I don't know if you have noticed that more and more people are asking about the difference between silicone and TPE, and the comparison between them, because TPE and silicone have many similarities, but they also have their own shortcomings. So what is the difference between silicone and TPE, and which one should be more comfortable to apply?

Silica gel 

Silica gel is a kind of rubber and thermosetting elastomer, which is insoluble in water and does not react with other substances except strong alkali and hydrofluoric acid. It has soft hand feeling, high temperature resistance and stable chemical properties, but the cost of silica gel is too high, it is complicated and troublesome to process, and the waste generated cannot be recycled, which increases the cost waste.

thermoplastic elastomer 

Thermoplastic elastomer TPE is an environment-friendly material, which has the characteristics of elasticity, strength and resilience of rubber, and can also be directly injection molded. It has a very light hardness range, good coloring, temperature resistance and weather resistance, etc., and is convenient to process. It does not need vulcanization, and the nozzle waste can be subjected to secondary injection molding, and it can also be wrapped and bonded with PP, PS, PA, ABS and other substrates, which are much more convenient than silica gel.

In the past, manufacturers of sealing rings, sex toys, swimming glasses accessories and suspenders all used silica gel as raw materials. Now they all come to ask whether TPE materials can also achieve the performance they need, because TPE and silica gel have many similarities, such as tactile sensation and elasticity, and they are also environmentally friendly materials without du. Although both have their own shortcomings, the advantage is that they know each other so well, so how to choose as a manufacturer?

In fact, there is no difference between silica gel and TPE, but it depends on the manufacturer's choice of production and cost.