EUPEN, Belgium—Hexpol TPE is adding new grades to the company's hydrophilic thermoplastic elastomer materials for high saline environments.
The company's new Dryflex WS+ grades were designed to meet increasing demand for waterstop construction and sea wall defenses, Hexpol said.
Hydrophilic waterstops help prevent fluid passage when the are embedded in concrete joints.
These materials swell when immersed in water and shrink to their original size when water is no longer present. This expansion and contraction cycle can occur repeatedly.
"We think the Dryflex WS TPEs are pretty special; they aren't the normal product area for a TPE compounder. But they show how we want to bring new and inventive materials to help our customers meet their challenges. The addition of the new Dryflex WS+ grades open even more possibilities," said Martin Bradbury, senior account manager for Hexpol TPE UK, in a statement.
Dryflex WS+ grades, typically processed through extrusion, are available in a range of hardness. They also can be injection molded.
