Application of TPE in Carpets

Plastic carpets are commonly used in household items and the automotive industry, serving functions such as maintaining a clean environment, anti-slip, and decoration. Currently, thermoplastic elastomer TPE,TPR is gradually gaining mature application in the carpet industry.

The main part of common plastic carpets is a sheet-like mesh structure, with a layer of soft adhesive on the back. After drawing the plastic into filaments, it is pressed into a mesh layer of a certain thickness, and then the soft adhesive is laminated to the main carpet layer via roller coating.

Advantages of TPE carpets compared to PVC carpets
TPE has become the preferred raw material for carpet production mainly because it overcomes the shortcomings of traditional soft PVC materials.
First, it is environmentally friendly and non-toxic. PVC carpets have a strong odor and can sometimes be toxic, containing phthalate plasticizers and heavy metals. TPE,TPR carpets, on the other hand, are odorless, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly, even meeting FDA food-grade standards. Second, the low-temperature resistance of TPE,TPR is better than that of PVC. TPE,TPR can withstand low temperatures of -50℃ without hardening, maintaining elasticity and anti-slip properties. In contrast, PVC hardens and loses elasticity at temperatures -10℃. In outdoor environments with lower temperatures, TPE carpets are undoubtedly better than PVC carpets.

Performance requirements for TPE materials used in carpets
1. High mechanical strength, so that the film does not have holes during extrusion backing;
2. Firm adhesion to the main carpet substrate without sticking to the roller;
3. Can be dried at low temperatures and does not stick to the roller during machine washing;
4. No oil leakage when the finished product is squeezed during packaging.
5. Appropriate material hardness (such as 45~60A, depending on different product requirements) and physical properties (such as specific gravity and strength, selected according to customer requirements).
The following are the basic physical property parameters of a typical TPE carpet material (laboratory data, for reference only):
Hardness:47A; Specific gravity: 1.22; Tensile strength: 2.5MPa; Elongation at break: 512.3%; Tear strength: 18.13KN/M; Melt index48.26g/10min(190℃,2.16kg).