This text and reference provides a unified presentation of foam extrusion technology from scientific basics through engineering practice, effectively commingling the science of foaming with the technology of extrusion.

From the Foreword: “...The editorial approach and contents of this work place appropriate emphasis on the fundamental phenomena of gas dissoluti8on in polymers and its effects on melt rheology and on the complex and still not fully elucidated dynamic processes of foam nucleation and growth. With this background it attends to important aspects relating to the effects of the screw and the design as well as process variables on foam extrusion...”

From the Preface: “...This book brings dissimilarly natured foaming and extrusion under one cover...Starting with fundamentals, gas molecules in polymers, then moving to separation, gaseous voids in polymers, scientific foundations are laid in such a way that the microscopic transition from nuclei to a void (nucleation) and the macroscopic movement from a void to an object (formation) are plausibly addressed...The art of processing to match the foaming requirements is addressed from the operation perspective: processing and shaping. The last section of this book presents interesting foam extrusion developments, showing how scientific findings can be applied to the engineering field, from principles to batch experimentation to continuous foaming...”

Target Audience: All those involved in foamed plastics research and development, engineering, processing, and applications, as well as graduate students and faculty interested in foamed plastics.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Statistical Thermodynamics of Gas Solubility in Polymers

Rheology of Thermoplastic Foam Extrusion Process

Foam Nucleation in Gas-Dispersed Polymeric Systems

Foam Growth in Polymers

Polymeric Foaming Simulation: Batch and Continuous

Process Design for Thermoplastic Foam Extrusion

Foam Extrusion Machinery Features

Mixing Design for Foam Extrusion: Analysis and Practices

Foaming Agents for Foam Extrusion

Continuous Production of High-Density and Low-Density Microcellular Plastics in Extrusion

Foam Extrusion of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

Index

Note: Thermoplastic Foam Processing: Principles and Development is a followup volume which complements this title.