As part of the Elast2Sustain project, an initial series of activities was carried out to evaluate the feasibility of the mechanical recycling of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and their re‑integration into conventional processing methods. The study began with the selection and use of TPE raw materials. For this purpose, TPEs from the four main families (TPO, TPV, TPU and TPS) were selected. In a first step, these different batches were ground to obtain a particle size compatible with the subsequent processing steps. The ground materials were then reprocessed through injection moulding, enabling the production of test specimens for thermal, rheological and mechanical characterisation.
The first results are encouraging. Thermal analyses show that mechanical recycling has little impact on the characteristic temperatures of the materials, such as the glass transition temperature or melting temperature. In contrast, a decrease in stiffness of approximately 20% is observed (depending on the TPE family), indicating an evolution of the mechanical properties as a result of the recycling process. These results provide a solid foundation for further optimisation of formulations and processing conditions.
In the long term, the recycled TPEs obtained through this approach will be evaluated in various shaping processes, including injection moulding, extrusion and 3D printing, in order to explore a broad spectrum of potential applications. In parallel, an alternative route via pyrolysis is also being investigated, which opens up additional perspectives for the valorisation of these materials at the end of their life cycle.
