Commercial foamed plastics

Mechanical Properties of Commercial Foamed Plastics. The properties of commercial rigid fuamed plastics are presented in Table 2. The properties of commercial flexible foamed plastics are presented in Table 3. 

Standard texts have given good thorough descriptions of the individual commercial foamed plastics, so only brief review is needed here to put them into proper perspective. 

Cellular polymers have been commercially accepted in a wide variety of appHcations since the 1940s (10—19). The total usage of foamed plastics in the United States has risen from 441 X ICf t in 1967 to 1.6 x 10 t in 1982, and has been projected to rise to about 2.8 X 10 t in 1995 (20). 

The properties of commercial rigid foamed plastics are presented in Table 2. The properties of commercial flexible foamed plastics are presented in Table 4. The definition of a flexible foamed plastic is that recommended by the ASTM Committee D 11. The data shown demonstrate the broad ranges of properties of commercial products rather than an accurate set of properties on a specific few materials. Specific producers of foamed plastics should be consulted for properties on a particular product (137,138,142). 

Table 2. Physical Properties of Commercial Rigid Foamed Plastics ...

Foamed plastics (qv) were developed in Europe and the United States in the mid-to-late 1930s. In the mid-1940s, extmded foamed polystyrene (XEPS) was produced commercially, foUowed by polyurethanes and expanded (molded) polystyrene (EPS) which were manufactured from beads (1,2). In response to the requirement for more fire-resistant ceUular plastics, polyisocyanurate foams and modified urethanes containing additives were developed in the late 1960s urea—formaldehyde, phenoHc, and other foams were also used in Europe at this time. 

Another area in which 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol is commercially important is in the manufacture of polyurethane foams (see Foamed plastics). 

TABLE 2. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COMMERCIAL RIGID FOAMED PLASTICS... 

Styrenic polymer foams have been commercially accepted in a wide variety of applications since the 1940s [1,4]. The total usage of polystyrene foams in the United States rose from about 4.10 x 105 metric tons in 1982 to an estimated 5.35 x 105 metric tons in 1987. It is expected to grow at a rate of 3-4% for the next several years [5]. For example, a recent Fredonia report on foamed plastics estimates that the 2008 volume will be 10.77 x 105 metric tons [6]. 

Foamed plastics can be prepared by various methods. The most widely used, called the dispersion process, involves the dispersion of a gaseous phase throughout a fluid polymer phase, and the preservation of the resultant state. Other methods of producing cellular plastics include leaching out solid or liquid materials dispersed in the plastic, sintering small dispersed particles, and dispersing small cellular particles in the plastic. The latter processes are relatively straightforward techniques of lesser commercial importance. 

What are the trends in the polymeric foam industry The production of foamed plastics on the basis of high polymers will continue to expand mainly utilizing common raw materials (polystyrene, poly(vinyl chloride), polyolefins and synthetic resins). Apart from that, one should expect a strong increase in the commercial pro-... 

Unique Properties of Foamed Plastics Structural Features of Foamed Plastics Leading Commercial Polymers Polyurethane Polystyrene Poly(vinyl chloride)... 

Several plastics can be plated on a commercial scale as shown in Table 9.21. Some thermoplastics that can be readily etched emd plated include ABS, modified PPO, and modified polypropylene and polysul-fone. Some grades of foamed plastics can also be plated. The greatest volume of plated plastic is represented by ABS and modified PPO. 

It is of interest to note that Eastman used Bakelite for the Kodak camera in 1914 and that the Hyat Burroughs Billiard Ball Co., replaced celluloid with bakelite for its billiard balls in 1912 [4], The commercial development of the PF product is considered to be the beginning of the truly synthetic plastics era, and of the plastics industry, although cellulose nitrate had been known and in use for some time. The first synthetic rigid cellular plastic was produced accidentally, also by Baekeland in 1909, but the first commercial foam was sponge rubber [5]. 

Extra high Commercial and industrial occupancies having normal fire load but subject to special risk factors (a) Process risks Aircraft hangars Foam plastics manufacturers Paint manufacturers... 

Polystyrene (PS) is prepared by the polymerization of styrene (CeHs—CH=CH2), also known as vinylbenzene. Commercial PS is mostly of the atactic variety and is therefore amorphous. The polymer, on decomposition, unzips and forms the monomer with some benzene and toluene. Its major defects are poor stability to weather exposure, turning yellow and crazing in sunlight. In spite of these drawbacks and its brittleness it has found wide use as molded containers, Uds, bottles, electronic cabinets. As a foamed plastic it is used in packaging and insulation. The thermal conductivity of the expanded PS foam is about 0.03 Wm K The foam can absorb aromatic hydrocarbons usually found in the exhaust of automobiles and buses, causing the foam to disintegrate after long periods of normal exposure to a polluted environment. 

Foamed plastics are also called cellular polymers and expanded plastics, and have played a great role in everyday life. Sponge is an open cellular polymer that is well known, but wood is the oldest form of foam. It is a naturally occurring foam of cellulose. The first commercial foam was sponge rubber that was introduced in thel910s.f Polymeric foams possess special characteristics that render them attractive for many industrial and household applications. 

Potential uses for photodegradable polymers, such as ethylene-carbon monoxide and Ecolyte polystyrene and poly(ethylene terephthalate), will exist wherever plastics littering occurs. It has been estimated that almost a billion pounds of plastics find their way into the world s waterways annually [35]. Because E-CO and foamed plastics float and are photodegradable when in water, there should be commercial opportunities for them in marine packaging, fishing gear, and similar applications. 

Polyurethanes can trace their commercial origin to the development work undertaken by Otto Bayer et al in the 1930 s Since then, this family of products has adapted extremely well for use in a wide variety of applications, such as fibres, foams, plastics, adhesives, textiles and coatings to name but a few. 

Aryl Phosphates. Aryl phosphates were introduced into commercial use early in the twentieth century for flammable plastics such as cellulose nitrate and later for cellulose acetate. CeUulosics are a significant area of use but are exceeded now by plastici2ed vinyls (93—95). Principal appHcations are in wire and cable insulation, coimectors, automotive interiors, vinyl moisture barriers, plastic greenhouses (Japan), furniture upholstery, conveyer belts (especially in mining), and vinyl foams. 

---