Feasibility of an Innovative Structural Foam Injection Moulding Technology using Super-Heated Water as the Foaming Agent – Foamtech

使用过热水作为发泡剂的创新结构泡沫注塑技术的可行性 — Foamtech

• 批准号: 83490
• 金额: $ 7.61万
• 依托单位: FOAMTECH SYSTEMS LTD
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Small Business Research Initiative
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=83490
• 关键词: Feasibility; Innovative; Structural; Foam; Injection

FoamTech Systems Ltd is part of The TRC group of companies which develops innovative technological solutions to 'real world' Industrial, Agriculture and Food problems using science, engineering, creativity and AI to develop these solutions. FTS has been working on the technology to replace hazardous foaming agents with a more benign substance for almost 4 years. We have tried several methods for introducing a variety of substances into the molten polymer in various ways and forms. The Foamtech process described in this proposal has shown the most promise, and we are now in a position to explore the feasibility of the process further with the view to developing it into a market ready technology. Structural thermoplastic foam-moulded parts are much lighter, with high strength-to-weight ratio than solid plastic. The automotive sector is the main driver to structural foam growth as lifetime energy & CO2 savings drive the need for lightweight components. So, there is growing demand for foam mouldings, but there is a need for good surface finish. In S-O-A, foamed parts are produced by a form of injection moulding using a chemical blowing agent or gas (HFCs, Butane, N2 or CO2). These foaming processes fail to achieve good surface finish due to low process pressure, heat absorption by blowing agent and bubbles forming at part surface, often with a characteristic swirl pattern preventing use of this technology for good quality surface finish parts. Foamtech is an innovative new process to make good quality surface finish foamed parts. Our innovative process introduces a novel substance into molten polymer to create the foamed structure by controlled expansion into a gas. Foamtech offers 50% weight saving (less polymer), 20%+ cycle time reduction (less heat to remove) & 30%+ energy savings (less heat put in) over solid parts. Foamtech aims to provide generally better finish than the S-O-A by virtue of the un-foamed skin, so this crucially would meet automotive sector needs. It is expected to offer better bubble distribution than is seen in other developments. This technology will enable UK moulders to reduce the cost of foam-moulded parts and minimize environmental impact by eliminating need for expensive, environmentally harmful blowing agents such as HFCs, CO2, N2 and hazardous Butane. These advantages will enable UK moulders to be more competitive in a post-COVID economy.

FoamTech Systems Ltd 是 TRC 集团公司的一部分，该集团利用科学、工程、创造力和人工智能来开发针对“现实世界”工业、农业和食品问题的创新技术解决方案。 FTS 近 4 年来一直致力于用更无害的物质替代有害发泡剂的技术。我们尝试了多种方法，以各种方式和形式将各种物质引入熔融聚合物中。该提案中描述的 Foamtech 工艺已显示出最大的前景，我们现在能够进一步探索该工艺的可行性，以期将其开发为市场就绪的技术。结构热塑性泡沫成型零件比固体塑料轻得多，强度重量比高。汽车行业是结构泡沫增长的主要推动力，因为终生能源和二氧化碳减排推动了对轻质部件的需求。因此，对泡沫模制品的需求不断增长，但也需要良好的表面光洁度。在 S-O-A 中，发泡部件是使用化学发泡剂或气体（HFC、丁烷、N2 或 CO2）通过注塑成型生产的。由于工艺压力低、发泡剂吸热以及零件表面形成气泡，这些发泡工艺无法实现良好的表面光洁度，并且通常具有特征性的漩涡图案，阻碍了该技术用于获得高质量表面光洁度零件。 Foamtech 是一种创新工艺，可制造优质表面光洁度泡沫部件。我们的创新工艺将一种新型物质引入熔融聚合物中，通过受控膨胀成气体来形成泡沫结构。与实心零件相比，Foamtech 可减轻 50% 的重量（减少聚合物）、缩短 20% 以上的周期时间（减少需要排出的热量）和节省 30% 以上的能源（减少输入的热量）。 Foamtech 的目标是利用未发泡的表皮提供比 S-O-A 更好的表面处理效果，因此这对于满足汽车行业的需求至关重要。预计它将提供比其他开发项目更好的气泡分布。这项技术将使英国成型商能够降低泡沫成型零件的成本，并通过消除对昂贵的、对环境有害的发泡剂（如氢氟碳化合物、二氧化碳、氮气和危险的丁烷）的需求，最大限度地减少对环境的影响。这些优势将使英国模具制造商在后疫情时代的经济中更具竞争力。