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Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPV) for Flexible, Durable Applications

Teknor Apex thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) deliver the strength and durability of rubber with the processing advantages of plastics. Designed as cost-effective, recyclable alternatives to EPDM rubber, our TPVs provide exceptional flexibility, chemical and heat resistance, and long-term performance. With applications spanning automotive seals and gaskets, industrial products, and medical components, Teknor Apex TPVs offer tailored solutions for industries that demand design flexibility, processing efficiency, and sustainability.

TPV Product Portfolio

Sarlink® Thermoplastic Vulcanizates

Sarlink® TPVs excel in demanding applications, offering superior elasticity, heat and chemical resistance compared to other TPEs. Specified by automotive OEMs globally, Sarlink® TPVs have been steadily displacing EPDM rubber due to improvements in processing, design, and weight reduction, as the premier choice for flexible seals and components requiring long-term performance. 

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Medalist® Medical Elastomers

Medalist® medical TPVs are the premier choice for medical device components requiring superior sealing performance. The Medalist MD-23100 Series of TPVs are designed to replace thermoset rubber, with excellent sealing properties including low long-term compression set, high fatigue resistance, stability at high temperatures, and chemical resistance. Medalist medical TPVs are designed to meet the stringent demands of the healthcare industry in applications such as o-rings, seals and gaskets, valves, and diaphragms and other components used in the manufacture of medical devices.

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Why Choose Teknor Apex for TPVs?

At Teknor Apex, we deliver more than thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) — we deliver proven performance. With decades of formulation expertise, a global manufacturing footprint, and a track record of reliability, our TPVs are trusted by leading OEMs and manufacturers across industries. Wherever durable, flexible, and weatherable materials are required, Teknor Apex TPVs perform with consistency you can count on.

Proven in Demanding Applications

For decades Sarlink® TPVs have been validated in the field — from under-hood components and window seals to industrial gaskets and building profiles. Our materials are engineered to withstand heat, chemicals, and environmental stress while maintaining long-term performance and appearance. Customers choose Teknor Apex because our compounds have a history of success in real-world applications.

Global Manufacturing & Consistent Quality

With production and technical support facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia, Teknor Apex ensures reliable supply and uniform quality wherever your products are made. Our global network supports regional and multinational programs alike, helping customers achieve consistent results across their entire value chain.

Engineered for Long-Term Reliability

Teknor Apex TPVs are built to last. Designed for durability, weatherability, and chemical resistance, our TPVs offer the elasticity of thermoset rubber with the processing efficiency of a thermoplastic. The result: materials that maintain integrity and performance over years of service — even in demanding environments.

Trusted Partnership

Leading OEMs and manufacturers turn to Teknor Apex not just for our materials, but for our partnership. Our technical and commercial teams collaborate closely with customers to solve challenges, ensure successful implementation, and deliver dependable solutions that perform year after year.

Frequently Asked Questions

TPVs combine the elasticity of rubber with the processing efficiency of thermoplastics. They’re used for seals, gaskets, hoses, boots, bellows, weather-strips, grips, and wire & cable components. With excellent compression-set resistance, durability, and fluid resistance, TPVs are a preferred replacement for traditional elastomers in automotive, industrial, building, and healthcare applications. Their melt-processable nature enables fast injection molding and extrusion without cure cycles—ideal for high-volume production and complex geometries.

Sarlink® TPVs are the premier choice for high-performance thermoplastic vulcanizates, backed by more than four decades of proven success in demanding applications. Each grade is a true TPV—consisting of dynamically vulcanized EPDM rubber domains encapsulated in a polypropylene matrix—offering outstanding flexibility, heat stability, and long-term sealing performance. Teknor Apex is the only TPV manufacturer with production in all global regions, ensuring consistent supply and quality. Our precisely controlled vulcanization and compounding process delivers uniform viscosity and reliable performance lot-to-lot, supported by deep technical expertise worldwide.

Compared with EPDM rubber, TPVs offer faster processing, reusability, and recyclability with no vulcanization required. They maintain excellent compression-set, fluid, and chemical resistance, delivering long-term sealing and durability in automotive and industrial applications. TPVs also allow color matching, co-molding, and lighter-weight designs that EPDM can’t easily achieve. While EPDM may still be preferred in certain high-temperature continuous uses, TPVs help manufacturers reduce cost, improve efficiency, and meet sustainability goals through recyclable, process-efficient materials.

Yes. Teknor Apex TPVs are inherently recyclable thanks to their thermoplastic structure—allowing in-process scrap reuse and end-of-life recyclability. Unlike thermoset rubber, TPVs can be re-melted and reprocessed without significant property loss. Teknor Apex also offers sustainable Sarlink® grades with recycled content achieving lower carbon footprint. By enabling closed-loop manufacturing and reducing waste, our TPVs help OEMs and processors advance circularity and eco-conscious production without compromising quality or performance.

Absolutely. Teknor Apex develops custom TPV compounds to meet precise performance and processing needs. We can tailor hardness, elasticity, compression-set, chemical and heat resistance, surface feel, color, and bonding or overmolding behavior. Whether you require an under-hood seal, industrial gasket, or medical-grade component, our engineers collaborate from design through validation to balance functionality, cost, and compliance. Every formulation is backed by global technical and manufacturing support for consistent results.

 

Sarlink® TPVs are trusted across automotive, general transportation, industrial, and building & construction markets, where flexibility, sealing performance, and chemical resistance are critical. They’re used in weather-seals, ducts, bellows, boots, gaskets, hoses, and extruded profiles that demand consistent quality and global supply. For healthcare applications, Medalist® TPVs deliver the same elasticity and processing ease under strict formulation and regulatory control, ensuring biocompatibility, sterilization compatibility, and reliable performance in medical devices, housings, and soft-touch components.

 

Teknor Apex ensures quality through controlled raw materials, precision compounding, and rigorous testing. All TPVs are produced under tight process control to ensure consistent physical properties and appearance across regions. We maintain traceability, documentation, and compliance with customer and regulatory requirements. For healthcare, Medalist® TPVs are developed under strict formulation management to ensure biocompatibility and reproducibility. The result: dependable, specification-compliant materials that perform consistently, lot after lot.

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