TPS compounds—also known as styrenic block copolymers (SBCs)—combine soft-touch flexibility with thermoplastic processability, making them an ideal choice for consumer, medical, and industrial applications. They deliver excellent clarity, colorability, elasticity, and adhesion to rigid substrates while offering cost-effective performance compared to other TPEs. Because TPS materials require no vulcanization, they support faster cycle times, reduced waste, and easy recycling, giving manufacturers the advantages of both elastomeric feel and thermoplastic efficiency.

Teknor Apex TPS compounds serve a wide range of industries including consumer goods, healthcare, industrial, automotive, and wire & cable. In consumer products, they provide soft-touch grips, seals, and overmolded components. In healthcare, our Medalist® TPS grades meet strict regulatory standards for biocompatibility and sterilization compatibility. Elexar® materials serve demanding electrical and industrial markets, while Monprene® TPS compounds are found in everything from power tools and appliances to packaging and sports equipment. Across all sectors, Teknor Apex delivers consistent quality, color control, and global support.

Compared to other TPE families, TPS compounds offer superior clarity, softness, and bonding ability to polar or non-polar substrates, making them ideal for overmolding and aesthetic applications. They generally process at lower temperatures and are easier to color or recycle than TPV, TPU, or COPE materials. While TPS compounds are less suited to high-heat or chemical-intensive environments, they provide an excellent balance of comfort, flexibility, and cost-efficiency for consumer, healthcare, and light industrial uses. Teknor Apex offers TPS grades specifically designed to bridge these performance and processing trade-offs.

Yes. Teknor Apex TPS materials are fully recyclable—both in-process and at end of life—thanks to their thermoplastic structure. Unlike thermoset rubbers, TPS compounds can be re-melted and reprocessed without major property loss. Teknor Apex also offers sustainable Monprene® TPS grades that incorporate post-industrial or post-consumer recycled content and bio-based feedstocks, helping manufacturers reduce carbon footprint and meet sustainability targets. Our ongoing product development emphasizes circularity, waste reduction, and responsible material sourcing across all TPS brands.

• Monprene® TPS: Consumer, industrial, and appliance grips, seals, and overmolds requiring soft-touch feel and easy processing.

• Medalist® TPS: Healthcare and medical devices, including tubing, grips, and housings—formulated for biocompatibility and regulatory compliance.

• Elexar® TPS: Electrical and electronic components, connectors, and wire & cable applications demanding flexibility and insulation performance.

• Sarlink® TPS: Selected automotive and building & construction uses requiring soft-touch surfaces or lightweight seals.

Each brand is engineered for specific end-use performance and supported by global manufacturing and technical expertise.

Absolutely. Teknor Apex develops custom TPS formulations to meet unique performance, processing, and aesthetic goals. We can tailor hardness, elasticity, color, bonding performance, regulatory compliance, and haptics to suit your exact application. Whether you need a soft-touch overmold for a consumer device, a medical-grade compound with USP Class VI compliance, or a TPS optimized for adhesion or clarity, our R&D and technical teams provide collaborative development, prototyping, and testing to ensure successful performance in production.

SBC stands for styrenic block copolymer, the broader family that includes multiple chemistries—most commonly SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) and SEBS (styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene). The key difference lies in hydrogenation: SBS is an unhydrogenated copolymer, offering high softness but limited weather and heat resistance, while SEBS (a hydrogenated form) provides enhanced UV, thermal, and oxidation stability. Teknor Apex primarily uses SEBS-based TPS for their improved durability, color stability, and long-term performance across consumer, medical, and industrial applications.