Automotive
Zotefoams is a major supplier of closed cell foam, damping, sealing and insulation materials for the automotive manufacturing industry. Used primarily to address sealing and many NVH concerns the light weight nature of these foams makes significant contributions to reduced vehicle weight and improved fuel economy.
Physically expanded in an open environment using nitrogen, these foams are pure and relatively stress free with an exceptionally regular cell size and structure.
AZOTE® Foams
They have a high resistance to many chemicals including greases, brake fluids, and coolants and being closed cell, have practically no water absorption and very low transmission of water vapour.
ZOTEK® Foams
ZOTEK® N is a high-performance foam based on Polyamide 6 (Nylon 6). It has outstanding high temperature performance and excellent resistance to hydrocarbon oils and fuels making it ideal for a range of under-bonnet applications as well as for potentially high temperature passenger compartment uses.
Fogging
Chemical contamination or volatile additives or constituents in the polymeric materials are the most common source of “fog” or chemicals in new cars. Being by nature highly pure, both AZOTE® and ZOTEK® foams have low fogging tendencies. Representative samples have been tested to determine their windscreen fogging characteristics according to DIN 75201 Methods A & B with excellent results.
For further details see Technical Information Sheet TIS 14 in the Downloads section.
Odour
To limit the negative effects of “new car smell” caused by new materials car manufacturers have created test methods to attempt to quantify what is essentially a subjective judgement. Zotefoams materials have been tested to various standards including VDA 270 achieving at least classification C3.
For further details see Technical Information Sheet TIS 14 in the Downloads section.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) are causes of both Fogging and Odour. The Zotefoams manufacturing process uses only nitrogen gas as the foaming agent for their thermoplastic foam products. The absence of chemical foaming agents removes a major potential source of VOC’s in foams. Zotefoams materials have been analysed in accordance with various standards including VDA 277 and VDA 278.
For further details see Technical Information Sheet TIS 14 in the Downloads section.
Packaging
AZOTE® foams provide outstanding anti-scratch, impact protection for a variety of returnable packaging applications from complete case, box and tray inserts to stand alone dunnage and composite fixtures, where the foam is used selectively as individual pads or a vacuum formed ‘soft touch’ laminate coating. Their outstanding durability makes them an ideal choice for returnable packaging solutions in an industry actively seeking the ‘waste packaging free environment’.
Prototyping
Plastazote is used extensively as a prototyping material because of its durability and ease of working. It can be laminated, welded, sawn, cut with hot wire, machined, shaped and sanded and provides an ideal keyed surface for subsequent coating.
Composites
AZOTE® foams can be used as core materials in panels, in preference to honeycomb structures, where surface finish is important and insulation properties are of high priority. These panels may be used in refrigerated vans, trailers and containers, mobile homes, etc.
AZOTE® foams are available in a wide range of densities with varying stiffness characteristics offering a range of properties to the panel maker. They are also compatible with the majority of resin systems utilised in manufacturing composite panels, do not exhibit out-gassing tendencies and have good adhesion properties.
