Metode Plastic Foam Processing

• Batch-wise Operation
• Pressure Induced Method
• Temperature Induced Method
• Continous Operation
• Extrusion
• Inject Moulding
Batchwise-Operation
• Proses Foaming dilakukan bertahap
• Dalam banyak tahap-dilakukan simultan
• Dilakukan pada vessel tertutup / autoklaf
• Feed material, dalam bentuk circular disk, sheet
• Methods,
• Temperature Induced Method (Two-steps method)
• Pressure Induced Method (One-steps method)
Pressure Induced Method
Pressure Induced Method (dP/dt)
• Steps,
• Preparing polymer sheet by hot press (sheet)
• Placed on closed vessel (autoklaf)
• Polymer saturated with blowing agent
• After reached time (super-saturated state)
• Cell Nucleation trigerred by rapid de-pressurized quench
• Post Foaming (by cooling or others)
• Stabilize Cell
• Remove solvents
• Fix microsctructure cell
Temperature Induced Method
Temperature Induced Method (dT/dt)
• Steps,
• Preparing polymer sheet by hot press (sheet)
• Placed on closed vessel (autoklaf)
• Polymer saturated with blowing agent (at low-moderate temperature)
• After reached time (equilibrium saturation),
• Cell Nucleation trigerred by dipping polymer sheet under oil bath
• Fixed Temperature
• Specific Time Period (1-600s)
• Post Foaming (by immersed at cooling bath/solvent bath)
• Stabilize Cell
• Remove solvents
• Fix microsctructure cell
Extrusion Foaming
Extrusion Foaming

• Extrude = Push Out

• Extruder Foaming
• Extruding Unit
• Die-Shaping Unit
• Blowing Agent at Certain Point of Extrusion Line
• Feed Material = Polymer Pellets
• Tandem or Single Line
• Nucleating Agent easy to be introduced and mixed
Extrusion Foaming
• Steps,
• Polymer pellets (and NA’s) introduced into hopper
• Pellets melts through first barrel
• Temperature Controlled
• Under High Pressure & Temp.
• Injecting Unit Line at barrel
• Injecting CO2 supercritical gas 31 deg C & 7.38 Mpa
• 2 Phase formed due to high pressure (gas-polymer melt)
• Gas-Polymer Melt loaded to second barrel
• By motion of Screw
• Initial Cooling (before molded)
• Mixing into homogenous phase
• T lower than at 1st barel
• Heat exchanger for further cooling
• As polymer-gas melt exit to the die, pressure drop triggered cell to nucleate
• Cell growing until vitrification occurs
• Post Foaming (by cooling or others)
Injection Mould Foaming
Injection Mould Foaming
• Conventional Injection Moulding + Gas Injection Unit
• Injection Mould Foaming
• Injection Mould Unit
• Clamping Unit
• Blowing Agent at Certain Point of Line
• Feed Material = Polymer Pellets
• Injection Mould for Foaming Process
• MuCell Tech by Trexel. Inc
• ErgoCell by Demag Germany
• Optifoam by SulzerChemTech, Switzerland
• Clamping Unit, Nozzle design, Mould design are important
Extrusion Foaming
• Steps,
• Polymer pellets (and NA’s) introduced into hopper
• Pellets melts through barrel
• Screw move backwards
• Screw collecting molten polymer & injected blowing agent
• Mixed molten polymer-gas
• Injected through exit nozzle
• To Atmospheric-pressured-high-temperature mould cavity
• Holding Step
• Filling the mould to compensate shrinkage
• Mould the open after slight delay by rapid pressure drop
• Cell nucleating and growing subsequently
• Usually with thick conspicuous integral skin
• Fast cooling in mould (clamping unit) then plastic foam ejected from mould