All roads lead to foam: Asahi Kasei Europe opens Düsseldorf foam lab
Asahi Kasei Europe has opened a new Foam Lab at its R&D Center in Düsseldorf, Germany, with the aim of localising its technical support and grade development to expand its SunForce range of high-performance particle foams.
Installed in December 2021, the lab is scheduled to begin operations in spring 2022.
Central to the Foam Lab’s operations is the beads foaming facility, which will be used to produce test samples of the engineering plastics-based particle beads foam SunForce for European markets. This high-performance foam family is made of modified polyphenylene ether (mPPE) and polyamide (PA).
Both SunForce types are unique, with the mPPE-based SunForce BE considered the first material of its kind to receive the UL 94 V-0 flame retardancy accreditation. It offers a high dimensional stability, high processability and advanced insulation properties that contribute to improved safety, efficiency and sustainability in EV battery modules.
The PA-based SunForce AS likewise offers advanced heat resistance (190℃/30min), as well as oils and chemicals resistances.
Add to these qualities the foams’ good adhesion properties in interaction with metals, carbon fibre-reinforced plastics and fibre materials, Asahi Kasei believes their properties could open up new application fields that have hitherto been unsuitable for conventional foams.
R&D Manager of SunForce at Asahi Kasei Europe Takashi Onoe said “The close proximity to the European market and the strong collaboration with our partners will help to develop new recyclable grades which perfectly fit the increasing demands of our customers in regard to maintaining the material performance while at the same time drastically improving its carbon footprint and recyclability.”
In addition to the new Foam Lab for SunForce, the R&D Center provides grade development and technical customer support in the field of engineering plastics and synthetic rubber, amongst other materials.
To learn more, Asahi Kasei Europe invites visitors to its booth at JEC World in Paris (3-5 May).