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'There's a hole in my bucket ...' Cracks, splits and holes are by definition one of the biggest problems in sealing technology. A new addition has recently been made to the thermoplastic elastomer family: Swellable variants of these plastics react to leaking water and thus stop the leaks.Everyone is familiar with thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) used in toothbrushes, cellphone keypads or screwdrivers. They benefit ordinary users, giving the hand a pleasantly soft and secure grip. They also benefit manufacturers, who can melt down the rubbery plastics and process them in the same way as the thermoplastics polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. The TPE material can also be injection-molded, extruded or calandered (rolled into sheets and films) in large quantities at correspondingly low costs. It can even be welded, which is particularly desirable when using it in the building industry.
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