AZOTE® Adapt premieres at Foam Expo Europe
Zotefoams demonstrates technological leadership with new crosslinked polyolefin block foam manufactured via a unique process that redefines chemical foaming.
Zotefoams, a world leader in cellular materials, today delivers another innovation with the launch of AZOTE® Adapt, a range of crosslinked polyethylene foams with a fine cell structure, excellent consistency and low odour.
AZOTE Adapt couples Zotefoams’ knowledge of foam processing using autoclaves with the latest blowing agent technology in a proprietary process. Initial manufacturing has begun at Zotefoams’ UK facility before scale-up to deliver an additional 50,000m3 foam capacity per annum from the company’s new site in Poland from mid-2020.
“Very little has changed in the manufacture of crosslinked polyolefin foams in the past three decades,” says David Stirling, Zotefoams Group CEO. “Zotefoams has continued to evolve manufacture of its AZOTE® and ZOTEK® foam ranges based on physical expansion of pure nitrogen while recognising the growing market our customers serve with chemically expanded foams.
“But with concerns from customers about residual VOCs from the chemical blowing process and also stricter emissions standards to limit workforce exposure levels, there was a clear opportunity for us to improve on that process,” he explains.
“AZOTE Adapt has been developed specifically to deliver the service, block size and cell-structure demanded by our customers along with consistency of density and low VOC with minimal chemical residues.”
Available initially using LDPE as the base polymer in densities of 30kg/m3 and 45kg/m3, AZOTE Adapt will be targeted at applications in automotive, insulation, HVAC, construction and packaging, where the ability to respond quickly to changes in demand is particularly important.
Investments in the UK, the USA and Poland have committed Zotefoams to increase total foam manufacturing capacity by 60% compared with the position 18 months ago. The Poland site, located near Brzeg in southwest Poland, also includes significant inventory holding and primary fabrication capability, which will reduce lead times and increase product flexibility. Product width of 1.2m will be available as standard for all AZOTE Adapt foams manufactured in Poland.
“The introduction of AZOTE Adapt signals a new era for Zotefoams,” affirms David. “We are excited about the opportunities AZOTE Adapt offers our customers.”