AZODICARBONAMIDE, ONE BLOWING AGENT WITH ONE USE ? DEFINITELY NOT!

摘要

Every year there is a growing interest in the foaming of polymers. With this interest, there also follows new areas of application, varied processing techniques, temperatures, processing rates and an ever increasing technical demand on how these factors can be overcome and technically optimised for efficiency. One material which is clearly up to this task is Azodicarbonamide. The material itself is not new to the industry but this paper now wishes to highlight it's finest attribute, it's flexibility. Azodicarbonamide is a chemical blowing agent which not only offers high levels of gas yield, it can be readily modified to allow its use in a large range of polymers and processing techniques. This paper will provide an overview to it's chemistry, it's acceptance to fine tuning and highlight some of the key market sectors where it has proven hugely successful. The use of a blowing agent is not simply to reduce weight and this paper will introduce a range of processing opportunity all of which can be accomplished from one base material, Azodicarbonamide.