Primex adds extruded TPE sheet to its portfolio

Marketed under the Faradene brand name, the products currently are available in five grades with a variety of performance features. Applications are foreseen across a range of industries including automotive, marine, packaging, consumer products and sports and leisure products.

In answer to questions from MPW, Paul Uphaus, commercial development manager at Primex, most of the extrusion of the sheet so far has been at Primex’s facilities in Oakwood, GA and Mesquite, NV, but the company also has extruded the sheet at its sites in Corsicana, TX and Richmond, IN. Primex was able to use existing capacity to extrude this product but O'Neil is in the process of adding additional capacity for the purpose of compounding Faraprene and other materials, he responded. O’Neil Color and Compounding Corp. manufacturers color concentrates, plastic additives, and specialty compounds at its production facilities in New Jersey and Tennessee.  Primex has more than 100 extrusion lines at facilities in seven states and in the UK.

Faraprene is a proprietary custom compound and may be tailored to fit specific customer requirements. The sheet is available in a variety of colors and textures including diamond plate, coin, hair cell, smooth and carpet laminate. The compounds and sheet made from them are said to exhibit low gloss, high or low coefficients of friction, good chemical resistance, solid scratch and mar resistance, elastic recovery properties and good weatherability. —Matt Defosse