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Mucell technology developed by Trexcel of USA about 4 years
ago and widely exhibited in the K 2001 fair, is growing in the major
continents. The process originally started with Polyolefins and
has now extended to Styrenics, PVC and a host of ETPS, as well as
to the various processes like injection moulding, blow moulding
and extrusion.
"MuCell" is the trade name of microcellular polymeric
foam produced by Trexel's proprietary MuCell microcellular foam
process. The MuCell process uses supercritical fluids (SCFs) of
atmospheric gases, not chemical blowing agents or hydrocarbon-based
physical blowing agents, to create evenly distributed and uniformly
sized microscopic cells throughout a thermoplastic polymer. Average
cell sizes range from 5-50 microns in diameter, and density reductions
in the range of 10-95% can be achieved. Because the cell sizes in
MuCell material are microscopic, (scanning electron microscope (SEM)
pictures are required to study the structure of these materials)
the materials appear solid to the human eye.
Trexel is licensing the MuCell microcellular foam process currently
to major polymer converters in Asia, Europe and North America for
extrusion, injection molding (including structural foam), and blow
molding applications. The current emphasis includes polypropylene
(PP) and polystyrene (PS) sheet and rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
in extrusion applications; nylons, polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene (PC/ABS), and high-temperature engineering resins (polyarylsulfones),
as well as polypropylene (PP) and thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs)
in injection molding applications and HDPE bottles in blow molding
applications.
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