熱塑性彈性體(tǐ)，簡稱TPE或TPR，是Thermoplastic rubber的縮寫。是常溫下具(jù)有(yǒu)橡膠的彈性，高溫下具(jù)有(yǒu)可(kě)塑化成型的一類彈性體(tǐ)。熱塑性彈性體(tǐ)的結構特點是由化學(xué)鍵組成不同的樹脂段和橡膠段，樹脂段憑借鏈間作(zuò)用(yòng)力形成物(wù)理(lǐ)交聯點，橡膠段是高彈性鏈段，貢獻彈性。塑料段的物(wù)理(lǐ)交聯随溫度的變化而呈可(kě)逆變化，顯示了熱塑性彈性體(tǐ)的塑料加工(gōng)特性。因此，熱塑性彈性體(tǐ)具(jù)有(yǒu)硫化橡膠的物(wù)理(lǐ)機械性能(néng)和熱塑性塑料的工(gōng)藝加工(gōng)性能(néng)，是介于橡膠與樹脂之間的一種新(xīn)型高分(fēn)子材料，常被人們稱為(wèi)第三代橡膠。

Thermoplastic elastomer, or TPE or TPR, is short for Thermoplastic rubber. It is a kind of elastomer which has the elasticity of rubber at room temperature and can be plasticized at high temperature. The structure of thermoplastic elastomer is characterized by different resin segment and rubber segment composed of chemical bonds. The resin segment forms physical crosslinking points by means of inter-chain forces. The rubber segment is a highly elastic chain segment and contributes elasticity. The physical crosslinking of plastic segment changes reversibly with the change of temperature, which shows the plastic processing characteristics of thermoplastic elastomer. Therefore, thermoplastic elastomer has the physical and mechanical properties of vulcanized rubber and the processing performance of thermoplastic plastics. It is a new kind of polymer material between rubber and resin, and is often called the third generation rubber.