New analysis: Thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers

Nexant Energy and Chemicals Advisory TECH program publishes a new report Thermoplastic Polyolefin Elastomers.  Thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers were developed over the past few decades as a means to bridge the gap between rubber and plastics using olefinic feedstocks.  Covered in this report are in-situ TPOs, compounded TPOs, TPVs, Polyolefin Elastomers and Plastomers, and Olefin Block Copolymers.

Up until the 1950s, vulcanized rubber was the primary elastomer available, and it was not until later in that decade that thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) were developed. TPEs provide modest elastomeric properties, but are melt processable, and can thus be recycled repeatedly and fabricated more rapidly than vulcanized rubber.

Many TPEs are now commercially available, and a number of them utilize olefinic raw materials. These include Thermoplastic Polyolefins (TPOs), Compounded TPOs, Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPVs), Polyolefin Elastomers (POEs), Polyolefin Plastomers (POPs), and Olefin Block Copolymers (OBCs).

NexantECA’s recently issued TECH report, Thermoplastic Polyolefin Elastomers, provides an updated overview of the technological, economic, and market aspects of this industry sector. The economic assessment provided in this report includes:

• In-Situ TPO – SPHERIPOL technology facilities in the USGC, Western Europe and Southeast Asia; Grace UNIPOL facility located in the USGC; a BORSTAR facility located in Western Europe, and CATALLOY facilities located in the USGC and Western Europe.
• Compounded TPO and TPV – Twin-screw compounding extruder technology facilities modeled for the USGC, Western Europe, and Coastal China.
• Polyolefin Elastomers, Plastomers, and OBCs – DOWLEX technology plants for making POEs and POPs have been modelled for USGC, Western Europe and Southeast Asia. A UNIPOL facility in the USGC has been modelled to make a polyolefin plastomer, while a generalized metallocene solution plant to make propylene-based POEs has been modelled for the USGC and Southeast Asia. An OBC facility to make propylene- and ethylene-based OBCs has been modelled for the USGC.

For more information, click here to download the Report Table of Contents

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