It’s critical to understand your components’ design and intended application when considering structural foam materials. Selecting the right materials can make the difference between a long-lasting, successful product and spending unnecessary funds to correct a mistake.

Port Erie Plastics lays out the foundation for how to identify structural foam materials that lead to the creation of long-lasting products.

Structural Foam Materials Should Include Polyethylene Foam

One of the go-to material selections for structural foam molding services is high-density polyethylene (HDPE) foam. HDPE foam contains key properties that make it a versatile selection, including a high level of chemical resistance that is often relied upon by industries facing exposure to harsh substances.

Key Benefits of HDPE Foam

• Durable and lightweight closed-cell material. Since it’s a closed-cell material, HDPE foam is dense, water-resistant, and a strong insulator.
• HDPE foam is a strong load-bearing material, making it a popular choice for industries where heavy weight and stress are commonplace.
• HDPE foam has shock absorption and vibration-dampening properties, providing reliability throughout the entire molded component.
• Along with chemical-resistant properties, HDPE foam also boasts grease, moisture, and solvent resistance.
• HDPE foam also has design flexibility, making it an easy material to work with. And since low pressure can be used with this material, the potential for warping drops dramatically.

Best Applications of HDPE Foam

• HDPE foam is seen in construction applications, most commonly with large trench drains.
• Aside from trench drains, HDPE foam can be used to create flooring, siding, piping and irrigation systems, and more.
• For lawn and garden applications, HDPE foam can be used to create carts, plastic lawn equipment, and even lawn furniture.
• Pallets of any size, shelving, storage, and other material handling equipment can be made from HDPE foam.

Consider Polypropylene Foam

If HDPE foam doesn’t seem best for your design or product’s application, then consider polypropylene (PP) foam. This specific structural foam material is also a rigid, durable, and closed-cell material. PP foam is often chosen in applications where compression ability and impact resistance are required.

Key Benefits of PP Foam

• PP foam has a high strength-to-weight ratio. This allows for the creation of strong, durable components that are lighter than plastic parts. Additionally, material usage drops when using PP foam compared to plastics.
• This specific foam contains numerous resistant properties, including chemical, moisture, impact, and fatigue. This allows for a wide range of applications.
• PP foam contains strong thermal stability, allowing for parts to remain in shape and minimize defects such as warping.
• When comparing PP foam to substitute materials such as plastic, foam is more cost-effective as it contains many of the same properties and benefits seen in polymers.
• Similar to HDPE foam, PP foam has design flexibility and is easy to work with.

Best Applications of PP Foam

• In automotive applications, PP foam is used to create both interior and exterior parts.
• PP foam can be used in the manufacturing of medical housing equipment because of its thermal properties.
• Material handling is a big industry that relies on PP foam to create pallets, crates, containers, and more.
• Some consumer goods and parts for appliances can be created with PP foam.

Contact Port Erie Plastics for More Structural Foam Materials Insight and Services

Port Erie Plastics are experts in structural foam materials and structural foam molding services. We started off with a single injection molding machine and have since mastered numerous plastic manufacturing capabilities.

Our structural foam molding projects are used all across the country, and our customers trust us to create products that last.

Contact us today to gain further insights into structural foam materials and molding, and to get your project started.