FOAMED SHEET | MATERIALS
Light relief: latest in foamed sheet
Advances in foamed sheet include EPS production expansion, systems to imbue polymers with a microcellular structure, and a precise way to monitor the dosing of blowing agents
Sustainability takes many forms, from sourcing renewable materials to using less energy. Another approach – seen in areas such as foamed sheet – is to create cellular structures, which makes materials lighter while helping to reduce their consumption. At Fakuma in October, Promix Solutions
exhibited a number of systems including compo- nents for the production of light foams. In extrusion, material accounts for 80% of the
CO2 footprint. This its Microcell technology, the company can create a microcellular foam structure in the polymer by adding environmentally friendly atmospheric gases. This results in a 20-50% reduction in product weight, and significant savings in raw materials. Not only does this reduce production costs, but it also benefits the environ- ment, says Promix. Microcell is suitable for films, sheets, foam core and corrugated pipes as well as profiles and blown films. At the show, the company showed relevant key components and provided information on their use within specific fields of application. More than 300 systems have now been fitted, with various manufacturers integrating the technology into their lines. The technology can be used for most raw
materials, including PP, PE, PET, TPE, TPU, PA, rigid and soft PVC and biopolymers. It is available for new extrusion lines and as a retrofit solution for existing lines, says Promix.
Gas injection agreement Zotefoams has signed an agreement allowing Censco to manufacture the proprietary gas
www.filmandsheet.com
injection equipment marketed by Zotefoams under the MuCell brand. Previously made in-house by Zotefoams’ MuCell Extrusion business unit based in Massachusetts, USA, the equipment is installed on plastic extrusion lines to inject atmospheric gases during the melt phase. Over the past five years, Zotefoams has used MuCell technology to create ReZorce, its mono-material barrier packaging range. This agreement will allow it to further focus on the opportunities that ReZorce offers in replacing difficult-to-recycle composite materials, it says. “Partnering with Censco to manufacture MuCell equipment makes absolute sense,” said Neil Court-Johnston, president of MuCell Extrusion. “It has the resources and know-how to scale the manufacture of MuCell equipment effectively and reduce lead times significantly.” Juan Cardona, president and CEO of Censco,
added: “This is the next logical step to strengthen our capabilities and focus on manufacturing and implementing new MuCell-capable extrusion equipment.”
Main image: Microcell technology from Promix can be used in applications including extruded film
� November/December 2024 | FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION 21
IMAGE: PROMIX
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50
