Manufacture of
Extruded
Thermoplastic Foam
This article attempts to explain some basic
information about extruded foam, their
uses and basic features of machinery
required to produce them.
Foam plastics are widely used in
several applications and find tremendous
potential in a developing
country like India. Foams are used
in various shapes, e.g. single layer foam
sheet used for thermal insulation, impact
absorption, marine floatation and
packaging. Building and construction
industry uses low
density foam products
as expansion
joints.
This article attempts
to explain
some basic information
about extruded
foam, their
uses and basic features
of machinery
required to produce
them.
A foamed thermoplastic
uses a
specific thermoplastic
and an additive
that produces
gas, which after
processing, yields solid structure having voids (cells) surrounded
or partially surrounded by the
solid polymer. The foam can be classified
as “high density” or “low density”
foam, depending on the final density.
High density foams can have density not
substantially less than those of unfoamed
polymers. High density foam can
have lowest density of 0.4g/cc. On the
other hand, low density foam can have
final density as low as 0.025g/cc. This
compares with normal density about
0.9g/cc of unfoamed low density polyethylene.
Extruded foam products generally
use PS (Polystyrene) to produce
EPS foams and LDPE (Low density
polyethylene) to produce EPE foams.
....contd.
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