Sekisui Alveo (Lucerne / Switzerland; www.sekisuialveo.com), a manufacturer of crosslinked polyolefin foams, has developed a laminated block foam in its “Alveobloc” product family for automotive applications with demanding emission and odour requirements. The “Alveobloc NA LV AB 3650” block foam meets low emission and odour ratings for moulded automotive components according to the VDA278 (2011) thermodesorption test method for emissions and the VDA270 C3 test method for odour characteristics developed by German automotive industry association VDA (Berlin; www.vda.de).

The new block foam grade holds volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions to < 100 ppm and fog to < 250 ppm. It meets the Mercedes DBL 5455 specification for polyolefin foam and Volkswagen’s VW 50180 test standard for odour and fogging behaviour. The product also meets automotive requirements for chemical resistance, low moisture absorption and temperature stability, according to Sekisui Alveo.

Main applications for the block foam grade include packaging and spacers for sensitive devices and goods, particularly in the automotive industry. Additional applications are fenders, gaskets, thermoformed parts and other automotive interior components. The Swiss specialist said the Alveobloc LV grade is offered in robust and easy-to-clean boards that are ready to use without pre-processing or preparation, which minimises conversion costs.