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Agenda

Registration and morning refreshments
Smithers welcome
Chair’s opening remarks
Session 1: A future perspective – brand material requirements and machine learning innovations
(joint session with Silicone Elastomer conference)
Requirements for silicone materials used in household appliances and medical devices
Synergy of Machine Learning and Molecular Modeling in the Design of Elastomer Formulations
This presentation explores the use of digital design tools, including machine learning and molecular dynamics simulations, in developing advanced elastomers. Through case studies on thermoplastic elastomers and silicon-based polymers, it illustrates how these methods facilitate the design of elastomers with specific properties tailored to application needs.
 
Dr Elaheh Sedghamiz | Senior Applications Scientist, Schrodinger GmbH
Replacing silicone elastomers in sport goods applications with thermoplastic elastomers to help reduce the environmental impact of our products
Virtual molding enhanced with commercial simulation
Simulation is often critical to timely succeed in complex projects. A new mold, process, technology or configuration can be checked and optimized even before any steel is cut. But the best technical plan is often not the best commercial solution. The paper demonstrates practical examples how mold layout, material selection and process parameters impact the costs of manufacturing. SIGMAecon is a new tool in SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding to combine physical results from modern process simulation with financial results and real costs.
 
Pia Fielenbach | Application Engineer, SIGMA Engineering
Networking break
Delegates move back to separate TPE and Silicone events
Session 2: Material performance and innovation focus
New generation hydrogenated styrene block copolymer “Agon” for compounding application
Introducing the Versalis hydrogenated styrene block copolymer (Europrene® SOL TH, Agon® SOL TH) - Advanced thermoplastic elastomers with enhanced characteristics for automotive and medical & healthcare applications - Formulated compound with a series of linear, radial, and multiarm shape hydrogenated styrene-butadiene block copolymers - Evaluation includes physical mechanical, thermal, and optical properties of the compound with focus on beneficial effect on mixing, thermal and transparency properties
Nicola Latorraca | Head of Technical Management Automotive & Thermoplastic Elastomers, Versalis spa
Comparison of renewable and standard process oils for polymer, tpe and elastomer applications
The H&R Group offers a range of recycling and bio-based process oil products that represent a sustainable alternative to conventional process oils. In addition to the sustainability aspect, the recycling and bio-based process oil products also have a number of technical properties that offer compounders an added technical value. H&R presents the most important properties of the oils and selected compounds and offers a possible perspective for new sustainable compound developments.
Dr. Oliver Grimm | Market Development Manager, H & R Group
TPE Developments for Automotive Sealing Systems
  • different automotive sealing systems and its customer requirements
  • study of adhesion results
  • study of injection parameters to achieve best bonding results
  • rheology results for different grades
  • future trends and conclusion

Roberto Molteni | Application Development, ALLOD Werkstoff GmbH & Co. KG
Networking lunch break
Polycaprolactone Polyols for Enhanced Hydrolytic Resistance in High Performance Polyurethane Applications
Virtual product development of a TPE-based anti-vibration component for Electric Vehicle applications
Advancements in Highly Strain-Rate-Sensitive TPE-Based Polymers for Sporting Applications
RHEON Labs specialises in highly strain-rate-sensitive polymers, a category of elastomers that exhibit intelligent stiffening properties when subjected to force. One of the latest advancements in the RHEON Technology is the development of highly strain-rate-sensitive films for muscle damping and tension control in performance athletic apparel, offering athletes dynamic support. This presentation will delve into the scientific principles behind strain-rate-sensitive elastomers and explore specific real-world applications in the sporting industry.
 
Dr. Sarah Karmel | Chief Scientific Officer, Rheon Labs
Networking refreshment break
Session 3: The future of TPE recycling and reducing your carbon impact
Recycled TPE solutions and adhesion on to recycled PMMA, recycled PC/ABS, recycled PP
Enhancing Circularity and Product Safety Through TPS Technology
Chair’s summary and end of day one
Networking drinks reception
Registration and refreshments
Chair's opening remarks
Session 4: Sustainable solutions and innovation updates for the automotive industry
Sustainable TPE solutions – Combining weight saving with recycling content
KRAIBURG TPE is supporting the automotive value chain in fulfilling demands with its portfolio of new sustainable TPE materials. The latest release to market is Recycling Content TPE for Automotive for all application areas. KTPE solutions are combining high quality and sustainability. Our new recycling based grades are available for different OEM requirements. Color Options, Highest Scratch Resistance, Class A surface Exterior/Interior grades, Adhesion solutions for ABS / PC / ASA , PA, as well as light weight solutions with high Recycling Contents. With our new sustainable innovations KRAIBURG TPE is enabling the market to increase the post consumer recycling content of TPE parts and reduce the carbon footprint considerably to meet future OEM requirements
 
Matthias Michl | Head of Team Automotive, KRAIBURG TPE
Sustainable Automotive Innovation with High-Performance TPVs
  • Introduction to Sarlink® TPV
  • Drive Sustainability
  • Power the Shift to Electrification
  • Enable Lightweighting
  • Summary & Path Forward

Pratik Shah | Vice President of Engineered Plastics & Elastomers, Teknor Apex
Styrenic thermoplastic elastomers for automotive efficient foams
The irreversible climate change could be mitigated if the direct and indirect CO2 emissions from vehicles are lowered. This study presents the effect of using styrenic thermoplastic rubbers (SEBS) to improve the properties of a foamed commodity homopolypropylene (PP) for automotive applications.  Evidence suggests that styrenic thermoplastic elastomers can be used as a ductility improvement for polypropylene foams, helping to reduce vehicle weights and thus lower CO₂ emissions.
 
Nerea Lago | Researcher, Dynasol Group
Networking refreshment break
S.O.E.TM compound utilizing core-back foam injection molding for automotive interior parts process simplification and recyclability improvement
  • Novel TPS material suitable for automotive interior parts
  • Creating foam and skin using same TPS compound
  • Improved recyclability by eliminating PU foam and adhesives (not requiring separation of each layer)
  • Process simplification, cost reduction and CO2 reduction by use of core-back injection molding

Satoshi Kamimura | Technical Service Engineer, Asahi Kasei Europe
Session 5: Latest TPE developments in the medical and healthcare industry
Approach to sustainable, low carbon footprint, elastomer solutions matching to stringent regulatory needs in the healthcare industry
Medical TPU: Sustainable progress and Innovations
This presentation delves into the dual themes of sustainability and technological advancements in the realm of Medical TPUs. It will introduce Lubrizol’s strategy on sustainability and more in detail how this applies to our medical grade TPUs. Apart from that it will cover latest developments for Lubrizol’s Medical TPU portfolio, giving an insight into what topics we are currently working on and how we test for the desired enhanced properties.
 
Monika Kriete | Technical Marketing Manager, Lubrizol - Medical Solutions
Networking lunch break
Session 6: 3D printing processing focus
Investigating dynamic mechanical properties and material degradation of TPE components manufactured with additive manufacturing
There is an ongoing process replacing conventional cross-linked elastomers with TPE, due to the processing advantages and the potential for material recycling. However, TPE have some inferior mechanical properties like resetting and creep behavior. Investigating current applications by comparing mechanical properties of cross-linked elastomers and TPE would require injection molding tools. Despite the in most cases inferior mechanical properties with additive manufacturing compared to injection molding it opens the possibility of rapid prototyping. Therefore, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is used to manufacture damping elements of elastic couplings with TPU. Consequently, these elements are tested in elastic couplings and compared with currently used cross-linked elastomers. The mechanical properties are evaluated based on the dynamic stiffness and damping behavior which are derived of these dynamic tests
Alexander Schlede | Research Associate, University Duisburg-Essen, Institute of Product Engineering
TPVs for 3D Printing Based on Blends of PLA with EVM-GMA and ENR
we will report on the progress of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) in 3D printing. Thereafter, we will introduce Levapren® NPG, an ethylene-vinyl acetate-glycidyl methacrylate rubber (EVM-GMA). Next, we describe the processing and 3D printing of TPV based on blends of PLA with Levapren® NPG and, for comparison, epoxidized natural rubber (ENR). PLAs with high and low molar mass were used, and EVM-GMA and ENR, respectively, were dynamically vulcanized with an anhydride vulcanization system. TPVs with varying PLA to EVM-GMA and PLA to ENR blend ratios were prepared, respectively. The thermal and mechanical properties of these TPV materials were characterized, and tensile test specimens were 3D printed and evaluated, exhibiting similar tensile properties as injection-molded specimens. For TPVs with 70 / 30 and 50 / 50 PLA to EVM-GMA blend ratios, good extrusion, filament depositing, and adhesion properties are found, resulting in 3D printed test specimens with high contour accuracy and smooth surface finish. For 30 / 70 PLA to EVM-GMA blend ratio, however, die swell and melt fracture occurs. As a result, the extruded filaments have a rough surface, and the 3D printed test specimens have a blurred shape. For TPVs with PLA and ENR, accurate and smooth test specimens with 70 / 30 PLA to ENR blend ratio were printed. At lower polymer blend ratios, however, the extruded TPV material smeared upon filament depositing, and, thus, 3D printing was not feasible. Atomic force microscopy images reveal that for TPVs with 70 / 30 PLA to elastomer blend ratio, the elastomer-rich phase forms non-spherical domains embedded in the PLA-rich matrix. For TPVs with lower PLA to elastomer blend ratios, co-continuous-like phase morphologies are found. In summary, we found that TPVs based on PLA and EVM-GMA are suitable for printing flexible objects. By modifying the sample compositions, the material properties such as, e.g., hardness and processing could be optimized, matching requirements that are specified by 3D filament producer and home-users.
 
Christoph Goegelein | Principal Scientist Polymer Physics, ARLANXEO Deutschland GmbH
Session 7: Advancements in processing and Ai
Dynamic Production Process Control using Dielectric In-Mold Monitoring and AI
  • Quality issues of final parts due to material and machine variability are in the past. In-mold sensors using the dielectric measurement principle measure material behavior like glass transition temperature and vulcanization during the production process. 
  • Fundamentals of dielectric analysis and applications for TPE and elastomer processing
  • How dielectric analysis and machine learning can be combined for dynamic process optimization
  • Case studies demonstrating how dielectric analysis is being used in different industries achieving cycle time reduction of around 15% in a rubber stator production process

Dr. Alexander Chaloupka | Managing Director / CTO, NETZSCH Process Intelligence GmbH
Laboratory scale characterization methods for improved representation of blend-based TPE's processing behaviour
In a world where resource management and functional integration play a major role, the material group of blend-based, polyolefinic TPE is an obvious choice. They are easily recyclable within the polyolefin value stream and exhibit a low loss of properties through mechanical recycling. The blend character allows for a very flexible adaptation of the material formulations, whereby both a high amount of recyclates and the application-oriented component properties can be considered. However, control over their complex morphology during flow in processing is less well understood, as is the ability to represent this through highly efficient laboratory-scale characterization data. This talk highlights recent work in representing the processing behavior of TPS and TPV. The sensitivity of the data determined for different test conditions underlines how susceptible the reliability of rheological data is for process and tool design.
Markus Kämpfe | Researcher, Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V.
Chair's summary and close of conference

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Thermoplastic-Elastomers-agenda-2024-28-10-24