TPV vs EPDM for Automotive Seals – Sarlink® TPV Advantage

For decades, Sarlink® TPVs have been steadily displacing EPDM rubber in automotive weather seals. The main drivers for switching from EPDM to TPV are performance enhancements, including weight reduction, and improved manufacturability. There are recycling benefits from switching to TPV as well. All of these factors make Sarlink TPVs the more sustainable material choice.

We’ve had years of experience helping automotive sealing manufacturers convert EPDM profiles to Sarlink TPVs, and we’ve condensed this knowledge into this quick reference guide to help you make more informed decisions about material selection.

Why Automotive OEMs Are Switching from EPDM to TPV

Performance Enhancements

Sarlink® TPV and EPDM rubber make excellent sealing materials due to their elasticity, resilience, and toughness. How do they differ? Sarlink® TPVs are actually alloys of EPDM and polypropylene, and therefore combine the performance benefits of both thermoset rubber and thermoplastics. The table below highlights these features and benefits:

	Sarlink® TPV Features	Benefits
Elastic Performance	• Short term compression set (22 hr at 70oC): EPDM has lower values than TPV • Long Term compression set (1000 hr at 70oC): TPV has lower values than EPDM • Load loss values follow a similar trend	• TPVs maintain sealing performance over time
Colorability	• TPVs are colorable	• Color matching available for JA6 and R600, glass run channels or secondary seals
Heat Aging	• TPVs retain physical properties better than EPDM at elevated temperatures	• Maintains sealing performance in hot environments
Weather Resistance	• TPVs retain color much better than EPDM • TPVs retain physical properties better than EPDM • TPVs do not chalk or crack	• Maintaining color harmony and original finish • Less susceptible to cracking or tearing
Chemical Resistance	• TPVs have better chemical resistance due to PP encapsulation of EPDM particles	• Less swell and/or degradation of seals where in contact with cleaners or waxes, less chemical interaction

Weight Reduction

There are three ways Sarlink TPVs contribute to light-weighting of vehicles, contributing to fuel efficiency:

Lower density (specific gravity) than EPDM: With a specific gravity of 0.95 vs. 1.25, TPV seals are 30% lighter using the same design
Optimized seal designs: TPV profiles can be designed with thinner walls, but achieving equivalent functionality
Optimized materials usage: High durometer TPV grades can replace the metal carrier in glass run channels

Improved Manufacturability

The figure below compares the process of manufacturing a TPV seal versus that of EPDM. With less manufacturing steps and the use of conventional thermoplastic extrusion equipment, Sarlink TPVs require a smaller manufacturing footprint, consume less energy, and reduce capital investments.

Basic Part Production: Sarlink® TPV vs. EPDM Rubber

Sarlink TPV manufacturing process comparison against EPDM manfacturing

Sustainability & Recycling

Sarlink® TPVs can be recycled. EPDM rubber requires cross-linking (vulcanization) to achieve its properties; creating irreversible bonds that will not re-melt when heated. The EPDM used in Sarlink® TPV, however, is dynamically vulcanized during the compounding process, and the cross-linked EPDM rubber particles are encapsulated in a polypropylene matrix. Thus, like polypropylene, Sarlink® TPV can be heated and melted many times, making it an excellent candidate for recycling. TPV scrap recovered from any step in the manufacturing process and can be reintroduced into the process or used in the production of other parts. This is quite common and is a major advantage over EPDM manufacturing in terms of yield and sustainability. The figure below shows the recycling stability of Sarlink TPV: Even after recycling six times, critical physical and mechanic properties of Sarlink TPVs remain stable.

Recycling Stability of Sarlink® TPV

Conversion Roadmap: From EPDM to Sarlink® TPV

The Teknor Apex team is ready and able to guide you through the process of converting from EPDM to TPV. From material selection, to part and tooling design, to process optimization – we’ve got you covered. Our in-house application development capabilities for automotive sealing is unmatched in the industry. Feel free to contact us to talk through your latest project or download the case study below to learn how we helped a major Tier 1 supplier reduce weight and cost while improving the performance of glass run channels.

Industry Applications & Future Trends

Sarlink® TPVs are widely used across automotive sealing systems where long-term durability, compression set performance, and weatherability are critical. Today, OEMs and Tier suppliers rely on Sarlink® TPV in applications such as:

Glass-run channels and window seals
Door, trunk, and liftgate weatherseals
Roofline and body-side moldings
Boots, bellows, and dust covers
Air- and fluid-handling seals in powertrain and chassis systems

As the industry pushes toward lightweight design, modular assemblies, and global material consistency, Sarlink® TPVs are increasingly chosen to replace EPDM in new sealing programs. Their combination of rubber-like performance, thermoplastic processing efficiency, and global manufacturing availability positions TPVs as a future-focused material platform for next-generation vehicle architectures.

Role of TPV in Electric Vehicles (EVs)

Electric vehicles place new demands on sealing materials — and TPVs meet those needs more effectively than traditional EPDM. EV manufacturers are turning to Sarlink® TPVs because they offer:

Lightweighting benefits, supporting improved efficiency and range
Enhanced sealing performance for noise reduction (critical in quiet EV cabins)
Superior thermal and chemical resistance, especially under evolving EV fluid, coolant, and environmental conditions
Greater design flexibility, ideal for complex sealing geometries and modular assemblies
Improved processability, enabling faster cycle times and advanced overmolding or co-extrusion designs

BEV Coolant Hose & Thermal-Management Lines

BEV coolant systems use more aggressive heat-transfer fluids and require materials that maintain flexibility and seal integrity under continuous thermal cycling. Sarlink® TPVs provide an advantage over EPDM by delivering superior chemical resistance to modern EV coolants, lower weight, and consistent extrusion and molding performance. Their rubber-like durability and thermoplastic processability make TPVs a strong fit for battery cooling lines, pump connectors, reservoir seals, and thermal-management hoses—all critical to EV safety, efficiency, and long-term reliability.

Download this case study to learn more about Sarlink® TPV vs EPDM

Sarlink® TPV: The Optimal Choice for EV Coolant Hoses

Discover Sarlink® Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPV), the innovative, durable and sustainable solution for EV coolant hoses.

Sarlink® TPV: The Optimal Choice for EV Coolant Hoses

Frequently Asked Questions:

TPV (Thermoplastic Vulcanizate) is a dynamically vulcanized blend of EPDM rubber particles dispersed in a thermoplastic polypropylene matrix. This structure gives TPV rubber-like elasticity and compression-set performance, but with thermoplastic processability, enabling extrusion and injection molding without curing.
By contrast, EPDM is a thermoset rubber that requires vulcanization, cannot be re-melted, and has longer processing cycles. TPVs deliver faster cycle times, recyclability, lighter weight, and easier part integration, while matching or exceeding EPDM’s sealing performance in many automotive applications.

Sarlink® TPV can be mechanically recycled multiple times because it is a true thermoplastic—it can be re-melted, reprocessed, and re-extruded without significant degradation in physical properties.
While performance depends on processing conditions and contamination control, Sarlink® grades can generally withstand several recycling loops in typical manufacturing environments. Teknor Apex supports in-process scrap reuse and offers guidance on regrind incorporation levels to help OEMs and Tier suppliers meet sustainability and circularity goals.

For most sealing applications, Sarlink® TPVs offer equivalent or superior performance compared to EPDM, including compression-set resistance, weatherability, UV stability, and low-temperature flexibility.
The primary considerations when converting include:

TPVs may exhibit slightly different elastic modulus depending on durometer and formulation
TPVs offer better processability, but tooling may require minor adjustments

TPVs provide improved dimensional consistency compared to EPDM
For the majority of automotive weatherseal and trim programs, TPVs provide performance gains with fewer manufacturing trade-offs.

Sarlink® TPVs can deliver measurable cost advantages over EPDM by reducing:

Cycle time by 20–40% (no vulcanization step, faster extrusion throughput)
Weight by 10–30% depending on profile geometry and density differences
Scrap loss, since TPVs are recyclable and reprocessable

Assembly costs, due to compatibility with co-extrusion and overmolding
These gains translate to lower total cost of ownership and improved production efficiency for OEMs and Tier suppliers transitioning from EPDM to TPV.

Yes—Sarlink® TPVs can be used in many under-hood automotive applications, provided the operating temperatures align with the material’s capabilities. TPVs maintain flexibility, compression-set performance, and fluid resistance up to approximately 125 °C, making them suitable for components such as air-management seals, ducts, vibration-control parts, and certain thermal-management and BEV coolant system interfaces.

However, under-hood environments vary widely by vehicle platform. Any material selection should include end-use testing, considering continuous temperature exposure, fluid contact, mechanical loading, and thermal cycling. Teknor Apex works with OEMs and Tier suppliers to help validate the appropriate Sarlink® TPV grade for each specific application requirement.