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Making DIY TPE more tear resistant.

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BigBurrito
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Making DIY TPE more tear resistant.

Post by BigBurrito »

Hi, i'm currently making my own TPE faces with my mold that was a copy of my own custom face scult, using food grade SEBS based TPE resin, and mineral oil + oil based foundation for skin color.
The problem is that the mouth corners "split" way to easily, and i'm asking that anyone has any idea if there is any other material that i can incorporate into my TPE that gives better tear strength? PVC? just will try experimenting as i go along
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Re: Making DIY TPE more tear resistant.

Post by CrazyCajun »

Well it is a bit hard to tell by the photo, but I would start by making the corners of the mouth a bit thicker. A little bit goes a long way when it comes to elongation. May help and might not. Could also depend on the amount of oil in the resin.
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Re: Making DIY TPE more tear resistant.

Post by carlys_guy »

can you embed fiber glass sheets into the TPE or would that make it too stiff?

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Re: Making DIY TPE more tear resistant.

Post by DollAfficionado »

That is an interesting idea.
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Re: Making DIY TPE more tear resistant.

Post by BigBurrito »

I can adjust the softness by adding more oil, but tears easier, yes i'm getting thicker in the corners, but i prefer that the corners are soft as a real woman's mouth, and feel "tight" when opened wide, but not any wider than normal. May try inlaying a strong stretchy rubber material in the corners of the mouth in the TPE as i pour, as long as the inlay material doesn't melt, and is compatible. My TPE melts slowly on the stove top with the burner on low, no scorching, or discoloring, i use an electric range.

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Re: Making DIY TPE more tear resistant.

Post by CrazyCajun »

If you are simply pouring it into a mold, that is why it tears easily. TPE needs to be injection molded, it needs the pressure to increase the density of the material. By pouring it you do not get the needed density to give it the strength and the elasticity that you are trying to achieve. This pressure is critical to getting the correct material density. I have seen some home made injection molders and thought that was what you were doing.

Possibly embedding some elastic may help but it probably won't give the long term elasticity that you are looking for. But I must say from what I have seen of your photos you mold making skills are admirable for sure!

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Re: Making DIY TPE more tear resistant.

Post by xama4 »

Do you have any of the specifications on the SEBS polymer you used? Using a higher molecular weight polymer (longer polymer chains) would provide better tear resistance, but would be somewhat harder to work with. TPE oil gels made with higher molecular weight polymers have a correspondingly higher gel dissolution temperature and higher viscosity, so they are hard to stir and trap bubbles easily. All kinds of trouble.

If you want to have a limit to how far the mouth opens without having extreme tension on the TPE, you might try embedding something like a circular band around the mouth opening to make it feel like it stops expanding any further. A non-elastic band of some sort in a snaking path around the opening would probably stretch out and stop the expansion nicely. Whether it would then be what rips though is an unknown though... ;)

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Re: Making DIY TPE more tear resistant.

Post by BigBurrito »

i did a Ecoflex 20 mask yesterday, much better results, yeah, injection molding TPE would be the ultimate setup, having an leak proof mold setup that would take the pressure, but for shits and giggles, gonna try Theraband material, those rubber straps that are used for working out, cut it to the mouth shape, and mold it in the TPE, but i love my latest plat cure creation.
I have a tread "Building my Janis" and see what i'm up to anyway, and thanks guys for your input.
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Re: Making DIY TPE more tear resistant.

Post by CrazyCajun »

For pouring you should get much better results with platinum silicone for sure. Again, your mold making skills are very good! :thumbs_up:
Nice work!
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