REEDY INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT SELECTION

Reedy International’s chemical blowing agents (CBAs) are sophisticated endothermic additives that provide a number of processing advantages for Extrusion, Injection Molding, Blow Molding, Compounding, and Roto Molding. Whether the customer is looking for the elimination of sink marks and warpage, reduction of stress cracks, faster cycle time, the creation of finer cell structures, improved physical properties, and much more, we have the product to meet those needs. Our products utilize high quality melt flow enhancers and impact modifiers and they allow the foam production processor to meet current and future global emission requirements while being safe to our environment.

If you are unsure of the product that best meets your needs, please visit our Product Selection Chart and call our technical support staff to help guide you.

SAFOAM® POWDERS View Chart

SAFOAM® MASTERBATCHES View Chart
SAFOAM® masterbatches are formulated with microencapsulated SAFOAM® powders combined with base carrier resins.

SAFTEC® MASTERBATCHES View Chart

FOAM EXTRUSION

SAFOAM® and SAFTEC® for Foam Extrusion

Foam extrusion is a complex process with many interrelated variables. As a continuous, dynamic process, a change in any one variable has a ripple effect that extends to the final product. Understanding the variables and learning how to control them is the best route to producing a high quality product with the best economic costs.

Case Study #1

One producer of foam sheet for semi-rigid food packaging who utilized SAFOAM®/SAFTEC® concentrates was able to significantly improve production costs in several areas. They were able to achieve an additional 15% reduction in part weight while maintaining important physical properties such as rigidity and strength. In addition to savings in resin costs per unit, they were able to reduce the amount of physical blowing agents needed by 20%. Because of the fundamental chemistry of SAFOAM®/SAFTEC® concentrates, both extruder and thermoforming output rates increased by over 20%. These performance improvements resulted in lower equipment costs per unit and made the multi-plant operation a highly competitive producer.

CASE STUDY #2

A producer of co-extruded foam pipe has used SAFOAM®/SAFTEC® concentrates to achieve a 6% greater reduction in density over an alternative foaming process which resulted in almost 9% net savings in resin cost. In addition, increased extrusion rates lowered direct equipment operating costs per foot by almost 20%. They also reported improvement in physical properties and the consistency of SAFOAM®/SAFTEC® had reduced scrap and rework.

INJECTION MOLDING

SAFOAM® and SAFTEC® for Injection Molding

SAFOAM®/SAFTEC® is used in the production of injection molded parts requiring a cellular structure and for the elimination of sink marks and stress in solid parts. SAFOAM®/SAFTEC® is used in all types of injection molding equipment, including low and high pressure specialized structural foam machines, and conventional machines modified for structural foam.

- Structural Foam Molding (SFM) - usually parts of 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) thickness or more, with a 10-40% weight reduction compared to solid molding.
- Thin wall parts - generally 1/8 - 3/16 inch (3.18 - 4.76 mm) thickness with a 1-20% reduction in weight compared to solid molding.

SAFOAM®/SAFTEC® used at low levels eliminates sink marks and reduces warp and molding stresses.

BLOW MOLDING

SAFOAM® and SAFTEC® for Blow Molding

SAFOAM®/SAFTEC® can be used in blow-molding. Weight reductions of 5-15% have been achieved. Specific grades depend on the resin(s) used. Blow molding is a two-stage process. A hot tube, or parison, is extruded and then molded by inflation within a mold. The general principles for successful extrusion apply to the parison. A parison can be made in one of two ways:

1. Continuous Extrusion (similar to pipe extrusion) or
2. Intermittent Extrusion

With intermittent extrusion, the melt must be kept under pressure to prevent premature cell formation, resulting in poor or rough surface. As soon as the parison exits the die, expansion and cell formation occur. The die and pin diameter must be adjusted to compensate for expansion. The die diameter must be reduced and the pin diameter increased. Conventional molds are employed (i.e. stationary, reciprocating, or rotary). Since the hot strength of the melt is lower, mold release may be required on the hot knife or wire to obtain a clean cut-off. The blow-pressure may have to be reduced to avoid wall rupture.

Process

The foam blow molding process is capable of producing a skin-foam wall structure that can vary. The cell structure and size of the foam layer can be influenced by the amount of blowing concentrate used, as well as the processing parameters. The cell structure produced is a “closed cell”.

A foam blow-molding machine is used. Typically, two extruders run, one for the skin layer and the other for the foam layer. It is possible to use two extruders (one for each layer) when running both internal and external skins.

Key Advantages

Foam blow molding has the following key advantages:

1. High strength to weight ratio in the molded products
2. Increase in product rigidity (stiffness)
3. Reduction in noise levels
4. Weight reduction
5. Improved economics
6. One step process for manufacturing

Applications include collapsible containers and retail boxes, pallets, air ducts for automotive, partitions and panels, etc.

COMPOUNDING

SAFOAM® and SAFTEC for Compounding

SAFOAM®/SAFTEC® can be used in compounding. At low levels, SAFOAM®/SAFTEC® powders are ideal for compounding materials. Key benefits include:

- Smoother surfaces
- Density reduction
- Improved bubble stability
- Slowed moisture absorption
- Improved CO2 solubility rate
- Extended shelf life
- Excellent dispersion

ROTO MOLDING

SAFOAM® for Rotational Molding

When foaming to a medium density in rotational molding, it is very important to use proper resins and to achieve the optimum temperature. All blowing agents decompose over a specific temperature range. In rotational molding, the resins must be fully melted and uniformly dispersed before reaching the decomposition temperature of the foaming agent. The mold temperature then increases to decompose the foaming agent, which produces the bubbles. The mold and the interior section are then rapidly cooled to help encapsulate the bubbles.

If the blowing agent decomposes before the resin is melted, the gas will escape through the spaces between the particles of unmelted resin. The resin must have good melt strength as well as good melt flow. The melt strength is the characteristic which helps to encapsulate or hold the bubbles. Amorphous or crystalline polymers do this well. The melt flow is the property which is the resistance to the vapor pressures of the gas. By improving the flow, you automatically reduce density. The melt strength cannot be sacrificed over the melt flow; otherwise, you will have large coalescing bubbles.

Recommended Product

SAFOAM® powder:

- Can be blended with N2 producing foaming agents.
- Has a recommended ratio of 3 parts SAFOAM® to 1 part Azo or 50/50 blends. (Proper selection is contingent upon which resins you are using.)
- Should be dosed at .3% to 1%, based on the targeted density reduction.
- Is critical to be selected with the thermal decomposition temperature which is compatible with the processing temperature of the resin.
- Formulas can be used in a single-, 2-, or 3-layer systems.

RELATED PRODUCTS

Reedy International prides itself on taking a “proactive approach” to servicing all of our customers. Therefore, we now offer a variety of “value-added” additives and products that relate to the needs of the plastic foam market. Whether you are looking for a purging compound that “actually cleans your machine” or a unique specialty colorant that will improve the aesthetics of your product, Reedy can be your one-stop shop. For further details on each of these related products (ToughTrace, Sekur, Mica-Tek, Sulzer, Harfmann and/or Caropreso), Click Here.