Though not a single family of plastic materials, Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) plastics have a set of properties in common. They can be processed by conventional thermoplastic extrusion and molding techniques but function much like thermoset rubbers. The earliest commercial TPE plastics were the thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs), which are on the high end of the price and property range of thermoplastic elastomers. They can be processed easily at low melt temperatures, but must be thoroughly pre-dried.
Applications: TPUs are extruded into hoses and tubing for automotive, medical, and electronics applications. Blown plastic film is used for meat wrapping, exteriors, shoes and boots, drive wheels, and gears.
