At the upcoming K fair, the topic of sustainability will be a dominant one, with many, if not most exhibitors centring their displays on their developments in that area.
Cellular materials technology company Zotefoams plc is no exception. The company has announced it will be launching Ecozote, a range of closed cell crosslinked foams specifically designed for product sustainability.
Zotefoams, specialised in lightweight materials that save energy by insulating or save fuel costs by reducing weight, already produces the lightest closed cell crosslinked block foam in the world. Weighing just 15 kg/m3, this foam, as well as the company’s other foam products, are especially noted for their durability, which derives from an autoclave manufacturing process developed by the company.
Ecozote LDR18 and LDR27 are closed cell, crosslinked low-density polyethylene (LDPE) grades incorporating 30% post-industrial waste that comply with emerging requirements for recycled content in product protection applications. Following several months of trials with selected customers, LDR18 and LDR27 are now available as alternatives to their LD18 and LD27 Plastazote polyethylene foam counterparts produced from virgin polymer.
Recognition of the importance of carbon reduction is now universal and so we have engaged with customers to understand how best we can support them in this mission, said Dr Karl Hewson, Director of Technology and Development at Zotefoams.
“The challenge for Zotefoams is the sheer diversity of the markets we serve: In product protection, and notably single-use packaging applications, the hierarchy of waste (reduce, reuse, recycle) is the key driver for sustainability, while in commercial aviation, reducing fuel consumption through lightweighting is imperative to meet 2050 targets for carbon reduction.”
“Ecozote has been conceived to help customers address these diverse interpretations,” he explained.
“Sustainability is a complex topic and often, only a detailed life cycle assessment will identify what is truly the most sustainable solution but with Ecozote, we are building on the underlying sustainability credentials of all our block foams – lightweight, durable and foamed using nitrogen borrowed from the atmosphere as a blowing agent – to give our customers and end-users additional choices to address market- or application-specific requirements”.
Alongside Ecozote, Zotefoams will also present its range of Azote and Zotek technical block foams.