectors, window and door seals and sealing gaskets on ovens and refrigerators are often made from this plastic. The same goes for a variety of sporting goods that our kids play with every day. Grips on baseball bats and insulated bicycle handlebar covers made with Santoprene® are common today. For more adult sporting pursuits, it is often used for scuba diving equipment, wetsuits, ski pole grips and tennis racket grips.
When it comes to industrial applications, Santoprene® is often found on all types of tool handles as well as castor wheels, textile industrial rollers on carding and spinning equipment, machinery seals. In the office, it might appear as the cushion on the bottom of computer monitors, the vibration isolators that slide under speakerphones and printer rollers.
The automotive industry accounts for the use of a large amount of products made from this plastic. Among these are various types of boots, the trim in the air ducts, the covers for the cables under the hood, the windshield spacers and the airbag doors. Today’s typical vehicle will be equipped with many Santoprene® items that will likely last as long as the car’s fiberglass and metal shell.
As an easily recyclable product, Santoprene® has a reputation for being strong and a great way to make better use of available resources. With so many uses already in place, it’s only a matter of time before more applications are developed.
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