EPS foam mechanical cushioning performance is greatly reduced

HC Plastics News: In addition to raw material processors, EPS foam machinery has benefited the entire value chain including consumers: electrical appliance manufacturers have obtained a dust-free flexible packaging material that is not only attractive in appearance, but also Reduce packaging volume, reduce damage and returns, and reduce waste disposal costs. Retailers and consumers can handle this reliable transportation packaging material like Styropor, which not only has cost-effective advantages, but also does not need to increase manpower and material resources.

    The successful development of E-por should be attributed to a new research method: BASF researchers no longer treat the foam as a static mixture of polymer and blowing agent as they do with copolymers; instead, they treat E-por as a static mixture of polymer and blowing agent. Complex formulations of multiple ingredients are developed. These components not only react with each other, but also with the pentane blowing agent. The researchers successfully transplanted the modified concept of impact strength of polymeric materials to granular foam. This formula is produced using BASF's new process. Then, BASF's direct customers, raw material processors, can use traditional Styropor technology to process the pellets and produce products with a new foam structure. BASF has been supplying E-por on the market for nearly a year, and has carried out a series of customer projects in various regions of the world. Currently, these projects are in successful operation.

    Since the invention of Styropor® (EPS: expandable polystyrene) in 1952, BASF has continued to write successful chapters in the field of polymer foam: the development of extruded polystyrene rigid foam board Styrodur® (XPS), high The high-strength elastic polyolefin series Neopolen®, melamine foam Basotect® and the upgraded version of Neopor® EPS for thermal insulation. Based on this, BASF currently has a wealth of products and unique expertise in pellets and extruded foams. Through unremitting research and the launch of various new products, BASF has opened up new application areas in many industries. These industries include automotive and aviation, as well as solar energy, construction, and of course packaging.

    Now, BASF has achieved success with another innovation: E-por® based on a new formula and produced by a new process. E-por® is the first crack-resistant foam that can be transported, stored, processed and recycled like traditional Styropor materials, with both high strength and elasticity. This material is characterized by its excellent surface weldability, excellent solvent resistance, and attractive appearance. High-quality electronic and electrical (E/E) products such as plasma TVs, laptops, refrigerators, and washing machines are more sensitive to vibration. E-por® has excellent crack resistance, so it can withstand multiple impacts and is very suitable for the transportation and packaging of such products. With its special properties, this new particle from BASF can benefit the entire value chain of transport packaging-from raw material processors, electrical appliance manufacturers and retailers all the way to consumers.

    The weight and impact resistance of the product are closely related to the safe transportation of electrical and electronic equipment. For sturdy and lightweight products, protective cardboard packaging is usually sufficient. However, cardboard can only absorb a small amount of energy and has a limited cushioning effect, so it is usually used with Styropor. Styropor is not only light in weight, but also has excellent cushioning properties. But Styropor is a rigid foam that may break when the item falls, such as when unloading from a truck. Once the Styropor breaks or tears, the cushioning performance will be greatly reduced.

    The weight of electronic products continues to decrease, but their internal structures are becoming more and more sophisticated, and they are becoming more and more sensitive to repetitive impacts, so the requirements for packaging have become more stringent. This is why expensive and shock-sensitive products need to be packaged with polyolefin and copolymer foams that can withstand multiple shocks. However, compared with the standard packaging material Styropor, these foams show some disadvantages in terms of processing and cannot be recycled as easily as Styropor.

    Eps foam machinery not only has the impact resistance and aesthetics of copolymer foam, but also has the cost-effectiveness of recycling and the ease of processing of the standard material Styropor. The content of E-por foaming agent is very low, less than 6%. Competitive products using copolymer foam as raw materials have a blowing agent content of more than 10%. These large amounts of foaming agents must remain frozen in the raw materials, which means that the transportation and storage of the copolymer must be completed in the cold chain. Competitive products using polyolefins as raw materials have not yet been able to contain foaming agents, and can only be pre-foamed during the production process, that is to say, in the process of transporting the product from the raw material manufacturer to the packaging material manufacturer, air takes up Most of the space of the transportation means has been reduced, resulting in a substantial increase in transportation costs.

    In contrast, EPS foam machinery saves transportation, storage and energy costs. It can be transported and stored at room temperature. Packaging material manufacturers only need to use a small amount of steam to foam them. This material can be processed on traditional Styropor machinery, which is more energy-efficient than processing polyolefins. Most importantly, E-por is the only foam that uses Styropor technology for degassing and recycling, and can withstand multiple shocks: This means that raw material processors do not need to replace their own equipment.

Editor in charge: Ye Dan