What are the Differences Between Silicone And TPE Sex Toys?

What Is Silicone?

Silicone is a type of thermosetting elastomer known for its safety, non-toxicity, insolubility in water and any solvents, lack of taste or odor, chemical stability, and resistance to reactions with strong alkalis and other substances. It boasts high adsorption capability, good thermal stability, and consistent chemical properties. Initially, silicone found widespread use in adult toy products such as silicone dolls and food containers.

What Is TPE?

TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) is a type of thermoplastic elastomer known for its environmental friendliness, non-toxicity, ease of coloring, smooth and soft texture, and hardness range from 0A to 120A. It is easy to process without the need for vulcanization, recyclable, and cost-effective. TPE can be overmolded onto materials like PP, PE, PC, PS, ABS (secondary injection molding), or molded independently.

Difference Between Silicone And TPE?

A. Melting Temperature

Silicone possesses excellent mechanical strength, wear resistance, and high temperature resistance, while TPE encompasses various elastomeric materials that exhibit rubber-like elasticity at room temperature and flow as a melt at elevated temperatures.

B. Molecular Structure

Silicone is an elastomer with a structure primarily consisting of SiO2 (silicon dioxide). TPE, on the other hand, is a thermoplastic elastomer that incorporates styrenic, olefinic, and polyurethane components in its molecular structure. The main distinction lies in one having a SiO2 structure and the other having a CC (carbon-carbon) structure.

C. Processing Characteristics

Silicone is typically molded using compression molding, which involves relatively longer processing cycles, and waste materials cannot be easily recycled. TPE, being a thermoplastic material, has shorter processing cycles compared to silicone and allows for the recycling of waste materials.

D. Temperature Resistance

Silicone exhibits better heat resistance compared to TPE. Silicone typically withstands temperatures ranging from 200°C to 300°C, whereas TPE generally has heat resistance between 130°C to 150°C. TPE can undergo aging and cracking at higher temperatures.

E. Price

Silicone typically costs upwards of 35,000 USD per ton, whereas standard TPE ranges between 14,000 to 28,000 USD per ton. TPE is generally more cost-effective compared to silicone materials.

F. Recyclability

From a cost perspective, silicone waste cannot be effectively recycled, whereas waste materials such as nozzles and scraps from TPE can be fully recycled. Therefore, TPE can save more costs through recycling.

G. Elasticity

Silicone materials exhibit excellent elasticity and are resistant to deformation. TPE, due to its physical cross-linking, may experience some permanent deformation. Therefore, TPE sex toys stored for long periods are more prone to deformation compared to silicone sex toys.

H. Surface Smoothness

Silicone exhibits excellent surface smoothness and is less prone to dust adhesion. TPE surfaces are slightly less smooth compared to silicone. The softer the TPE, the greater the difference in smoothness compared to silicone. Additionally, TPE adult toys are more likely to attract dust and can be harder to clean.

I. Environmental Friendliness

Silicone is considered more environmentally friendly than TPE and complies with US FDA 21CFR 177.2600 for food-grade applications. It also meets standards such as ROHS, REACH, HN, and EN71. TPE is also an environmentally friendly material and does not contain halogens.

Sex toys factory will use different materials in different surface preparations can be performed to give the sex toys surfaces a different look — whether TPE or silicon or even matte. There are a lot of ways to do this and they can look really good. Often, the only way to tell an item isn’t good is to touch it to see if its smoothness or dirtyness.