Application of Polypropylene Foaming Materials

Containers and packaging for pharmaceutical / food

Foamed plastics are widely used in food containers and packaging because of their small density, light weight and strong buffering effect. However, their recycling and degradation difficulties have been the focus of discussion, according to the Environmental Protection Organization of the United States. Containers and packaging have become the largest class of municipal solid waste. The green (non-toxic and side-effect) environmental benefits of foamed PP materials make it a major player in the packaging of food containers. In the field of anti-shock cushioning packaging materials, PP foam molded products can be used to withstand higher loads, and their protective ability to resist repeated impact is superior to that of foamed PS molded products or foamed PU products, so it has advantages such as can be directly recycle, soft texture, do not damage the surface of the packaging.

Disposable foaming dining utensils

In order to solve the "white pollution" problem that plastic products, especially disposable plastics, caused, all countries put the emphasis on strengthening the recycling of waste plastics. In view of the current situation, some manufacturers quickly transform the production of disposable degradable dining utensils. However, there is a big gap between the raw material cost of non-foaming disposable PP tableware and PS foamed plastic tableware. If we use the foamed PP material to make disposable dining utensils, we can not only reduce the cost significantly on the premise of ensuring degradability, but also improve the competitiveness of degradable tableware, and can improve the use performance of tableware, such as heat insulation, rigidity, etc. 

Automobile parts

PP foam has the advantages of high heat resistance, high impact energy absorption, good elasticity and thermal forming, and can be recycled and regenerated, which can be used to manufacture automobile parts. For example, the instrument bracket is made from talc reinforced PP, soft elastic intermediate layer is made from PP foam, and soft sealing film is used as outer layer. These parts can be recycled and granulated after the car is scrapped.

Other areas

In addition to the above main areas, PP foaming materials are gradually used in other application fields, for example: the shoemaking industry began to use low-foamed PP instead of PU as sandals, slippers' sole and upper materials; In the field of sports goods, foam PP is the ideal material for floating life-saving equipment on water. It can be used as lifejackets, lifebuoys, surfboards, and swimming materials for seaside swimming.

In short, PP foamed materials are widely used in pharmaceutical/food containers and packaging, disposable foamed tableware, automotive parts, thermal insulation materials, building materials and other fields due to their excellent use performance, environmental performance, technology and economic performance. Foamed PP has a broad development prospects. However, because of the crystallizing characteristics of PP, the production technology of foamed PP sheet is difficult, and the production and development of foamed PP has been a hot spot all over the world.