Report No. 97. November A private report by the PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA

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1 Report No. 97 FOAMED PLASTICS by DONALD C. THOMAS November 1975 A private report by the PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA

2 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 SUMMARY... 3 Polyvinyl Chloride Foam Profiles by Extrusion... 6 Phenolic Foam Slab Stock Manufacture... 7 Polystyrene Foam Articles by Low-Pressure Molding... 7 Polyethylene Foam Sheet by Extrusion INDUSTRY STATUS... 9 End Use Pattern Structural Foam Utility Foam Insulation Safety and Health Hazards Toxic Gas Emission During Processing Smoke and Toxic Gas Evolution from Burning Plastics 15 Flammability Equipment for Structural Foam PLASTIC FOAM TYPES AND MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES AND LICENSORS, 19 Types of Plastic Foam... Open-Cell Foams... Closed-Cell Foams... Sandwich Foams... Reticulated Foams... Techniques and Licensors... Extrusion Technique... Molding Technique Union Carbide Structural Foam Process USM Structural Foam Process Kraus-Maffei Structural Foam Process Mitsubishi MJC Structural Foam Process TAF Structural Foam Process... ICI Sandwich Process... Short-Shot Process Foam-in-Place Technique. Improving Fire Retardancy BLOWING AGENTS, 41 Gas Injection. Vaporization of a Volatile Material vii

3 5 (Continued) Evolution of Gas or Vapor on Decomposition of a Chemical Chemical Agents... Azodicarbonamide'... Azobisisobutyronitrile N,N'-Dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine N,N'-Dimethyl-N,N'-dinitrosoterephthalamide... Sodium Bicarbonate... Foamable Resins... Nucleating Agents Markets in the United States POLYETHYLENE FOAM.,. 67 General Features Applications Review of Processes Extrusion Molding. Cross-Linking. Foamable Polyethylene Open-Cell Polyethylene Fire Retardancy. Process Description Process Discussion. Cost Estimates. Opportunities for Improvement... 7 POLYVINYL CHLORIDE FOAM 93 Applications... Review of Processes.. Foaming of Melted Resin. Foaming of Plastisol... Process Description. Materials Receipt Section Processing Section... Product Removal and Shipment Section... Process Discussion... Cost Estimates... Capital Costs... Production Costs'... Summary and Analysis of Costs POLYSTYRENEFOAM... General Characteristics.. Applications... Review of Processes Expandable Polystryrene... Molding of Resin... Extrusion Vlll

4 8 (Continued) Fire Retardants Compositions for Special Properties Scrap Utilization Process Description Process Discussion Cost Estimates Capital Costs 145 Production Costs' Opportunities for Cost Improvement PHENOLIC FOAM... : General Features Applications Review of Processes Slabs Foam-in-Place Sandwich Panels Spraying Catalysts Surface-Active Agents Formulations Insulation Reduced Combustibility Composites Open-Cell Foams Process Description Process Discussion Cost Estimates OTHER PLASTIC FOAMS Polypropylene Foams Urea-Formaldehyde Foams Epoxy Foams Ionomer Foams Cellulose Acetate Foams Polycarbonate Foams Nylon Foams Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Foams 179 Polyphenylene Oxide Foams Polybutylene Terephthalate Foams 180 Polysulfone Foams Polyimide Foams APPENDIX A DESIGN AND COST BASIS 185 APPENDIX B TRADE NAMES OF FOAMED PLASTICS 189 (APPENDIX C has been deleted) ix

5 APPENDIX D APPLICATIONS OF PLASTIC FOAM APPENDIX E SUMMARY OF RESINS 199 CITED REFERENCES PATENT REFERENCES BY COMPANY. 227 X

6 ILLUSTRATIONS 4.1 The Celuka Process The Effect of Cooling on Molded Foams Low-Pressure Molding Cost of Molding Machines Effect of Blowing Agent Concentration on Foam Density Cost of Blowing Gas from Various Blowing Agents Decomposition Temperature and Gas Evolution Profile of Some Chemical Blowing Agents Gas Evolution from Sodium Bicarbonate Increased Temperature Range by Cross-Linking Cross-Linked Polyethylene Foam by a Four-Step Process Foamed Polyethylene Film by Extrusion Elastomer' Process Plastisol Foam-Fabric Laminate Finishing Line by Extrusion by Extrusion Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Production Cost by Extrusion Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Desirable Sales Price Sensitivity of Desirable Sales Price of Profile to Resin Cost Polystyrene Foam by Extrusion Low-Pressure Foam Molding of Polystyrene Phenolic Foam Slab Stock Production Process xi

7 TABLES Foamed Plastics Manufacture Summary of Economics. Structural Foam Recent and Projected End-Use Patterns in the United States. Structural Foam Recent and Projected Demand for Resin in the United States. Manufactureres of Machinery for Making Structural Foam Manufacturers of Foam Extrusion Systems Marketed in the United States. Some Foamed Plastics Processes Available for License. Other Sources of Plastics Foaming Technology. Properties and Costs of Volatile Blowing Agents. Commercial Chemical Blowing Agents... Other Blowing Agents... Nucleating Agents for Plastic Foams... Properties of Polyethylene Foam... Properties of Some Commercial Polyethylene Foam. Polyethylene Foam by Extrusion Polyethylene Foam by Molding Polyethylene Foam by Radiation Cross-Linking Polyethylene Foam: Expandable Resin Polyethylene Foam: Open-Cell Polyethylene Foam: Fire Retardant Foamed Polyethylene Film by Extrusion Major Process Equipment and Utilities Summary., xiii

8 TABLES Polystyrene Foam Extrusion Foamed Polyethylene Film by Extrusion Total Capital Investment. Foamed Polyethylene Film by Extrusion Production Costs... Properties of Polyvinyl Chloride... Polyvinyl Chloride Foam by Extrusion Patent Summary... Polyvinyl Chloride Foam by Molding Patent Summary... Design Bases... Major Process Equipment and Utilities Summary... Total Capital Investment. Capital Investment by Process Section... Production Costs... Production Costs by Process Section... Characteristics of Polystyrene Foams... Typical Physical Properties of Polystyrene Foams... Polystyrene Foam Molding Patent Summary... Polystyrene Foam: Fire Retardant Compositions for Special Polystyrene Foam Properties Low-Pressure Foam Molding of Polystyrene Major Process Equipment and Utilities Summary Low-Pressure Foam Molding of Polystyrene Total Capital Investment xiv

9 TABLES 8.9 Low-Pressure Foam Molding of Polystyrene Production Costs. 9.1 Features of Phenolic Foam Typical Flammability Properties of Phenolic Foam from Resole. Physical Properties of Phenolic Foam and Precursor Materials Phenolic Foam Fire-Retardant and Self-Extinguishing Formulations for the Phenolic Foam Slab Stock Process. Phenolic Foam Slab Stock Process Major Process Equipment. Phenolic Foam Slab Stock Process Total Capital Investment. Phenolic Foam Slab Stock Process Production Costs. Other Plastic Foams B.l Commercial Foamed Plastics D.l Reported Applications of Foamed Plastics... E.l Summary of Resins xv

Supplement. by WING SIEN FONG. October A private report by the PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA

Supplement. by WING SIEN FONG. October A private report by the PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA Report No. 51A REINFORCED PLASTICS Supplement A by WING SIEN FONG October 1973 A private report by the PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE I I MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION........................