Polyolefin foam producer Sekisui Alveo (Lucerne / Switzerland; www.sekisuialveo.com) has introduced a stiff PP foam board that offers potential in lightweight components in the automotive industry as well as in packaging. Until now, the Alveocel LP F stiff foams have been used mostly for acoustical and thermal insulation. The company, however, sees potential for the rigid boards in replacing hard plastic surface coverings in cars, for example in liners for wheel wells and engine compartments, as well as in vehicle interiors such as in the boot where it can be covered with a fabric or foil.

“We are currently working closely together with our customers to develop new applications,” said Sandro Glanzmann, Sekisui Alveo’s application development manager, who emphasises the possibility of using the boards as a one-to-one replacement for PE and PP in deep drawn or press moulded parts.

The foam boards, which range from one to five millimetres thick, are 50-70% lighter than injection-moulded solid plastics used in comparable applications. They are also heat resistant up to 140 °C. The material, which is fully recyclable and offers good insulation, can be press moulded and vacuum formed – it also works well as a substrate for laminated coverings.

In the packaging sector, the boards can replace PE, PP or ABS in transport boxes and small load carriers, for example. Sekisui Alveo said the Alveocel LP F boards are much easier to clean than the plastic hollow-chamber multiwall sheets normally used for load carriers, because their closed cell structure offers less surface area to catch dirt and the material does not absorb water. In addition, the material can be folded in any direction, making it significantly more versatile for use in day-to-day applications.

Potential also exists for the boards to be used as sandwich components, where the rigid foam can be applied as an outer layer in composite assemblies. “Alveocel LP F offers great potential for many applications in a wide variety of industries. We look forward to developing bespoke solutions in collaboration with our customers,” Glanzmann said.