Dedicated LDPE Foam Grades For Middle East, Africa, Asia

Dedicated LDPE foam grades for Middle East, Africa, Asia

11-Jan-17

Polymeric foams are widely used in numerous areas that encompass building & construction, automotive, packaging, sports & leisure, and more. Enhanced physical properties and excellent foamability of the polymers are key in enabling more efficient material usage and energy savings.
A new dedicated LDPE foam grade SABIC LDPE HP0824NDF, will be launched in the beginning of 2017. SABIC LDPE HP0824NDF offers special benefits using various foam production processes such as physical foam extrusion, the chemical cross-linking process, as well as the bun process resulting in lightweight foams. It offers material and energy savings, while retaining or even improving product performance; and it offers benefits in thermal and acoustic insulation, cushioning and protection. SABIC is helping to improve these benefits by enhancements to the physical properties and foamability of the polymers themselves.
All three grades are less sensitive to web-breaks and foam-collapse due to high consistency and a wider operating window compared to existing materials in the market, resulting in a higher material yield during processing. The foams produced give a higher compression strength, better resilience, uniform surface and cell structure, and fewer pinholes, as well as better dimensional stability compared to existing materials. This offers opportunities for material savings during production.

The new dedicated foam grades were developed in the recently opened Foam Innovation Center. Here, SABIC develops new polymer-based solutions that can help the entire value chain become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. SABIC is developing more dedicated LDPE foam grades to provide a wider product portfolio for customers. The centre is equipped with most foam processing capabilities, as well as analytical equipment, enabling SABIC to carry out developments on new foam solutions, technology innovations, and collaborative projects with customers, to reduce material footprint, enable energy and cost reductions, and decrease time to market.