Examining the Influence of Production Scale on the Volume Expansion Behavior of Polyethylene Foams in Rotational Foam Molding

ABSTRACT In the present study, an evaluation of the “scale of production” on rotational foam molding was conducted and experimental observations from microscopic, lab‐ and pilot‐scale foam systems were used to investigate the impact of the rheology on the process. A systematic comparison looking at the influence of rheological properties of the polymer matrix on the expansion behavior of polyethylene foams indicated that the size of the foam system does not affect the fundamental mechanisms of the foaming process and that the effects of system size on foam techniques could be suppressed by tailoring the processing conditions. It was demonstrated that the impact of rheology on bubble development observed in microscopic studies can be practically extended to higher scales of foaming, and the results can provide guidelines for the selection of the polymer materials for customized foam applications.