It contains detailed description about expandable bead foam. It covers all the major involved topic of EBF such as principle, materials required , process description and parameters and names of leading manufacturers . I hope you would like it so have a great learning guys.

2. TEAM MEMBERS
SAMAKSH RAJPUT
RAUSHIK SAINI
SAMITA SINGH
SATYENDRA
MISHRA

3. TEAM MEMBERS
RAVINDRA SAHU
SAKSHI TIWARI
SAKSHI PAL
ROHIT MAURYA

4. 01
What is plastic
FOAM?
03
Plastic foam
moulding
02
Material used in
plastic foams
04
Expanded bead
Foaming
05 Process Description
06
Steps of
manufacturing
07
Handling and
characteristic of
beads
08
Manufacturers
Table of
Contents

5. WHAT IS PLASTIC FOAM?
Foamed plastics are also called cellular
polymers and expanded plastics, and have
played a great role in everyday life. Sponge is
an open cellular polymer that is well known, but
wood is the oldest form of foam. It is a naturally
occurring foam of cellulose.

6. The first commercial foam
was sponge rubber that
was introduced in the
1910s. Polymeric foams
possess special
characteristics that
render them attractive
for many industrial and
household applications.

7. Foamed plastics, also called cellular polymers or
expanded plastics, can be made from almost any
type of polymer. The choice of polymer mainly
depends on the performance requirements, the
economics and the required material throughput.
The majority of all produced polymeric foams are
based on polyurethane (PUR), polystyrene (PS),
polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE) and a
number of elastomers such as ABS, natural rubber
and silicone. The type of polymer determines
whether the resulting foam will be hard and rigid
or soft and flexible.
MATERIALS USED FOR PLASTIC FOAM

8. Elastomers yield flexible foams, whereas rigid (glassy) polymers yield
rigid foams. The properties of a foam are also affected by its porosity
(density) and cell structure. In general, foams are divided into high-,
medium- and low-density foams, when considering their density. High
density foams have a density between 0.5 g/cm³ and 1 g/cm³, medium
density between 0.1 g/cm³ and 0.5 g/cm³ and low density lower than
0.1 g/cm³. Low density foams are mainly used in insulation
applications whereas medium density foams find many uses in the
packaging, building and construction industry. High density foams have
noticeably higher strength and modulus, and thus, can often replace
regular plastics in applications where lower electrical/thermal
conductivity, weight per volume, dielectric constant, compression
modulus as well as greater flexibility and damping is needed or
required. Equally important is the cell structure of a foam. The two
extreme cases are all open-cell foam and all closed-cell foam

9. In the case of a closed-cell foam, the majority of the cells are not
connected together by passageways and do not share any of their
structure with other cells. This type of foam has a high plastic
content and very low gas and vapor permeability. It is also stronger
and more rigid than open-cell foam. Open-cell foam, on the other
hand, consists mainly of interconnected cells which share some of
their structure with other cells. This type of foam is softer and more
flexible than closed-cell foam, allows gas and vapor to move freely
through the cells, and absorbs liquid when immersed in it. Both open
and closed cell foams have much better thermal and acoustical
insulation properties than non-porous plastics.

10. Extruded
Thermoplastic Foam
Expandable Bead
Foam
Structure Foam
Molding
PLASTIC FOAM MOULDING
Expandable Bead foam is a
closed-cell, rigid plastic foam
material characterised by fused
polymer sphere. Such foam is
manufactured from sphere
impregnated with an expanding
agent which causes the beads to
puff and fuse when exposed to
heat.
A gas-forming expanding agent
is incorporated into
thermoplastic and then extruded
under carefully controlled
conditions. Depending on the
type of agent the extruded foam
may have different bulk density.
Structural Foam is a term
commonly used to describe
thermoplastic injection molding
components made by the
injection molding process which
have a cellular core.
A cellular plastic is one in which
the outer surface is denser than
the inner layers. The core of the
molding is of a honeycomb
nature and less dense than the
outer surface.

11. Expanded Bead Foaming
 It is process through which
we make light weight
products with having good
impact strength and zero
water absorption.
 In this process we generally
use beads of PS
(polystyrene) and PVC
(polyvinylchloride).

12. Principle
Expandable Bead foam is a closed-cell, rigid plastic
foam material characterised by fused polymer
sphere. Such foam is manufactured from spheres
impregnated with an expanding agent which causes
the beads to puff and fuse when exposed to heat.
Expandable foams can have a bulk densities of 16 to
80 kg/m^3
Expandable bead foams provide an unique
combination of low material cost, zero water
absorption, rigidity, impact resistance and insulation.
These foams have application in packaging,
insulation and floating

13. Materials Used
The input materials for Expandable bead foams are
tiny beads or spherical particles which have been
impregnated with a hydrocarbon. The polymers
commercially used for this process are polystyrene
(PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Polyvinyl chloride comprises the bulk of expandable
bead foam products which are produced and PVC is
used primary for thermal insulation applications.
EPS are produced by polymerising styrene in a water
suspension to which a volatile liquid such as n-
pentane has been added. As the polymer forms, the
volatile agent is surrounded by the polymer to form
spherical, gas filled beads.

14. Process Description
Unlike input materials to other processes,
Expandable beads do not require formation
prior to processing since all formulation occurs
during the bead production. Polystyrene
beads of approximately 0.5 to 1.5 mm in
Diameter are usually pre-expanded to a bulk
density close to the desired product bulk
density in order that further processing can be
performed more efficiently. The bead is
expanded up to as much as 40 times to the
original volume during pre-expansion.

15. Trimming Cooling
Cooling and
storage
Molding
Pre-expension
Steps Taken In Production Of EBF
5 4
2 3
1

16. Pre-Expansion
 In this step we gently heat beads
of having order of size 0.5mm to
1.5mm till they get Estimated
densities close to product bulk
density.
 In this step beads may some time
get expend 40 times of their size.
 It can be done in continuous
process or batch process.
 For heating we use hot are stream
or boiling water and stirrer it with a
mechanical stirrer for few minute.

17. Cooling and Storage
 After pre-expansion, the
beads are usually dried and
transported on a fluidized
bed conveyor to storage
where they are allowed to
cool.
 The beads remain in storage
for at least 5 to 36 hours in
order to age.

18.  Molding is done by either pneumatically or by gravity.
 A fixed amount is taken of pre expended bead and feed
into a split mould.
 We generally use soft mould of aluminium and brass and
stainless steel for nice product quality.
 We use mould releasing agent with having proper venting.
 When mould is heated beads get expended at its extreme
and due to closed mould beads get fused together.
 After fusion mould get cooled and part is ejected.
Molding

20. Ejector
Steam-Chamber
fixed
Tool-Support-Beams
Steam-Chamber
moving
Tool
Water-
spayers
Fill-Injector
Moulding process steps

23. Ejector
Steam-Chamber
fixed
Tool-Support-Beams
Steam-Chamber
moving
Tool
Water-
spayers
Fill-Injector

24. Ejector
Steam-Chamber
fixed
Tool-Support-Beams
Steam-Chamber
moving
Tool
Water-
spayers
Fill-Injector

28.  After expansion is completed,
The mould part are water
cooled by water circulation
through the mould cooling
channels. The water contacts
the part through the steam
holes.
Cooling

29.  The mould is opened and the cooled foam
part is ejected either by air pressure,
mechanical pins, or manually. Parts are
then trimmed and finished according to
product designs.
 Expandable beads can be extruded into
films or sheet using extruders under carefully
controlled conditions.
Trimming

33. Handling And Characteristic
Of beads
 As n-pentane is high flameable it requried to
handle is with care, due to this we protect it high
temperture.
 We store it in a cool place because if temperture
increase beads get pre-expend before use.
 Product have densities ranges from 16 kg/𝑚3
to
80kg/𝑚3
.
 Beads contain about 5 to 7 percent blowing
agent with bulk density of 641kg/𝑚3
.

34. SYNTHOS S.A
Synthos S.A. (Poland) is one of the leading
manufacturers of polystyrene used for various foaming
applications in the construction, automotive and
packaging industries.
EPS manufactured at Synthos S.A. plants is offered
under the trade names InVento, Silver and InSphere
(construction EPS) and InPacto (packaging EPS).
Annual turnover - $ 1.89 billion (overall)

35. SHRADDHA
ENTERPRISES
Shraddha Enterprises ( Nashik)They are
manufacturer of thermocol fitments, thermocol
fabrication, molded thermocol, EPS Packaging
and Cold storage liners.

36. KAMAKSHA
THERMOCOL
Kamaksha Thermocol is established in Pune
(Maharashtra).
They are the manufacturers and exporters of
thermocol blocks, insulated box, foam sheet, EPS
panels, EPS geofoam and thermocol packaging.
Annual turnover - Rs 1 Cr

37. RYCON SERVICES
PRIVATE LIMITED
Rycon services Ltd are well known organization
established at Thane ( Maharashtra).They are the
manufacturers, traders and suppliers of
thermocol frames, thermocol sheets and
thermocol packaging.
Annual turnover - Rs 1 to 2 c

38. KIWI THERMOPACK
Kiwi Thermopack, Noida (Uttar Pradesh)Kiwi
thermocol are the leading manufacturers of the
EPS thermocol sheets, thermocol box, thermocol
gitti, thermocol box moulding, EPE foams and
thermocol pipe section.
Annual Turnover - Rs 2 - 5 cr