News - Looking for Better Automotive Interior Materials? Meet Si-TPV

Thermoplastic Silicone Elastomers for Soft-Touch Comfort and Durable Automotive Interiors.

Automotive Interiors Are Facing Higher Material Expectations

Automotive interior design is evolving beyond aesthetics and basic functionality. As consumers spend more time in vehicle cabins, expectations for comfortable touchpoints, cleaner surfaces, durable materials, and better in-cabin air quality are becoming increasingly important.

At the same time, automakers and automotive suppliers face growing challenges in material selection. Interior components must withstand repeated contact, friction, sweat, stains, temperature fluctuations, and long-term aging while meeting increasingly demanding requirements for VOC emissions, odor, and material safety.

Recent industry developments highlight this shift.

On September 21, 2026, SAE International issued SAE J3233_202609, a recommended practice for measuring VOC emissions from polyurethane foam materials used in automotive interior cabins. It establishes more consistent approaches to emissions testing and reporting, helping manufacturers evaluate interior materials during product development.

Meanwhile, a 2026 study published in the Journal of Chromatography A by researchers from India's Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) examined VOC emissions from different automotive interior materials. The research found that VOC emissions increased significantly with temperature, with increases of approximately 2.7 to 7.3 times between 50°C and 100°C, depending on the material.

These developments underline an important consideration: automotive interior material selection must address not only immediate appearance and tactile comfort but also emissions behavior and long-term performance under real vehicle conditions.

Sources:

SAE International, J3233_202609 – Recommended Practice to Measure VOC Emissions from Polyurethane Foam Used in Automotive Interior Cabins.

Patil et al., Volatile organic compound emissions from automotive interior materials: Material selection implications for in-vehicle air quality, Journal of Chromatography A, 2026.

Common Challenges in Automotive Interior Materials

Traditional automotive interior materials, including PVC, PU, conventional synthetic leather, and various elastomer compounds, can face several challenges during manufacturing and use.

1. VOC Emissions and Unwanted Odors

Automotive cabins are enclosed environments where elevated temperatures can influence the release of volatile compounds from interior materials.

Plastics, elastomers, foams, coatings, adhesives, and upholstery may all contribute to cabin emissions.

Selecting materials with lower emissions potential and evaluating complete components through appropriate VOC and odor testing are therefore important steps in automotive development.

2. Scratches, Wear, and Surface Damage

Steering wheels, door panels, center consoles, and armrests experience frequent contact and friction.

Over time, scratches, abrasion, and surface deterioration can affect both appearance and perceived product quality. Automotive manufacturers need materials that maintain their surface characteristics throughout repeated use.

3. Stains, Stickiness, and Difficult Cleaning

Sweat, skin oils, dust, food residues, and other contaminants can accumulate on frequently touched surfaces.

Some conventional soft-touch materials may also experience plasticizer migration or surface exudation during long-term use, potentially resulting in an unpleasant sticky feel.

4. Hygiene Concerns in Frequently Touched Areas

Steering wheels, door handles, armrests, and other high-contact components are frequently exposed to hand contact and environmental contaminants.

Materials with validated antibacterial properties can provide an additional functional option for automotive interior development.

These challenges create opportunities for alternative elastomer materials that combine tactile comfort, surface durability, and material safety considerations.

Automotive Interior Materials illustrating common challenges such as VOC emissions, scratches, stains, surface stickiness, and hygiene concerns.

Si-TPV: A Material Solution for Next-Generation Automotive Interiors

SILIKE Si-TPV (Thermoplastic Silicone-Based Elastomers) combines the characteristics of silicone rubber with thermoplastic elastomer processing advantages through dynamic vulcanization technology.

It offers material options for automotive interior components requiring soft-touch comfort, flexibility, durability, and improved surface performance.

Compared with conventional soft-touch materials that rely on plasticizers or softening oils, Si-TPV provides a plasticizer-free material approach, helping reduce the risk of migration, surface exudation, and long-term tackiness.

Key Advantages of Si-TPV for Automotive Applications

1. Soft, Smooth, and Skin-Friendly Touch

Si-TPV delivers a soft, silky, and comfortable surface feel, making it suitable for automotive components that frequently come into contact with drivers and passengers.

2. Low VOC and Low-Odor Material Options

Selected Si-TPV formulations offer low VOC and low-odor characteristics, supporting the development of automotive interior materials with improved cabin air quality considerations.

Actual emissions and odor performance should be verified according to the relevant OEM requirements and finished-component testing methods.

3. Excellent Scratch and Abrasion Resistance

Si-TPV offers good scratch and abrasion resistance, helping automotive interior surfaces maintain their appearance under repeated contact and friction.

4. Stain Resistance and Easy Cleaning

Its non-tacky surface characteristics and resistance to common contaminants make Si-TPV suitable for frequently touched automotive components that require convenient cleaning and maintenance.

5. Plasticizer-Free and Reduced Migration Risk

Si-TPV does not rely on conventional plasticizers and softening oils to achieve its soft-touch characteristics. This helps reduce the risk of plasticizer migration, surface exudation, and unwanted stickiness over time.

6. Antibacterial Material Options

Selected Si-TPV 3300 Series formulations offer antibacterial functionality and can be considered for automotive components where additional hygiene performance is required. Antibacterial claims should be supported by testing on the relevant formulation and finished product.

Practical Applications of Si-TPV in Automotive Interiors

With different grades available for leather production, injection molding, extrusion, overmolding, and polymer modification, Si-TPV can be considered for multiple automotive interior applications.

1.Automotive Silicone Vegan Leather

2. Steering Wheel Covers

3.Automotive Door Panels

4.Automotive Interior Components

5.Car Floor Mats and Trunk Liners

1.Automotive Silicone Vegan Leather

Comfortable and Durable Interior Upholstery

Automotive leather surfaces need to balance tactile comfort, visual appeal, scratch resistance, stain resistance, and long-term durability.

SILIKE Si-TPV Silicone Vegan Leather provides an animal-free alternative for automotive upholstery and decorative interior coverings.

Its soft, skin-friendly surface, low-VOC material options, and resistance to scratches and stains make it suitable for developing automotive leather solutions.

Recommended material options:

Si-TPV 3520-60A

Si-TPV 3520-70A

Potential applications include automotive seat upholstery, seat back coverings, interior decorative coverings, and other soft-surface components.

2. Steering Wheel Covers

A More Comfortable and Durable Grip

Steering wheels are among the most frequently touched components in a vehicle. They require a comfortable grip, reliable surface durability, and resistance to sweat, skin oils, and repeated friction.

Si-TPV offers a soft, skin-friendly feel combined with good wear resistance and non-tacky surface characteristics.

Its plasticizer-free material approach also helps reduce the risk of surface migration and stickiness during long-term use.

Recommended material options:

Si-TPV 3100-60A

Si-TPV 3100-55AZH

Si-TPV 3520-60A

Selected antibacterial Si-TPV 3300 Series formulations can also be evaluated for steering wheel covers and other high-contact components.

3.Automotive Door Panels

Soft Touch Meets Surface Durability

Door panels combine decorative surfaces with functional touchpoints, including armrests, door pulls, and trim components.

These areas are frequently exposed to hand contact, scratches, dust, and stains.

Si-TPV can provide a comfortable soft-touch surface while offering good scratch resistance, stain resistance, and easy-cleaning characteristics.

Recommended material options:

Si-TPV 3100-60A

Si-TPV 3520-60A

Si-TPV 3521-70A

For PC and ABS substrates requiring overmolding, Si-TPV 3521-70A can be evaluated for its adhesion performance with suitable polar substrates.

Potential applications include door armrests, soft-touch door panel components, decorative trims, and overmolded interior parts.

4.Automotive Interior Components

Improving Everyday Touchpoints

Modern vehicle cabins incorporate numerous soft-touch components designed to improve comfort and perceived quality.

Dashboards, center consoles, armrests, storage compartments, and other interior parts must balance tactile performance with resistance to daily wear and environmental exposure.

Si-TPV provides flexible material options for injection molding and overmolding applications.

Recommended material options:

Si-TPV 3100-60A

Si-TPV 3100-75A

Si-TPV 3100-85A

Si-TPV 3520-60A

Si-TPV 3520-70A

Depending on the required hardness, substrate, and processing method, manufacturers can select suitable grades for different automotive interior components.

5.Car Floor Mats and Trunk Liners

Easier Maintenance for Everyday Driving

Car floor mats and trunk liners are exposed to dirt, dust, water, mud, shoe friction, and the repeated loading and unloading of luggage.

These products need good wear resistance, surface durability, and convenient cleaning performance.

Si-TPV offers soft-touch, stain-resistant, and non-tacky surface characteristics that can be considered when developing durable automotive mat materials.

Recommended material options:

Si-TPV 3100-60A

Si-TPV 3100-75A

Si-TPV 3100-85A

Si-TPV 3520-70A

For EVA foam-based automotive mats, Si-TPV 2250-75A can be evaluated as an EVA modifier to improve elasticity, wear resistance, and compression-set performance.

Developing Better Automotive Materials with SILIKE Si-TPV

As automotive interiors continue to evolve, material suppliers and component manufacturers need solutions that address multiple performance requirements simultaneously.

From silicone vegan leather and steering wheel covers to door panels, center consoles, floor mats, and trunk liners, SILIKE Si-TPV provides a range of material options for developing soft-touch, durable, and easy-to-maintain automotive interior components.

By combining skin-friendly comfort, low-VOC material options, scratch resistance, stain resistance, and reduced migration risk, Si-TPV helps manufacturers explore alternatives to conventional soft-touch materials.

For automotive applications requiring additional hygiene functionality, selected antibacterial Si-TPV formulations offer another material option.