Foam Technology for Highly Functional Products

Plasteco contributes to develop highly functional products with our environmentally friendly technology.
Plasteco propose a system optimized for foaming at low cost by constructing a global system.

We have a test facility, it is possible to test foaming of the desired resin.

 

Safe and Ecological Foaming Agent

• No-need for explosion-proof facilities: Unlike hydrocarbon-based foaming agents, our foaming agent is non-explosive.
• Ecological: With its low GWP coefficients, our foaming agent is ecological compared to hydrocarbon-based agents.
• Superior recycling efficiency: Unlike chemical foaming agents, our foaming agent contains no poisonous residue.

Supercritical inert gas foaming enables:

• Formation of cells just a few μm in diameter
  
• Production of highly foamed crystalline resins — difficult with conventional foam technologies
• High added value, such as optical performance, by controlling cell diameter

Total Technical Support

• Plasteco thoroughly supports the development of raw materials, operation processes, and equipment.
• Supercritical Inert Gas Feeder (PLASTECO₂) can feed carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other inert gases.
• Our standard lineup of foam molding machines includes extruders and reaction injection molders (RIM).

New foam molding by using ecological supercritical inert gases
Plasteco's environmentally friendly technology enables to produce unprecedented foam RIM products that were unsuitable to foam.

Features for Supercritical Foam RIM

• For microcellular plastic products : a few micro meter cells.
• For high cell density : more than 10⁹
• For weight saving
• For high insulative property : low heat conductivity
• For superior high-frequency property : low dielectric constant
• For fine elastomer foam products
• For fine and smooth surface : controllable skin layer
• For making independent or interconnecting cells
• For complicated structural design with no sink-mark
• For shortening forming cycles/li>
• For avoiding environmentally harmful foaming agents
• No need for explosion proof facility
• Inexpensive foaming agent

Supercritical Inert Gas Foam Reaction Injection Molding

Supercritical Inert Gas Foam RIM is the microcellular foam technology that dissolves inert gases such as CO₂ into resin and produce microcellular foam by suddenly change its pressure and temperature.

The technology enables to produce foamed products made of PU and DCPD. This environmentally friendly technology uses supercritical CO2 as a foaming agent and can contribute to develop sophisticated highly functional foam products such as high heat conductivity and low dielectric constant.

PU elastomer sample (RIM)

DCPD sample (RIM)

Quantitative supply technology that responds to instant pressure fluctuations

PLASTECO₂ enables extremely precise supply of foaming agents that conventional pumps cannnot achieve.

PLASTECO₂ is a quantitative gas feeder developed specially for supercritical inert gas foam molding.

Highly precise gas supply to any foam molding

Because of the low solubility of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in resins, slight fluctuations in gas supply have a large effect on the foaming conditions.

PLASTECO₂ ensures precise gas addition by automatically synchronizing the addition pressure with the pressure in the molding machine.

For quantitative addition of various inert gases

PLASTECO₂ can be used to add various inert gases such as supercritical carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

PLASTECO₂ systems can supply gas in micro to large amounts.
Standard models provide gas at supply pressures of 15 MPa and 25 MPa. Higher pressure models are also available.

For purposes other than foam molding

Demand is growing for supply of supercritical inert gases other than for foam molding.

We can manage requests for various options, allowing customers to employ PLASTECO2 for a wide variety of uses.

Comparison of CO₂ addition between PLASTECO₂ and conventional pumps

Quantitative Carbon Dioxide Feeder

Quantitative Nitrogen Gas Feeder

100%
Plant Origin

Unlike the usual petroleum-based plastic, we use Polylactic Acid (PLA) resin which originated from corns, potatoes, or other starch.

Carbon Neutral

Both resin material and foaming agent are non-petroleum oil and don’t produce excess CO2 during the decomposing process.

100%
Biodegradable

Contain many microorganisms just like compost, the plastic decomposed into water and carbon dioxide for about one week in a high and humid temperature environment.

Use Low
Environmental
Load Foaming
Agent

We use safe and low-cost gas with a small global warming potential as a foaming agent.

Eco-friendly plastic
for human and the world

Plasteco has succeeded in foam molding biodegradable Polylactic Acid (PLA) resin which was considered difficult using the unique Supercritical Inert Gas Foam Molding Technology. Our company’s foam sheet is 100% biodegradable without using chemical foaming agents and inclines with the global interest in the plastic waste problem, used for a wide range such as food trays, packaging materials, and medical products that eco-friendly.
Since we have a vacuum forming machine for testing and molding, we could make a prototype from sheet to mold.

Aiming for the ultimate Eco-friendly plastic products

Plasteco has been conducting cooperative research about plastic products related to environmental and resource problems and researching manufacturing methods. Although the petroleum resin used is gradually restricted, the biodegradable and completely nonpetroleum-based foamed plastic products born from the research are advanced materials and safely used in the future.