Thermoplastic Vulcanizate, abbreviated as TPV, is a type of vulcanized rubber.
In Chinese, Thermoplastic Vulcanizate is often simply referred to as "Thermoplastic Rubber"-abbreviated as TPR. However, this terminology is prone to confusion with other types of Thermoplastic Elastomers, as the latter are also commonly referred to as "thermoplastic rubber." This is particularly true for styrene-based elastomers; at least within China, "TPR" appears to have become the de facto proprietary designation for them. Whenever "TPR" is mentioned, it is generally understood to refer to thermoplastic elastomers based on styrene copolymers such as SBS and SEBS-a usage inextricably linked to the massive consumption of styrene-based elastomers in the civil and consumer goods sectors.
To be more precise, the full technical name for Thermoplastic Vulcanizate should actually be "Thermoplastic Dynamic Vulcanizate." The inclusion of the word "dynamic" serves to specifically describe the manufacturing process used to produce this material: dynamic vulcanization. This process involves vulcanizing the rubber component while it is undergoing melt-blending with the thermoplastic polymer. Crucially, the rubber continues to mix with the thermoplastic material even as it vulcanizes; consequently, the resulting vulcanized rubber exists as a dispersed phase distributed within the continuous phase of the thermoplastic matrix. In contrast, "Thermoplastic Static Vulcanizate" refers to a material produced via a different method: the rubber is first fully vulcanized using traditional techniques, then ground into a powder using specialized milling equipment, and finally blended with molten thermoplastic material. Theoretically, this method is also capable of yielding TPVs with excellent performance characteristics, though it currently remains at the laboratory stage of development.