Feininger successfully developed a one-step process for the production of EPP foam beads

Jiangsu Polymer Physics Foam Engineering Technology Center has successfully developed an innovative process that can economically and efficiently extrude polypropylene (EPP) foam beads using supercritical CO2. EPP is the abbreviation of Expanded polypropylene, which is the abbreviation of a new type of foam plastic. EPP materials have higher mechanical strength and a wider range of application scenarios, and have become one of the fastest growing lightweight materials.

EPP material has the advantages of light weight, good elasticity, seismic and compressive resistance, high deformation recovery rate and good absorption performance. It is also resistant to oil, acid, alkali and various chemical solvents. It is non-absorbent, insulated and heat-resistant (-40 ~ 130 ° C). EPP is non-toxic, odorless and 100% recyclable with virtually no degradation in performance, making it a truly environmentally friendly foam. Through a specific ratio, various colors of PP particles are obtained, and then through foaming treatment, PP particles of various magnolia, and finally the EPP products are obtained by using molds in the factory. EPP materials are mostly used in food packaging, precision instrument buffer packaging, various auto parts such as bumpers, car interiors and so on.

Polypropylene (PP) is a highly efficient material with advanced mechanical properties that make it ideal for reuse and recycling. At present, the physical foam pot impregnation method is used in the market. The production principle is to load EPP beads in the load tank (even if the beads are filled with a certain pressure of air), and then inject compressed air into the mold of the EPP forming machine with the spray gun, and then pass the steam to further expand the EPP beads and melt together the surface to form. After cooling, the mold is stabilized at a certain temperature to obtain EPP products.

Jiangsu Polymer Physics Foaming Engineering Technology Center belongs to Feininger Co., LTD., the supercritical CO2 single machine developed to produce EPP foaming beads at one time, and the production cost is controlled by 70% of the original production process cost. Compared with the traditional autoclave production method, this technical solution has less investment, simple production equipment, and short investment recovery, providing an easy to implement investment plan for upstream and downstream industries, and obtaining a rapid return on investment. As a result, companies can offer EPP parts at more competitive prices, while supporting the adoption of polyolefin that is easy to recycle. Other benefits include full control over EPP characteristics such as bulk density, closed cell content and bead size distribution, as well as maximum flexibility when fine-tuning the formulation. Moreover, the highly automated process reduces maintenance requirements and simplifies operations. In addition, the extruded beads can then be easily processed at standard steam pressure in a steam box forming machine to obtain a molded bead foam product with a specific shape. Feininger EPP supercritical CO2 primary foaming technology is a major technological breakthrough, so that the development of the industry has a qualitative leap.