TPE nanocomposites; processing and additives

Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), one of the most special types of polymeric materials in science and technology, has enormous potential in tremendous industrial applications like artificial intelligence, adhesives, foam production, coatings, soft and hard thermal insulative sheets, door and window handles used for household, automobiles, and so on. They pertain not only to elasticity like rubber and processability but also recyclability like thermoplastics. Current developments in thermoplastics have emerged with several macromolecular architectures consisting of ng linear triblock copolymers (ABA), triblock terpolymers (ABC), multiblock, star, graft copolymers, bottlebrush polymers, and hyperbranched polymers. With a brief historical background, this chapter offers an impression of unique structure-property relationships for various TPEs and deliberates TPEs-based composites' design ideologies. Moreover, processing of TPEs, TPEs-based composites, interphase modification, compatibilization of nanocomposites, biocomposites, and their additives have been discussed briefly. In conclusion, the new challenges and opportunities of the TPE-based systems are also stated in this chapter.