Thermoplastic Polyester Elastomer (TPEE)-also known as polyester rubber or TPC-ET-is a linear block copolymer composed of rigid segments of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and flexible segments of polyether or polyester. First developed in 1972 by DuPont (USA) and Toyobo (Japan), this material combines the elastic properties of rubber with the processing characteristics of plastics. It features a hardness range of 32–82 Shore D, withstands temperatures spanning from -70°C to 200°C, and exhibits excellent resistance to flexural fatigue, impact, and chemical corrosion.
The properties of TPEE can be tailored by adjusting the ratio of its rigid and flexible segments; notably, its compression modulus is higher than that of polyurethane materials. It is widely utilized in sectors such as automotive components (accounting for over 70% of applications), electronics and electrical appliances, and industrial products. Its primary applications involve the manufacture of flex-resistant parts, such as hydraulic hoses, transmission belts, and gears. In 2025, the market size for TPEE in China reached 3.093 billion RMB, while the global market reached 10.808 billion RMB; the global market is projected to grow to 15.438 billion RMB by 2032. The Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering has successfully developed a bio-based thiophene dicarboxylate-type TPEE. This novel material utilizes poly(1,3-propylene 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate) as its rigid segment, combined with a polytetrahydrofuran ether flexible segment; it achieves an elongation at break of 760% and a tensile modulus of 122 MPa, while simultaneously possessing both biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties.
