Cross-linked polyolefin foams

A cross-linked polyolefin foam sheet is produced by two methods using chemical cross-linking and by two methods of radiation cross-linking. The two well-established manufacturing processes for polyolefin foams using radiation cross-linking are the Sekisui process and Toray process. The differences between these two manufacturing methods are mainly in the expansion step, which is almost always done separately. However, the... 

The majority of cross-linked polyolefin foam sheet products are made by one of the four Japanese processes Sekisui, Toray, Furukawa, and Hitachi, the first two of which use the radiation method and the latter two a chemical method for cross-linking. 

FIGURE 2.65 Flow diagram of radiation cross-linked polyolefin foam sheet forming process. 

FIGURE 1.66 Schematic of Sekisui vertical foaming oven for cross-linked polyolefin foam sheet. 

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