DuPont Transportation & Industries has partnered with ExxonMobil Chemical's specialty elastomers business to develop a new Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) for automotive corner seals. By replacing traditional organic slip additives with DuPont's engineered silicon-based additives, the two companies formulated a new generation of Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanizate platform to improve adhesion to EPDM rubber substrates, and Reduced coefficient of friction for easy opening and closing of doors and windows. The new Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanizate B260 series also offers better flow properties, abrasion resistance and UV light stability.
Christophe Paulo, DuPont Marketing Manager, said: "Our successful collaboration with ExxonMobil has resulted in much more than cutting-edge TPV products. It also leverages the unique attributes of our silicone technology to address industry challenges and provide better The consumer experience program lays the foundation. "
To meet customer demand for improved corner seals, ExxonMobil sought to improve the adhesion of Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanized polyethylene to EDPM rubber while improving its sliding properties. However, lowering the coefficient of friction to improve sliding properties may negatively affect adhesion. The company is working with DuPont to explore the use of its advanced silicone additives, which are expected to exceed the organic additives that ExxonMobil has been using.
The DuPont development team found that the synergy between low molecular weight silicone polymers and ultra-high molecular weight silicone polymers achieves the low coefficient of friction that ExxonMobil is looking for. While providing better sliding properties than organic additives, silicone technology enhances the adhesion to high-density EPDM rubber, which is a key factor in overmolding. In addition, it enables higher flow rates to improve processing ease and throughput, provides better abrasion resistance to prevent damage to doors closed by gravity, and improves UV stability to help prevent cracking and discoloration .