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Thermoplastic rubber (TPR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)are thermoplastic materials used in industry, construction and consumption. TPR is a thermoplastic elastomer based on styrene butadiene copolymer (SBS), which combines the flexibility of rubber with the processability of plastic. Widely used in auto parts, medical devices, flexible electronics and other fields. PVC is a rigid polymer polymerized from vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), which dominates the construction pipeline, packaging materials, and cable market due to its high strength, chemical corrosion resistance, and low cost.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and compare thermoplastic materials such as thermoplastic rubber (TPR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Through an in-depth analysis of its basic performance, processing performance, application field, cost-effectiveness, etc., significant differences between the two are revealed.

What is TPR?

ThermoplasticRubber is a kind of a thermoplastic elastomer material which combines the elasticity of rubber with the properties of thermoplastic processing. TPR material can be molded when heated and rubbery when cooled.

The material is commonly used in 3D printing to manufacture components that require softness, elasticity and durability, such as shoe soles, toys, handles, seals and more. TPR materials have good abrasion resistance, tear resistance and chemical corrosion resistance, and can meet the needs of various application scenarios. Through printing techniques such as molten deposition modeling, TPR materials can be precisely extruded and layered, resulting in complex shapes and structures.

What is PVC?

PVC(Polyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl chloride)is a common and multifunctional plastic material. It is a combination of heat and light, weather-and corrosion resistance, and performs well in outdoor applications. Its durability and flexibility allow prints to be both strong and soft, making them ideal for manufacturing components that require some mechanical stress. At the same time, its materials are cost-effective, making it competitive in3D printing.

What are the basic properties of TPR and PVC?

1.TPR material:

• Thermoplasticity: TPR is a thermoplastic elastomer with a melting point range of between 160 ° C and220 ° C, meaning it can soften and shape in a short period of time and regain elasticity after cooling. This property makes TPR materials easy to process and recycle.

• Flexibility: It combines rubber elasticity and plastic processability, has high impact resistance and low temperature resistance (-40 ° C), and is suitable for dynamic bending or vibration environments.

• Wear resistance: good wear resistance, can maintain a long service life in the environment of friction and wear.

• Chemical corrosion resistance: good oil and weather resistance, but sensitive to ultraviolet light, require to add light stabilizers.

• Processing performance: easy to be molded byinjection molding, extrusion and other processing methods, suitable for a variety of complex shapes and structures.

• Environmental protection: comply with ROHS, REACH and other environmental testing standards, do not contain harmful substances, do not harm the environment.

2.PVC Materials:

• Stiffness: High strength, rigidity, excellent compressive performance, but brittle at low temperature (<10 ° C).

• Chemical resistance: acid-base resistance, corrosion resistance, widely used in chemical pipelines and packaging materials.

• Temperature resistance: melting point is about 180-200 ° C and prone to long-term decomposition at high temperatures (stabilizers are needed). combustion releases HCl gas.

• Processability: high temperature (80-180 ° C) processing, plasticizer dependence for flexibility, complex processes and high energy consumption.

• Environmentally friendly: difficult to degrade, pollution from incineration,mature recycling technologybut subject to regulatory restrictions (e.g. EU RoHS).

What are the differences in processing techniques between TPR and PVC?

TPR (thermoplastic rubber):

1.Material pretreatment

• Dry: TPR is low in moisture absorption but still needs to be dried (1-2 hours at 40-60 ° C) to avoid bubbles or thin layers during printing.

• Temperature control: Recommended storage temperature ≤ 25 ° C to prevent softening or adhesion of the material.

2.FDM printing parameter optimization

• FDM printingparameter optimization

Nozzle temperature: 160 -220 ° C (± 1 ° C accuracy) to avoid cold stream or thermal degradation.

Hot bed temperature: 40-60 ° C (prevents poor adhesion to the first layer).

• Extrusion speed

Low to medium velocities: 10-30mm/s (equilibrium interlayer fusion and printing efficiency).

Thin-walled components: Appropriate increase in velocity (≤ 25 mm/s) to reduce thermal stress.

• Floor height and filling

Floor height: 0.1-0.2mm (balance accuracy and surface mass).

Filling mode: Prioritize the "grid" or "honeycomb" mode to enhance internal support structures.

• Nozzle diameter

Fine nozzle (0.4-0.6mm): improves detail accuracy but is easily clogged.

Coarse nozzle (≥ 0.8mm): Suitable for large area printing to reduce the risk of wire breakage.

3.Aftertreatment

• Thermal press molding: 80-100 ° C temperature, medium pressure, repairs interlayer defects, increase dimensional stability (for thick-walled parts).

• Chemical swelling treatment: slightly dissolved surface with solvents such as toluene to enhance interlayer adhesion (control time ≤ 5 minutes).

• UV curing: after adding a light stabilizer, UV irradiation can prolong the outdoor service life.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride):

1.Drying treatment

• Objective: To remove moisture from ink (PVC moisture absorption rate about 0.5%%) and prevent bubbles or laminates from weakening during printing.

• Methods: Bake at 40-60 ° C for 1-2 hours with humidity control ≤ 3%.

2.Printingparameters

• Temperature control

Nozzle temperature: 180-200 ° C (to avoid local overheating leading to HCl release).

Thermal bed temperature: 40-60 ° C (reduces edge curling first layer and compensates for shrinkage rate).

Extrusion speed: 5-15mm/s (compensates for poor flowability at low speeds).

• Floor height and padding

Floor height: 0.1-0.2mm (balance accuracy and efficiency).

Filling mode: Grid or cellular mode to enhance internal support.

3.Post-treatment technology

• Surface treatment

Grinding/Polishing: Removing surface patterns or support residues to improve smoothness.

• Thermal molding

Temperature: 160-180 ° C (below melting point to reduce deformation).

Pressure: 5-10 MPa to improve dimensional stability of thin-walled components.

How to efficiently handle TPR?

1.Process flow and key technology

• Classification and pre-treatment

Collection by category: Purified TPR waste (excluding impurities such as PVC and PA), classified by hardness/colour to improve regeneration quality.

Drying refinement: Vacuum drying (40-60 ° C, 1-2 hours) or hot air drying, control moisture ≤ 0.5%, biaxial shear crusher refinement (particle size 0.5-2 mm).

• Efficient melting regeneration

Temperature Segment Control:The first paragraph (160-180 ° C) softens TPR and removes volatile ingredients. The second stage (190-210 ° C) involves melt plasticization and addition of toughening agents (e.g. 5-15% TPU).

Melt filtration: Multi layer stainless steel mesh (pore size 50-100 μ m) is used to remove impurities.

Extrusion granulation: The die head temperature is 200-220 ° C and cooled to 50 ° C to formregenerative particles.

• Performance recovery and modification

Stabilizer compounding: Add Ca/Zn composite stabilizer (0.1-0.5%) was added to inhibit thermal oxidation degradation.

UV protection: Combine with benzotriazole absorbents (1-2%) to extend outdoor service life.

2.Comparison of Efficient Processing Technologies

Technical type	Advantages	limitations
Physical recycling	Low cost, simple process, suitable for large-scale application.	The material performance may decrease by 10-20%.
Chemical recycling	Pure monomers (such as styrene and butadiene) can be obtained with high regeneration rate.	The process is complex, energy consumption is high, and there are environmental risks involved.
energy recovery	Direct incineration for power generation,achieving waste resource utilization.	The release of CO ₂ and toxic gases (such as HCl) requires strict temperature control.

3.Environmental Protection and Economic Optimization

• Closed loop recycling: waste → regenerated particles → directly used in production (30-50% reduction in new material consumption).

• Biobased modification: Replacing some petrochemical feedstocks with vegetable oil can reduce carbon emissions by 40 to60 per cent.

How cost-effective are TPR and PVC?

The following is a cost-benefit comparison analysis of TPR and PVC, covering multiple dimensions such as raw materials, processing, environmental protection, andapplication scenarios:

1.Raw material cost

Material Science	Main raw materials	Price volatility	Modification cost
TPR	Styrene, butadiene (petrochemical based)/vegetable oil (bio based).	Moderately affected by oil prices (styrene around $1200 – 1500/ton).	Biobased modification (+10-30% cost).
PVC	Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), plasticizer, stabilizer.	VCM prices fluctuate greatly (around $800-1200/ton), and plasticizers (such as phthalates) are subject to regulatory restrictions.	Halogen free stabilizer (+20-50% cost).

2.Processing cost

Material Science	Processing difficulties	Energy consumption	Equipment requirements
TPR	No need for vulcanization, good fluidity.	Lower (160-220 ° C)	Ordinary FDM printingequipment is sufficient.
PVC	Easy to decompose at high temperatures (requires strict temperature control).	Higher (180-200 ° C)	Need to equip with exhaust gas treatment equipment.

3.Environmental related costs

Material Science	Difficulty of recycling	Disposal cost
TPR	Easy to recycle (melt regeneration).	Low (reusable 3-5 times).
PVC	Maturerecycling technologybut restricted by regulations.	High (HCl release from incineration needs to be treated).

4.Application scenario benefits

Material Science	Typical applications	Value added	market size
TPR	Flexible electronics,medical equipment, children's toys.	High (premium in the high-end market)	Annual growth rate of approximately 5-8%.
PVC	Building pipelines, packaging materials, wires and cables.	Low (commodity)	Annual growth rate of about 3-4% (suppressed by environmental policies).

5.Comprehensive cost-benefit comparison

dimension	TPR	PVC
Short term costs	The raw material price is slightly higher, but the processing energy consumption is low.	Low raw material prices, but high processing and environmental protection costs.
Long term costs	High recycling rate (90%+), low environmental risk.	High recycling costs and significant regulatory pressure (with the possibility of future cost increases).
cost performance	Outstanding cost-effectiveness in high-end fields such as healthcare andautomotive.	High cost-effectiveness in bulk industries (such as construction and packaging).

TPR has stronger environmental compliance. Flexible application scenarios have higher value added and lower long-term recovery costs. PVC raw materials are cheap and the cost advantages oflarge-scale productionare obvious. Rigid structural components have strong applicability and attention should be paid to the cost of replacing plasticizers and the risk of future environmental policy tightening.

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Which industries are TPR and PVC suitable for?

The main application industries of TPR are:

1.Automotive manufacturing:Seals and shock absorbers, door seals, wiper arms, engine compartment piping bushings (low temperature and shock resistance).

2.Medical and biological fields:

• Medical catheter: infusion tubes, catheter (biocompatible, non-toxic).
• Medical consumables: tourniquet, mask ear hook (good elasticity, good disinfection effect).

3. In the field ofnew energy:battery separator coating: improve the safety of lithium ion batteries (high temperature resistance, insulation).

The main application industries of PVC are:

1.  Construction and Building Materials

• Pipeline system: water supply and drainage pipes, PVC-U pipe (corrosion resistance, low-cost cost).
• Portal and window profile: molded steel window frame (light, insulated).
• Flooring and wallpaper: PVC flooring leather, waterproof paint (abrasive, easy to apply).

2.Packaging and Printing

• Packaging film: food preservation film, instant bag (high transparency, flexibility).
• Labels and cards: Self-adhesive labels, card substrates (with extensive printing adaptability).

3.  Industrial and chemical industries

• Corrosion resistant containers: acid storage tanks, chemical plant pipeline lining (acid-resistant base).
• Filters and filters: Chemical filtration media (high temperature and chemical corrosion resistance).

Summary

TPR has high elasticity, abrasion resistance, thermoplasticity andgood environmental performance.At the same time, the processing is simple, energy-saving and improves efficiency.Although TPR materials are relatively expensive, their superior physical and environmental characteristics make them irreplaceable in high-end markets and specific applications.

In contrast, PVC materials have low cost, strong resistance to chemical corrosion and high plasticity.However, PVC may produce harmful gases during incineration treatment, which limits its application in environmentally demanding areas.Therefore, when selecting TPR and PVC, a combination of application areas, cost-effectiveness, environmental requirements, and material properties are needed to make the most appropriate choice.

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FAQs

1.Which is safer, TPR or silicone?

Silicone (especially medical/food grade) is generally non-toxic, heat resistant, chemically stable, biocompatible and safer; while TPR is commonly used in everyday products such as toys and shoe soles, its safety depends on the type of additive (e.g. plasticizer) and whether it meets relevant criteria (e.g. food exposure level certification).

2.Can TPR be used in waterproofing products?

TPR has some waterproofing, but it's not a professional waterproof material. Its softness and low temperature resistance make it suitable for mild waterproofing conditionssuch as soles and seals, but it can leak in prolonged soaking or high pressure conditions. If high-strength waterproofing is required, it should be combined with other materials (e.g. PVC, polyurethane) or hydrophobic modifiers.

3.Which material is easier to recycle: TPR or PVC?

PVC and EPDR are relatively difficult to recover, but PVC recycling technology is relatively mature. PVC relies on chemical stabilizers and plasticizers for partial recovery through physical separation and chemical polymerization. In general, PVC is easier to recycle efficiently in existing recycling systems, but biomodified versions of TPR (biodegradable) are more advantageous in environmental scenarios.

4.What are the disadvantages of TPR material?

Poor resistance to high temperatures (susceptible to long-term heat softening), limited mechanical strength (lower tensile strength than engineering plastics), UV sensitivity (prone to aging and need stabilizers), weak chemical resistance to corrosion (weak resistance to strong acids/alkalis) and difficulty in environmental recovery (process modification or optimization required).

Resource

Polyvinyl chloride

Thermoplastic elastomer

Plasticizer