What is polyethylene?
The polyethylene foam is a kind of closed cell foam. This means that the product is made up of millions of tiny bubbles which are sealed from each other. It is because of this characteristic that polyethylene is resistant to water. It is also strong and rigid, features which are not present in foams that are open celled. Polyethylene is also resistant to petroleum products, solvents and is proven to be antimicrobial as well. It resists the growth of mildew, mold and bacteria in its surface. It is also a very resilient material in that it returns to its original form after being compresses and still yields enough cushion in order to provide security and cushion when it is needed. It is because of these characteristics along with its versatility and customization feature that makes the material applicable for different circumstances.
How it is formed
The polyethylene is formed by heating polymer compounds. The polyethylene foam receives additives to its chemical composition thereby altering its properties before subjecting it to heating and extruding it into its solid form.
In addition to the common polyethylene sheet foam, there are other fire retardant and anti static varieties of the foam. The additives are added while the process is carried out in the plant. This makes it possible for the material to have a consistency of its features as opposed to additives that are only added when the foam is already created. The polyethylene is just like any other foam which is available in different densities for their certain applications. If the density of the polyethylene is high, the cell walls will become much thicker and smaller. This will result in the creation of a stronger material.
The anti-static properties of the polyethylene make it usable in handling, packaging and in transporting delicate electronic products. This is successfully done by dissipating the electro-static charges that can possible damage the product components. When it comes to fire retardancy, there are different grades and values of this in foams. Speaking on general terms, the fire retardant foam easily resist heat as well as flames up to a certain point that they may the potential to extinguish by itself once it is caught up by fire.