Car sealing strips are the “silent guard” and “wind and rain barrier” of vehicles. The selection of materials is crucial to the quality, user experience and service life of the whole vehicle. Faced with different climates, road conditions and diverse vehicle model requirements around the world, accurately matching materials for your project requires comprehensive consideration of many factors.
At present, EPDM and TPE are the two mainstream materials in the market, each with its own advantages. EPDM has a dominant position in the market with its excellent weather resistance, excellent resistance to UV aging and ozone corrosion, and its service life can reach more than 10 years. At the same time, it has good elasticity and high cost-effectiveness, making it a durable and reliable choice. However, its traditional formula mainly relies on fossil raw materials, and recycling and reuse are relatively difficult, which is the main challenge it faces. On the other hand, as an emerging environmentally friendly material, TPE’s biggest advantage is that it can be recycled, the processing process consumes less energy, and the density is lighter, which helps to reduce the weight of the whole vehicle. Through modification technology, the performance of TPE is close to EPDM, but in terms of long-term high temperature resistance and elastic performance at extremely low temperatures, it is still slightly behind high-end EPDM, and the unit price of raw materials is usually higher.
When selecting materials, key performance parameters must be considered in depth, not just the basic material type. Sealing and shock absorption effects are the core, among which the compression permanent deformation rate of the material is particularly important. A low deformation rate can ensure that the car sealing strip can still rebound and seal effectively after long-term compression. The hardness of the material also needs to be precisely matched with the actual gap of the vehicle body. In terms of environmental tolerance, for models in cold areas, special attention should be paid to the brittle temperature of the material. For rainy and humid environments, its water resistance and mildew resistance levels need to be verified. In terms of durability and safety, car sealing strips in high-wear areas (such as the waistline of doors and windows) should have higher wear resistance (which can be evaluated by Taber abrasion test); and for new energy vehicles, especially the car sealing strips around the battery compartment, strict flame retardant requirements must be met.
The application scenarios of materials also drive precise selection. For the window and door frame seals of passenger cars, considering the long-term sealing performance and cost, EPDM is still the best choice at present, and its surface smoothness should be paid attention to to reduce the abnormal noise when the glass is raised and lowered. New energy vehicles bring exclusive needs. The car sealing strips around the battery pack must have both flame retardancy and low odor properties; creating a silent cabin requires materials with higher damping properties, which can sometimes be achieved through composite PU coatings. For commercial vehicles or off-road vehicles, considering more extreme working conditions, EPDM formulas with higher strength are usually preferred, and parts such as door opening car sealing strips need to be further strengthened in terms of tear resistance.
In the current global manufacturing context, sustainability and regulatory compliance have become an irreversible trend. The EU REACH regulatory standards continue to tighten control over restricted substances. Choosing materials that meet international environmental certifications has become a market entry threshold. Therefore, TPE and the developing bio-based EPDM represent important directions for the industry’s green transformation.
In summary, there is no universal material that is “universally applicable”. The key to success lies in in-depth and detailed analysis based on the specific climate conditions, vehicle positioning and cost budget of the target market. For high-end models, the composite application of EPDM and TPE can be explored. For customers who attach great importance to full life cycle costs and ESG (environment, society, governance) performance, the TPE solution shows great potential. As a professional car sealing strip solution provider, we are well versed in material selection and are happy to provide you with free selection testing and compliance consulting services to help your products gain a competitive advantage in the global market.
If you need detailed guidance on car sealing strip selection for specific regions (such as the high temperatures in the Middle East or the cold weather in Northern Europe) or specific models (such as pure electric SUVs or luxury cars), please feel free to contact us for customized solutions.
