Nowadays, polymer materials have become all-round new materials widely used in modern society. They not only lay an important foundation for the development of modern society, but also provide inexhaustible power for the continuous innovation of high technology. Polymer materials, also known as polymer materials, are mainly macromolecules composed of countless repeating units (monomers) connected by covalent bonds. These materials are widely used in many fields such as new energy vehicles, sports and leisure, aerospace, construction and building materials due to their unique properties, such as plasticity, strength, heat resistance and chemical stability. Among them, polyethylene (PE) is a common polymer material. Its molecular chain has countless ethylene monomers connected by polymerization reaction. Thanks to its excellent mechanical properties and low-temperature toughness, polyethylene foam materials are widely used. In the application and development process of polyethylene materials, the size and distribution of molecular weight will affect the melting temperature and solubility of the material, and then affect its processing performance. The arrangement of molecular chains (crystallinity) and the polarity of side groups can determine the hardness, transparency and thermal expansion coefficient of the material. For example, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) exhibits low crystallinity and good flexibility due to the random arrangement of its molecular chains, making it suitable for making plastic bags; while high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has higher strength and rigidity due to its better crystallinity, making it suitable for making durable plastic products.
In any case, in the production process of polyethylene materials, mechanical equipment is the basis for preparing materials and plays an important role. JWELL Intelligent Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “JWELL”) is a high-tech manufacturer dedicated to the research and development and manufacturing of plastic extrusion molding equipment. It focuses on the manufacturing of polymer foam material extrusion equipment and a full range of professional technical services, and carefully manufactures plastic extrusion equipment that meets the needs of mid-to-high-end users around the world.
01
XPE: Free-style continuous foaming material, with better performance than similar products
XPE is a chemically cross-linked polyethylene foam material, which is made of low-density polyethylene resin, cross-linking agent and foaming agent through high-temperature continuous foaming. It has high tensile strength, finer pores and lighter texture. Compared with PE materials, it is superior in elasticity, durability, light resistance and physical impact resistance. In addition, because XPE itself has excellent properties such as stable chemical properties, not easy to decompose, odorless and good elasticity, it is used in the construction field (sound insulation layer, heat insulation layer) and protective buffer applications (floor mats, packaging filling, surfboards).
XPE foaming material is obtained through the process of: mixing granulation → extrusion of master sheet → horizontal foaming furnace foaming.
That is, by mixing plastics such as low-density polyethylene materials (LDPE) with chemical foaming agents and cross-linking agents, respectively, through mixing granulation, foaming masterbatch and cross-linking masterbatch are obtained.
Then, the two masterbatches are added to the single screw extruder together with the LDPE raw material according to the ratio. After melt extrusion, they are sent to the three-roll calender through the sheet mold, and then rolled into XPE master sheet coils after forming.
Next, the XPE master sheet coils are unrolled and put into the horizontal foaming furnace for foaming. The circulating hot air foams at high temperature. The foaming agent and cross-linking agent in the material work to make the sheet foam in three-dimensional directions to obtain XPE foam coils with uniform pores.
The XPE foam material made by this foaming process has the following basic characteristics:
Buffering: XPE is a semi-rigid foam body. Even if it is subjected to strong impact, it can ensure that it does not lose its original function. It is mostly used in precision instruments, semiconductor packaging and other fields. At the same time, its easy forming characteristics make it suitable for the production of sports protective products and leisure products.
Formability: XPE has strong heat resistance, good ductility, uniform density, and can realize vacuum forming and thermoforming and other deep parts. Therefore, it is very popular in the fields of interior parts and shoe materials such as automobile air-conditioning evaporation cabinets and automobile hot pressing ceilings.
Sound absorption: XPE has the function of sound absorption and noise reduction, and is suitable for sound-absorbing and sound-insulating materials in strong noise equipment and environments such as airplanes, railway vehicles, cars, and electric motors.
Thermal insulation: XPE is composed of fine independent bubble structures, which can effectively reduce the energy exchange caused by air convection. It is suitable for the production of insulation pipes and insulation boards. It also has anti-condensation properties and can be used as insulation materials in humid environments such as refrigerators, air conditioners and cold storage.
Not only that, because XPE foaming materials not only have excellent thermal insulation properties, but also have waterproof and moisture-proof, soft and light, low temperature resistance, and anti-aging properties. Many countries use XPE for thermal insulation in house construction and air-conditioning projects. XPE is also used as a waterproof material in large projects such as the Three Gorges Project, the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and the Beijing Metro.
In terms of the production and preparation of XPE foam materials, JWELL already has a mature XPE foam coil production line:
1）main component
Internal Mixing Granulator
LDPE and DCP/AC are mixed to form uniform granules. The granulation process is 75L internal mixer – automatic elevator – double wrist feeder – ∮150 single screw extruder – air-cooled eccentric hot-cut granulator head – eccentric hot-cut hood – secondary cyclone separator – vibrating screen – air-blown silo
150/28 mother sheet extruder (mother sheet extrusion)
By mixing the pelletized raw materials with LDPE in different proportions, different ratios of sheets can be produced, paving the way for the subsequent multi-variety and specification products. The mother sheet extruders currently used are: 150/28 and 170/28
XPE foaming furnace
The main components of JWELL’s XPE foaming furnace are: unwinder-traction machine-three-stage horizontal foaming furnace-cooling and shaping-correction-trimming-traction-winding. It uses natural gas instead of electric heating to save costs.
（2）Main application areas
Car mats
Currently, most car mats on the market are generally made of leather + XPE + quilting. Among them, XPE foam material is soft and wear-resistant, and it is environmentally friendly. Through heat-coating with leather, it can produce a variety of fully enclosed mats with quilting machines. Therefore, the process does not require glue, is safe and environmentally friendly, and has been vigorously promoted in the market.
Crawling mat
XPE foam material is environmentally friendly and non-toxic, with good wear resistance, anti-slip and shock absorption, and is very suitable for baby crawling mats.
3D stereo wall stickers
Healthy and non-toxic, it will not cause any side effects to the baby’s tender skin; soundproof and noise-proof, the internal structure of the material is a closed-cell structure, which has the function of sound absorption and noise reduction; waterproof and moisture-proof, the material does not absorb water, even if the surface of the wall sticker is partially damaged, it will not affect the overall waterproof and moisture-proof effect; anti-fouling and decontamination, the surface of the material has a protective isolation film, which can be cleaned with a wipe, and it is as clean as new; safe and anti-collision, the material is a semi-rigid foam, which has the characteristics of buffering and slowing down, which can effectively prevent the baby from slipping and falling.
02
IXPE: Functional materials that meet international environmental standards using green and healthy irradiation processing technology
IXPE foam material is called electron radiation cross-linked polyethylene foam material. It is made of polyethylene as the main raw material, with several other auxiliary materials, and is mixed and extruded. Through green and healthy irradiation processing technology, the cross-linking produced by the action of ion radiation on the material changes the original structure of the base material to form a mesh independent closed-cell foam structure, and produces high-tech high-end closed-cell foam materials.
This type of product has a smooth appearance, comfortable feel, and good processing performance. Its pores are fine and uniform, strong and flexible, with excellent sound insulation, heat insulation, and thermal insulation effects. It has low water absorption and is a functional material that meets international environmental standards such as resilience, weather resistance, aging resistance, mildew resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance.
The IXPE radiation cross-linked polyethylene foam sheet prepared by JWELL is made by extruding polyethylene or modified polyethylene with various fillers, cross-linking by electron accelerator radiation (without chemical bridging agent), passing the EU RoHS specification (no heavy metals and no halogen additives), and foaming at high temperature to obtain a polymer foam material. The total power of the gas-fired high-speed vertical foaming furnace including auxiliary equipment is only about 70KW. It uses natural gas for heating, and the foaming line speed reaches more than 20m/min.
Main application areas of JWELL IXPE foam materials:
Electronics
Ultra-thin PE waterproof foam; waterproof corrugated solution; sealing material; foam tape substrate.
Automotive field
New energy power battery + battery cell buffer insulation; new energy power battery insulation pad, frame seal; oil pipeline outer packaging; automotive wiring harness, ventilation pipe, air conditioning condenser tray; automotive rearview mirror foam, instrument room board, sun visor lining foam, ceiling lining, door waterproof membrane, door trim.
Construction field
Export floor silent pad; roof insulation; pipe insulation; floor sound insulation pad.
Medical field
Medical support lining; medical electrode sheet.
Buffer packaging materials
New energy lithium battery module insulation material; sealing gasket; anti-static foam; luggage cushioning material.
Sports and leisure
Non-filled shock-absorbing lawn; artificial turf shock-absorbing pad; sports mat; swimming board and life jacket; sheath, helmet and gloves.
Special function products
IXPE insulation, moisturizing, insulation foam; lens anti-slip pad; air conditioning insulation pipe; photovoltaic template sealing material.
03
The production process and performance are different, but there is also great potential in the future.
XPE and IXPE are both polyethylene-type foam materials, both contain a large number of microporous structures, and both are based on synthetic resins, followed by the addition of foaming agents and other auxiliary materials for foaming. They both have excellent properties such as light weight, heat insulation, cushioning, shock absorption, sound insulation and waterproofing. However, there are differences in production process and performance between the two, and they cannot be confused.
In terms of process, XPE foam material uses a chemical bridging foaming process, which is made of low-density polyethylene resin plus cross-linking agent and foaming agent through high-temperature continuous foaming. AC foaming agent releases a large amount of gas at high temperature, and a large number of bubbles form pores. At the same time, polyethylene completes molecular bridging under the reaction of chemical cross-linking, so that polyethylene molecules can attach to the surface of bubbles to form a pore structure and produce foam materials.
IXPE uses electron irradiation cross-linking foaming process. After adding foaming agent and other additives, polyethylene raw materials are first mixed and extruded. The high-energy electron beam generated by industrial electron accelerator uses ion radiation to act on the material to produce cross-linking to change the original structure of the base material, forming a network structure, and then foaming to produce a compact closed-cell foam material.
In terms of performance, at the same magnification, the pores of XPE foam are coarser than those of IXPE foam, and IXPE is a delicate independent pore structure, which effectively prevents water molecules from penetrating, making its water absorption rate less than 0.01g/cm², and cannot provide a living environment for bacterial reproduction; at the same magnification and thickness, the mechanical properties, sound insulation, waterproofing and thermal insulation of IXPE foam are better than those of XPE foam.
In addition, in providing a protective barrier for thermal insulation in home and engineering projects, XPE stands out with its rough surface texture; while IXPE has won favor in the medical materials and electronics industries with extremely high requirements for details with its delicate and smooth surface and smaller pores. Whether it is XPE or IXPE, whether it is heat insulation and heat resistance, or stretching and tearing, especially environmental protection, both materials have excellent performance that is difficult to be replaced in the market.
From September 3 to 5, 2024, Interfoam China 2024 Shanghai International Foaming Materials Technology Industry Exhibition will be opened at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. At the same time, the “Redefining Foaming Materials” Fourth Foaming Materials and Application Summit Forum will be held to jointly explore more innovative foaming products and cutting-edge technologies, and create an industrial boom in the field of foaming materials!
JWELL Intelligent Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. will bring many products to booth number E13 and sincerely invites customers and partners to visit!
About JWELL Intelligent Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
JWELL Intelligent Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a specialized company under JWELL Machinery, whose main business is XPE/IXPE and conventional sheet and plate production lines. Through hardware integration and technological progress, the plastic extrusion equipment of JWELL Intelligent Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. can be reasonably configured, technologically advanced, of high quality and reasonably priced. With the strong brand support and excellent after-sales advantages of the JWELL Group, it will gradually go to the world with the JWELL ship, bear fruit in a wide range of application fields, and become the best supplier in the minds of users. The future of an enterprise is tied to its users. Only by having strong innovation capabilities and high-quality products can it meet the needs of users and achieve long-term win-win results. This is also the direction that JWELL Intelligent Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is committed to and actively working towards in the future.
Post time: Jul-26-2024