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Sarlink® TPV — Advanced Automotive Thermoplastic Vulcanizates

A pioneer in TPV solutions, Sarlink has been steadily replacing thermoset rubber in demanding sealing applications for over four decades—delivering light-weight, durable flexibility for the automotive industry.

What Is Sarlink® TPV?

Sarlink TPV is a thermoplastic vulcanizate engineered for demanding automotive and other transportation applications. As a TPV, Sarlink material combines the elastic performance of vulcanized rubber with the processing efficiency of thermoplastics. What differentiates Sarlink TPV is its optimized rubber phase morphology, delivering consistent mechanical properties, durability, and process stability. Sarlink TPV is widely used to replace thermoset rubbers such as EPDM, offering rubber-like elasticity, lightweighting potential, efficient processing, and recyclability.

Sarlink® TPV in Automotive Applications

Automotive and other transportation environments place extreme demands on materials, including exposure to heat, UV, weathering, oils, fuels, and other chemicals. Automotive TPV materials must balance long-term durability, elastic recovery, and dimensional stability with manufacturing efficiency. Sarlink TPV is specifically designed to meet these requirements across a wide range of automotive applications including seals, interior, exterior, and other under-the-hood components.

Sarlink TPVs are a globally recognized brand trusted by major automakers (OEMs), steadily replacing EPDM rubber due to advancements in processing, design flexibility, and weight reduction. As the premier choice for long-lasting, flexible automotive parts, Sarlink TPVs offer:

  • Exceptional Elasticity: Ensuring optimal performance and part integrity.
  • Unmatched Durability: Resistant to UV, ozone, chemicals, and fluids for long-term reliability.
  • Lightweight Design: Contributing to improved efficiency.

Beyond the Material: Teknor Apex Expertise

Teknor Apex doesn't just supply high-performance materials– we're your partner in success. Our deep understanding of polymers combined with dedicated application development support empowers our customers to manufacture high-performance automotive components efficiently and cost-effectively.

Key Benefits of Sarlink® TPVs

Key Benefits of Sarlink TPVs:

  • Excellent Elastic Properties
  • UV and Ozone Resistance
  • Chemical and Fluid Resistance
  • Superior Long-Term Performance
  • Adhesion to Polyolefins and Other TPEs
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Sarlink® TPV Product Portfolio & Series

Sarlink®

Sarlink 17100 Series

Sarlink® 17100 Series: Next Generation High Flow TPVs for Injection Molding

The Sarlink 17100 Series is the latest generation of super high-flow TPV materials ensuring the best in class surface appearance for injection molded parts. These materials exhibit excellent UV resistance, low fogging, and long-term performance. Available from 55 to 75 Shore A in black, the Sarlink 17100 series consist of robust formulations allowing for a broader processing window versus competitive TPVs.

Technical Data Sheets
Sarlink®

Sarlink 3100 Series

Sarlink® 3100 Series: General Purpose TPVs

These general-purpose TPVs exhibit well-balanced flow characteristics yielding a superior surface appearance. Available from 35 Shore A to 45 Shore D (in black and natural), this Sarlink series is partially cross-linked, offers excellent melt elasticity, and can be processed by injection or blow molding and extrusion.

Technical Data Sheets
Sarlink®

Sarlink 4100 Series

Sarlink® 4100 Series: High Performance TPVs

These high-performance TPVs are fully cross-linked, exhibiting low tension and compression set and superior resistance to flex-fatigue. The Sarlink 4100 series is available from 45 Shore A to 50 Shore D (in black and natural), is resistant to abrasion and chemicals, and can be processed by injection molding, blow molding, and extrusion.

Technical Data Sheets
Sarlink®

Sarlink 4700 Series

Sarlink® 4700 Series: High Flow Molding TPVs

With these high-flow TPVs, hard-to-fill parts now mold with ease. The Sarlink 4700 series delivers faster cycle times and improved mold release versus competitive TPVs. Available from 50 Shore A to 40 Shore D in black only, these are low-fogging TPVs with excellent UV and chemical resistance and long-term aging performance.

Technical Data Sheets
Sarlink®

Sarlink 5700 Series

Sarlink® 5700 Series: High Performance Extrusion TPVs

Engineered for optimum extrusion performance, the Sarlink 5700 Series exhibits excellent melt strength, with a very controlled morphology for a best-in-class surface appearance. These TPVs deliver superior UV resistance and exceptional color retention without blooming and are available from 25 Shore A to 50 Shore D in black only.

Technical Data Sheets
Sarlink®

Sarlink 6100 Series

Sarlink® 6100 Series: TPVs with Superior Colorability

The lighter, natural color of the Sarlink 6100 Series allows for superior colorability versus other TPVs. These products exhibit excellent flow behavior for molding large complex parts and are non-hygroscopic, so pre-drying is unnecessary. The Sarlink 6100 series is available from 35 to 90 Shore A (in natural only), is resistant to hydrocarbons and aqueous liquids, and exhibits good thermal stability and low fogging properties.

Technical Data Sheets
Sarlink®

Sarlink 6700 Series

Sarlink® 6700 Series: UV Stable TPVs with Superior Colorability

The next-generation of high-flow TPVs for automotive interior applications, the Sarlink 6700 series is UV resistant, low fogging, and exhibits excellent surface appearance and haptics. These are non-hygroscopic TPVs, so pre-drying is not necessary, and their light, natural appearance allows for excellent colorability for custom-color automotive interior applications including soft-touch grips, knobs, and buttons, bin mats, cup holder liners and floor mats. The Sarlink 6700 Series is avialble from 55 to 75 Shore A, in natural only.

Technical Data Sheets
Sarlink®

Sarlink R2 3100 Series

Sarlink® R2 3100B Series: TPVs with up to 40% Recycled Content

By incorporating up to 40% post-industrial recyclate (PIR), depending on hardness, the Sarlink R2 3100B Series promotes a circular economy and reduces reliance on virgin fossil-based resources and energy. Made with carefully-selected post-industrial recyclate (PIR), these materials process and perform similarly to their virgin counterparts, and can be used in injection molding or extrusion applications, or can be co-molded or co-extruded with polypropylene or other thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs).

Technical Data Sheets

Automotive & Transportation Applications of Sarlink® TPV

EV Coolant Hoses

The shift to electrification is revolutionizing thermal management, challenging traditional coolant hose materials like EPDM and polyamides. Discover how Sarlink TPV offers the reduced weight, durability, and versatility needed for evolving EV thermal requirements, contributing to improved battery efficiency and offering recycled content for a lower carbon footprint solution. Explore Sarlink TPV for advanced EV coolant hose solutions.

  • Monolayer Hose & Tube
  • Multilayer Hose & Tube
  • Reinforced Hose & Tube
EV Coolant Hose

Sealing Systems

A vehicle's sealing system provides a flexible interface between the various components of the vehicle—be it metal, plastic, or glass—to prevent the passage of air, water, or noise into the cabin. Sarlink continues to displace EPDM in sealing systems due to its lower density which yields lighter-weight parts, and faster, more efficient manufacturing. This leads to serious cost savings.

With first-class surface quality and weatherability, Sarlink products remain consistent in gloss and color after long-term UV exposure. Sarlink exhibits excellent adhesion to TPE or EPDM substrates with or without a slip coat, and select grades are designed for a lower coefficient of friction against glass or painted steel. With both TPE and TPV Sarlink product offerings, Teknor can recommend the technology that best fits the application.

  • Belt-Line Seals
  • Corner Molding & End Caps
  • Gap Fillers
  • Glass Run Channels
  • Slip Coating Materials
  • Window Encapsulation
sealing systems

Interior

TPEs play an important role in automotive interiors, forming parts that protect the cabin from dirt, wear, and stains, while also providing a soft-touch feel to improve overall passenger comfort. The Sarlink product line delivers superior performance in interior applications with excellent scratch and mar resistance, as well as protection against staining and cleaning solutions, and low fogging and VOCs. Sarlink products exhibit excellent adhesion to polyolefins using multi-shot molding, providing a soft cushion to otherwise rigid parts.

Ultimately, Sarlink delivers an ideal combination of haptics and aesthetics to meet your automotive interior needs. While Sarlink TPVs exhibit a matte finish and rubber-like feel, Sarlink TPEs can be customized to have a glossy finish, and a satin-like feel. The TPE compounds can even be color-matched to create a consistent palette throughout the entire vehicle interior.

  • Bin Mats
  • Cup Holder Liners
  • Cable Ducts
  • Floor Mats
  • Soft-Touch Grips for Knobs or Buttons
  • Thermoforming Applications
  • Floor Mats
boot

Exterior

Automotive exteriors include static seals and molded or extruded trim that close the gaps between different parts of the vehicle and protect it from damage while improving the vehicle's aerodynamics. For automotive exteriors, the Sarlink product line offers many valuable advantages, including a Class A surface appearance, excellent UV stability, and resistance to scratching and chipping. Furthermore, Sarlink remains flexible and elastic at extreme temperatures and demonstrates outstanding long-term performance, ensuring a tight seal over time.

Teknor is unique in offering both TPV and styrenic TPE solutions for exterior molding and extrusion applications. Each technology offers distinct benefits: Sarlink TPVs have improved chemical resistance, and are unaffected by OEM cleaning agents and waxes. Also, Sarlink TPVs outperform competitive products in long-term performance. Sarlink TPEs allow engineers more flexibility in designing parts. Lower in viscosity, Sarlink TPEs can be molded into more complex, intricate geometries.

  • Bumper Extensions
  • Hood to Cowl Seals
  • Large Truck Flex Extenders/Aerodynamic Trim
  • Mirror Gaskets
  • Molded & Extruded Trim
  • Roof Ditch (Molding & Extrusion)
  • Wheelhouse Strakes
  • Windscreen Finishers
  • Wiper Blade Spoilers
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Under the Hood

Materials for under-the-hood applications have to perform in extreme conditions due to high temperatures, constant vibration, and contact with a variety of harsh fluids and other elements. Sarlink TPVs perform well in this segment due to excellent flex fatigue behavior, flexibility over a wide temperature range (-45°C to 125°C), superior weatherability, and resistance to oil and grease. Suitable for extrusion and blow molding, Sarlink also adheres well to polypropylene (PP) via multi-component molding, eliminating the need for metal fasteners.

  • Active Grill Shutters
  • Air Management Systems
  • Cable Ducts
  • Dust Covers
  • Rack & Pinion Boots
  • Fuel Fill Housing
  • Fuel Line Covers
  • Hoses & Tubes
boot

Processing & Manufacturing Capabilities

Sarlink TPV is available in free-flowing pellets and can be processed using conventional thermoplastic methods, enabling scalable, high-volume automotive manufacturing, including injection molding, extrusion, co-extrusion, and blow molding processes. Sarlink TPV also offers strong adhesion to polyolefins, supporting multi-material automotive designs without secondary bonding steps. Compared to EPDM rubber, Sarlink TPV provides greater design flexibility, shorter cycle times, and tooling advantages while maintaining end-use performance.

Sustainability & Recyclability

Sarlink TPV is classified as a thermoplastic elastomer, and is typically lighter weight than traditional rubber solutions. Because Sarlink TPV can be reprocessed, production scrap and post-industrial material can be recycled, enabling material recovery. This recyclability is a key advantage over EPDM and other crosslinked elastomers used in automotive applications, supporting automotive sustainability goals while maintaining performance.

Technical Resources

Frequently Asked Questions:

Sarlink TPV is a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) designed for automotive and transportation parts that need rubber-like elasticity with thermoplastic processing. TPVs are typically made from dynamically vulcanized rubber particles dispersed in a thermoplastic matrix, enabling efficient molding/extrusion and consistent performance.

EPDM is a thermoset rubber that requires cross-linking during processing and cannot be remelted, while Sarlink TPV is a thermoplastic elastomer that can be processed on standard thermoplastic equipment, skipping the vulcanization step.  Sarlink TPV is commonly chosen for design flexibility, multi-material integration (e.g., co-molding/co-extrusion), and manufacturing efficiency, while still meeting durability needs, like in automotive seals.

Sarlink TPV is widely used in automotive sealing system applications such as glass-run channels, window encapsulation and exterior trim, door/trunk/liftgate weatherseals, roofline/body-side moldings, boots/bellows/dust covers, and other seals where long-term durability and elastic recovery matter.

Yes—Sarlink TPV is used in EV platforms in many of the same sealing, trim, and encapsulation applications as internal combustion engine vehicles, where resistance to weathering, temperature cycling, and automotive fluids is required. In addition, selected Sarlink TPV grades are increasingly used in EV thermal management and coolant hose applications as a thermoplastic alternative to EPDM rubber, supporting lightweighting, design flexibility, and thermoplastic processing. As with any material, grade selection depends on the specific EV requirement set— including temperature, chemical exposure, pressure, VOC/fogging targets, and processing method— so application-specific validation testing is recommended.

Sarlink TPV is a thermoplastic material, so it can typically be reprocessed (e.g., regrind of production scrap) and supports recycling pathways that are not available to thermoset rubbers like EPDM. Teknor Apex also offers Sarlink TPV options with recycled content to support OEM sustainability goals.

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