Introduction to TPR Raw Materials:

TPR soft rubber materials are increasingly common in the toy industry. In this traditional application area for soft materials, TPR materials are gaining more consumer favor and trust due to their superior environmental safety and non-toxic characteristics.

Every industry has its corresponding standards, and the toy industry is no exception, with its own specialized industry standards. Moreover, different toy products have varying requirements for the physical and processing properties of TPR soft rubber materials.

Characteristics of TPR Thermoplastic Elastomers:

1. Good appearance and texture, mild touch, easy to color, uniform and stable tones; outstanding anti-slip performance, wear resistance, and weather resistance.

2. The product is non-toxic, has no irritating odor, and causes no harm to the environment, equipment, or personnel; the material can be reused, and scrap can be recycled, meaning no waste in production; fewer processing aids and additives are required, saving costs on quality control and testing; high dimensional accuracy and easier quality control.

3. Can be processed in solvents and briefly immersed in solvents or oils; non-toxic; good UV radiation resistance and oxidation resistance, suitable for outdoor environments; good bonding performance, with appropriate adhesive technology, it can be firmly bonded directly to genuine leather or synthetic leather surfaces.

Five Major Properties of TPR:

1. Excellent color matching performance.

Soft rubber toy products often come in bright and diverse colors, requiring high color matching performance from TPR materials. A qualified TPR grade should have good pigment dispersion and facilitate effective coloring, achieving vibrant and uniform color matching effects!

2. Good spray painting and screen printing performance.

Most toy products require spray painting or screen printing. To achieve excellent spray painting and screen printing effects (paint does not peel off), the compatibility between TPR materials and inks/paints is crucial. Suitable paints and inks should be selected based on TPR characteristics.

3. Crack resistance of soft toys.

For very soft toys, appropriate TPR materials should be selected to prevent cracking after processing. Additionally, optimizing molding processes can reduce stress-induced cracking!

4. Environmental performance.

Although most TPR materials meet ROHS and EN71-3 testing standards, different countries or regions have varying testing standards for toy products. Some require the absence of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), NP (nonylphenol), etc., while others require the absence of SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) as defined by REACH. These environmental requirements must be fully considered when formulating TPR materials!

5. Other requirements.

Some toy products require high tensile and tear resistance, while others demand good resilience, etc. In summary, the most suitable TPR materials should be provided based on specific customer requirements.

Regarding material hardness, TPR offers materials with a hardness range of 0-100A.

Regarding TPR processing, injection molding and extrusion remain the primary methods, while special TPR materials can be blow-molded.