STAR THERMOPLASTIC ALLOYS & RUBBERS, INC.
2635 South Wabash Avenue • Chicago, Illinois 60616
Tel: 312-225-7800 • Fax: 312-225-7810
E-mail: sales@starthermoplastics.com

STAR THERMOPLASTICS FIRST TO BREAK SHORE A 70 BARRIER
WITH CLEAR GRADES OF TPE

STAR Thermoplastic Elastomers Division of Chicago, manufacturer of hard and soft, flexible TPE compounds and alloys for industry, announces the release of the TPE industry's very first 70 Shore A grade of clear (near optical) grade of thermoplastic elastomer. This TPE grade is marketed under the Optiflex name. According to company sources, no other TPE producer has been able to achieve this benchmark, resulting from proprietary technology by STAR. The company continues to offer a full line of ultra-clear grades in hardness ranges up to 60 Shore A.

According to a spokesman at STAR, "The 70 Shore A hardness often required by molders and products manufacturers simply could not be achieved without undesirable yellowing of the compound. With our technology, we have been able to break the barrier and produce a TPE without little or no yellow, making the product ideally suited for a variety of applications."

Additional specifications of the clear 70 Shore A clear TPE grade include: Melt flow index @ 200°C/5 kilogram load = 40 to 80 grams/10 minutes. Tensile Strength (@ break) = 1100 psi (minimum), Modulus @ 300% = 700 psi (minimum), Elongation @ break = 550% (minimum), and Tear Strength = 235 lb/in.

STAR Thermoplastic Elastomers Division of STAR Thermoplastic Alloys & Rubbers, Inc. supplies six highly diverse product lines of standard as well as custom grades of TPEs for the appliance, automotive, construction, electrical, hardware, housewares, industrial, medical, packaging, sporting goods and manufacturing industries, among others. The company offers diverse product lines including specialty TPEs for medical and high clarity applications, fire retardant TPEs, high performance, super soft and overmolding grades of TPEs. In addition, the firm has extensive warehousing capabilities and offers stock and JIT programs.