Lightweight materials: development of polymer foams
Today, environmental concerns play an increasingly central part in all the sectors of activity (building, transport, energy, …). In that respect there is an increasing need for more performant and lighter materials. For that purpose, foamed polymers are very interesting materials thanks to their thermal insulation property, lower density, mechanical properties and competitive price. Foamed polymers are found virtually everywhere and are used in a wide variety of applications such as packaging, cushioning of furniture, insulation, structural parts in automotive …
In order to deliver R&D support to partners and clients, Certech has developed several activities linked to foaming:
- Physical and chemical foaming
- Development and optimisation of formulations
- Development and optimisation of processes
These investigations benefit from various technologies available at Certech :
- Batch foaming in high pressure vessel
- Continuous foaming extrusion using single- and twinscrew fitted with a static mixer (pilot scale)
