Product
Styrene-butadiene-styrene’s block copolymers (SBS) is made up of three segments. The first and third segments on two sides are long chains of polystyrene (tough hard plastic), while the middle is a long chain of polybutadiene (rubber-like). SBS has a high range of operating temperature all the while maintaining excellent elasticity. On the other hand, SEBS comes from the hydrogenation of SBS. SEBS stands for styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene. SEBS offers transparency and shows improved weather resistance as well as higher service temperature.
SBS and SEBS are both thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) that boast a wide range of applications, with varying properties and application ranges, while being environmentally friendly and safe.
By painting a clear picture of the differences in properties and application range between SBS and SEBS, LCY will help you select the right raw material through the following three steps.
Pros and cons of SBS and SEBS thermoplastic elastomer
There are six types of TPEs (Figure 1), with SBS and SEBS thermoplastic elastomers falling under the styrene butadiene category. In contrast with other types of TPEs, styrene demonstrates excellent room temperature resilience, non-water-absorbency, flexibility, and low-temperature toughness. Below is a comparison of the pros and cons of both SBS and SEBS.
SBS (Styrene Butadiene Styrene)
- Pros: SBS can be used to enhance the stiffness and toughness of PS/ABS. SBS is environmentally friendly as it can be recycled for reprocessing. SBS can be easily molded and processed; SBS offers transparent specification, which allows versatility to product appearance.
- Cons: SBS is more susceptible to temperature and oxidative actions of UV rays when compared to SEBS due to its unsaturated double bonds, resulting in oxidation and degradation, and has poorer performance on dirt, oil, temperature, and weathering resistance.
SEBS (Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene)
- Pros: SEBS can be used to increase the toughness of PP/PE plastic or blended to make thermoplastic rubber. It is a hydrogenated product with excellent temperature and weather resistance while demonstrating high mechanical strength, high safety, stable color, low odor, and low impurities. SEBS is often blended with paraffin and naphthenic oils to enhance processing efficiency. Certain special specifications of SEBS can also be used directly without oiling, making it a suitable candidate for products with more stringent safety regulations.
- Cons: Poorer dirt and oil resistance, making it difficult to print on the finished product.
A comparison of the physical and mechanical properties between SBS and SEBS thermoplastic elastomer
After a quick overview of the pros and cons of SBS and SEBS, it is now time to compare the properties.
The graphs below offer a comparison of the mechanical properties of SBS and SEBS. It can be observed that SBS performs better in terms of shore A hardness, tensile strength, and elongation.
Application range for SBS and SEBS grades
After you have decided on either SBS or SEBS, the following information can serve as a reference guide for choosing the right grade.
SBS (Styrene Butadiene Styrene)
In terms of plastic modification, SBS offers excellent compatibility with PS or ABS. It also provides impact resistance modification which makes SBS an ideal candidate for products that require average chemical resistance and aging resistance, such as footwear, adhesives, low-specification seals, and tool grips.
In addition, asphalt modifications and waterproofing are also common applications of SBS, which can be used to improve the temperature sensitivity of traditional asphalt, enhance road reinforcement, increase load-bearing capacity, and reduce asphalt cracking. Asphalt modification is typically used on functional roads such as airport runway, highways, and race tracks.
LCY offers two types of SBS products: SBS Oil-extended and SBS Non-oil-extended. The respective applications are listed below:
- SBS Oil-extended (OE)
- SBS Non-oil extended (NOE)
SEBS (Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene)
SEBS is highly compatible with PP. Its excellent weatherability makes it a suitable application for outdoor products, adhesives, medical product, automotive, and automated office equipment. In addition, SEBS can also be used in modified applications with high oil ratio. Grades GP-7551, GP-7554, and GP-7533 can be filled with a higher percentage of oil to provide good flexibility and excellent plastic modification effect. For more information about oil ratio, please contact us at: https://www.lcycic.com/en/contact-us
The information provided above aims to help you navigate the pros, cons, differences in properties and grade application for both SBS and SEBS. SBS is recommended for PS/ABS modification, adhesives, hot glues, etc. On the other hand, for PP/PE modification application, SEBS would meet the requirement for high mechanical performance, high safety, color stability, low odor, or low impurity. SEBS also offers a wide range of temperature resistance, which makes it suitable for automotive interiors, transparency, toughness enhancement, and medical devices.
There are differences in application due to variations in molecular weights and styrene-butadiene partitioning between grades. For detailed information or recommendation, or to find out more other types of TPE, please feel free to reach out to us via: https://www.lcycic.com/en/contact-us