Issue 04/2016

News
BASF extends its portfolio of innovative foam
solutions with ecovio EA
BASF is expanding its range of high performance foam
products with ecovio EA, an expandable, closed-cell foam
material which is biobased and certified compostable.
Largely biobased, it is made of BASF’s biodegradable
polymer ecoflex and PLA, which is derived from corn or other
sugar-generating plants such as manioc. This innovative
patented particle
foam offers properties
similar to those of EPS
and boasts outstanding
energy absorption and
very good resilience,
even when subjected
to multiple impact
loads. This makes it
particularly suitable for
transport packaging
applications, especially for high-value or delicate goods
requiring a high level of impact resistance and robustness.
To produce ecovio EA, expandable granules are charged
with the blowing agent pentane in an innovative process. This
step enables trouble-free pre-expansion of the material on
conventional EPS pre-expanders and subsequent moulding.
The granules are pre-expanded with the addition of steam to
produce closed-cell beads with an adjustable minimum bulk
density of 25 g/l. A short prefoaming time contributes to a low
energy consumption in this production step.
The expanded granules can subsequently be processed into
a variety of different moulded parts on existing EPS or EPP
production machines – no conversions or modification of the
production process required.
Its processing strongly resembles the processing of EPS. It
is, however, necessary to adapt the process parameters. This
is reflected in a shorter steaming time while the cycle time in
the forming step remains overall the same. Due to a shrinkage
rate of approximately 1.5 %, the mould geometries will need
to be adapted. To ensure a very high quality of moulded part
and dimensional stability it is advisable – similar to EPP
processing – to carry out component conditioning in a heating
oven after the shaping.
Its lower rigidity – ecovio EA is somewhere between EPS and
EPP when it comes to its energy absorbing capacity – make
it perfect for use in the E&E sector, as well, in particular for
heavy and delicate packaged goods such as washing machines
or televisions that are easily damaged during transport. The
material offers a minimum thermal conductivity of 0.034 W/
mK, and is therefore also outstandingly suited to all thermal
insulation applications in the transport sector. ecovio EA
helps to maintain the cold chain at all times for temperaturesensitive
goods such as packaged vegetables, fruit, meat,
frozen goods or even medicines, preventing spoilage.
Its inherent properties also allow storage at temperatures of
up to 100 °C over a period of several hours, which means that
Ecovio EA is also suitable for hot-melt adhesive applications.
And, while displaying good resistance to solvents such as
acetone, as a certified compostable product, it contains no
flame retardants.
BASF is currently developing an ecovio EA grade approved for
food contact applications. The material is constantly durable
under normal environmental conditions. Special conditions,
as are found in industrial composting plants, are required to
initiate the biological degradation process. In places where
appropriate waste disposal channels are available through
local composting plants, it is easy to dispose of the foam. The
certified compostability means that it is possible to dispose of
it along with leftover food waste – without needing to separate
the materials beforehand.
Due to the high porosity and the specific surface area of
the foam beads, ecovio EA degrades very quickly in industrial
composting plants. Composting tests have shown that, for
example, cubes of ecovio EA with an edge length of 5 cm and
densities of 28 – 47 g/l break down within the space of five
weeks to form water, CO 2
and biomass. Prior to composting,
the material can also be recycled in grades in customary
recycling processes. MT
www.basf.com
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 9