Blowing Agents and Foaming Processes 2007

This ninth international conference has seen contributions over the years from academia, processors, materials suppliers and end users - addressing the key issues for this ever expanding and highly competitive market, which has grown this conference into the well established event that it is today. The conference was dedicated to the critical role of blowing agents in foamed plastics and rubber. Foamed materials are being enhanced to replace dense solid polymers, reducing weight and costs. Chemical and environmental legislation is constantly changing and the foam industry is adapting to meet demands. The proceedings include papers from industry leaders such as BASF AG, Solvay, 3M Europe, Zotefoams plc and Trexel GmbH and will appeal to those involved in the formulation and application of blowing agents and techniques to produce expanded or foamed polymer substrates.

Table of Contents:
SESSION 1. BLOWING AGENTS & BLOWING GASESPaper 1 Properties and applications of chemical blowing agents Dr. Lars Wahlen, Lehmann & Voss & Co. KG, GermanyPaper 2 Pentane-environmental and regulatory considerations K. Kannah, NOVA Innovene, UKPaper 3 Optimisation of pentane blown PU systems with Solkane 365mfc Michael Marhold & Christopher Meurer Solvay Fluor GmbH, GermanySESSION 2. POLYURETHANE AND CROSSLINKED FOAMSPaper 4 Properties of polyurethane foams modified with natural oil-based polyols Dr. Eng. Aleksander Prociak, Cracow University of Technology, PolandPaper 5 Fluoro-olefine additives to reduce thermal conductivity of rigid foams Rudi Van San & F Govaerts, 3M Belgium NV, BelgiumPaper 6 Novel low density foam development from the nitrogen autoclave process Dr. Neil Witten, Dr. Paul Jacobs & Jennifer Petit, Zotefoams plc, UKSESSION 3. BIODEGRADABLE FOAMSPaper 7 Development and characterisation of porous PLGA 85 / 15 scaffold for tissue engineering applications H.E. Naguib, J.K.Perron, J. Daka & A. Chawla, University of Toronto, CanadaPaper 8 Engineering of foamed structures of biomedical application Paolo Netti, Ernesto Di Maio, Salvatore Iannace, & Aurelio Salerno, University of Naples, ItalyPaper 9 Ultrasonic characterisation and sensors: PLA crystallisation J. Tatibouet, J. Reignier & R. Gendron, National Research centre, CanadaSESSION 4. INJECTION MOULDING / STRUCTURAL FOAM TECHNOLOGY - 1Paper 10 New trends in structural foam technology - chemical and physical foaming Helmut Eckardt, Battenfeld GmbH, GermanyPaper 11 The effect of mould temperature on morphology of injection moulded HDPE structural foams Prof. Denis Rodrigue, Simon Leduc & Carlos Tovar-Cisneros, Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada & Ruben Gonzalez-Nunez, Universidad de Guadalajara, MexicoSESSION 4. INJECTION MOULDING / STRUCTURAL FOAM TECHNOLOGY - 2Paper 12 Achievement of uniform cell structure and high void fraction in advanced structural molding Prof Chul Park, John W S Lee, Jing Wong & Guoliang Tao, University of Toronto, CanadaPaper 13 Analysis and optimization of part properties in foam injection moulding Dip-Ing. Axel Cramer, IKV, Institute for Plastic Processing, GermanySESSION 5. INJECTION MOULDING / MICROCELLULAR TECHNOLOGYPaper 14 Innovative foam solutions for polymer materials Dr Sasan Habibi-Naini & C. Schlummer, Sulzer, SwitzerlandfPaper 15 Vibrationction moulded using the McCell(R) microcellular foaming process Uwe Kolshorn, Petr Janik & Levi Kishbaugh, Trexel GmbH, GermanyPaper 16 The challenge of foam injection moulding-possibilities to improve surface appearance, foam morphology and mechanical properties Andreas. N. J. Sporrer & Volker Altstadt, University of Bayreuth, GermanyPaper 17 Analysis of mechanical response of rigid thermoplastic foams Msc. ME. Laura Florez, IKV, Institute for Plastics Processing, GermanySESSION 6. EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGYPaper 18 New Foams for current market trends Timothy Francis, Jan Sandler & Erik Wassner, BASF AG, GermanyPaper 19 Impact of approximating the pressure drop profile on foaming simulation Siu Ning Leung, Anson S. T. Wong & Gary Y. G. Liu, University of Toronto, CanadaPaper 20 Further developments in extrusion technologies for foamed PVC products Josef Dobrowsky, CET (Cincinnati Extrusion GmbH), AustriaSESSION 7. NEW STUDIES ON RESINS AND FOAMING PROCESSESPaper 21 The polycarbonate microfoams produced by gas counter pressure and precision mould opening Dipl. -Ing. Hendrik Kirschling & A. K. Bledzki, Institute fur Werkstofftechnik, University of Kassel, Germany & W. Pitscheneder & P. Egger, Engel Austria GmbH, AustriaPaper 22 Foaming of polymer blends - chance and challenge Holger Ruckdaschel, Volker Altstadt & Axel H. E. Muller, University of Bayreuth, Germany