The role of EPP molding materials in the automotive manufacturing industry:
Due to its light specific gravity, good energy absorption and recovery performance, shock and pressure resistance, and recyclability, EPP molded foam materials have been widely used in the automotive manufacturing field since their introduction in the 1990s, becoming the new favorite of energy absorption and shock absorption materials. EPP foaming material and its characteristics: Expandable polypropylene foam plastic is a kind of polypropylene that has been foamed, composed of solid and gas phases, presenting as black, gray or white granular form, with a diameter generally ranging from φ2 to 7 mm. The outer wall of EPP particles is closed and the interior is filled with gas. Generally, its solid component only accounts for 2% to 10% of the total weight, and the rest is all gas. This foaming material has the following characteristics:
It is light in specific gravity, with a density generally ranging from 17 to 100 kg/m 3. Customers can select pre-expanded raw materials of different densities according to the requirements of different molded products. It has strong temperature resistance and can usually withstand temperatures ranging from -40℃ to 110℃. In a short period of time, the temperature range it can withstand is even wider.
2. It has excellent buffering performance and can provide good buffering even when the cushion layer is not thick. It can be recycled 100%. Compared with other foam materials, EPP molding is a pure hydrocarbon, free of any other chemical substances that are not conducive to recycling, such as plasticizers or foaming agents. Therefore, it can be dissolved upon heating, and only water and carbon dioxide remain after combustion. Even when the fog test is conducted at 100℃, it can still meet the requirements of environmental protection regulations.
3. Moreover, when EPP is combined with other polypropylene materials such as PP films, injection-molded skeletons, and TPO fabrics, a so-called "material integration system" can be achieved, meaning that this system does not need to be decomposed when being recycled. This makes EPP highly suitable for the demands in the automotive manufacturing industry regarding safety, environmental protection, weight reduction and other aspects. EPP has rapidly gained wide application in the automotive manufacturing field, becoming a new favorite among energy-absorbing and shock-absorbing materials, and its application potential is very broad. At present, many vehicle models both at home and abroad use EPP molding materials as energy-absorbing and cushioning components. They can be used as bumper cores, side guards, energy-absorbing protective pads for door inner panels, cushioning pads, headrests, sun visors, toolboxes, etc.
