Comparison of advantages and disadvantages of EPE pearl cotton, EVA, sponge and EPS （1） Pearl cotton
EPE (expandable polyethylene) is expandable polyethylene, also known as pearl cotton. The cross linked closed hole structure is made of low density polyethylene (LDPE) as the main material. It is made of low density polyethylene (PE) with numerous independent bubbles formed by physical foaming.
Strengths
1. EPE pearl cotton overcomes the defects of fragile, deformation and poor recovery of general styrofoam. It has many advantages, such as water-proof and moisture-proof, shockproof, sound insulation, heat preservation, good plasticity, strong tolerance, recycling, environmental protection, strong collision resistance and so on. It also has excellent chemical resistance.
2. There is no waste gas and waste water in the production process of EPE pearl cotton. The auxiliary material for producing pearl cotton is physical foaming without chemical reaction.
3. The waste EPE pearl cotton can be recycled and decomposed naturally, which is environmentally friendly and pollution-free.
（2） EVA
EVA rubber and plastic products are new environmental protection plastic foaming materials, which are widely used in the packaging materials of mobile phones, computers, cosmetics, gifts, toys, speaker linings, TVs and lighting, lithium-ion batteries, automatic recorders and other products.
Strengths
1. EVA has outstanding advantages such as cushioning, earthquake resistance, heat insulation, moisture resistance and chemical corrosion resistance, and is non-toxic and non absorbent;
2. EVA has outstanding flexibility and elasticity. It can absorb and disperse external impact force through bending and achieve a series of excellent application characteristics such as cushioning.
defect
EVA is solid and a little heavy when it is too thick.
（3） Sponges
Sponges are mostly composed of polyisocyanates and polyols. The base reaction is the reaction between polyols and polyisocyanates to produce polyurethane. The commonly used spongy science is called polyurethane soft foaming rubber. Polyurethane is a common polymer material in the days.
Strengths
Sponge has outstanding properties of heat preservation, heat insulation, sound absorption, shock absorption, flame retardancy, anti-static, air permeability and so on.
Disadvantages
Sponge waste needs to be naturally absorbed for a long time. If the method of incineration is adopted to treat sponge waste, toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde will occur and pollute the environment.
(four) EPS (polystyrene foam)
Polystyrene foam (ExpandedPolystyrene referred to as EPS) is a light polymer. It uses polystyrene resin to take part in foaming agent, heating and softening, forming gas and forming a rigid closed cell structure.
Pentane is the most common expansion agent in EPS production. Low concentration of pentane can be trapped during production, inside the closed cells of EPS.
Strengths:
1. It has the characteristics of cushioning, insulation, heat insulation, sound insulation and anti vibration. Because of its extremely low thermal conductivity, it is widely used in thermal insulation materials.
2. the EPS plastic foam is moulds and moulds, and is suitable for mass production. The production efficiency is high and the cost is low.
Shortcomings:
1. EPS is brittle and easy to break, with poor bending resistance;
2. EPS is a simple form of granular foam in packaging.
3. EPS is not environmentally friendly.
What is the chemical resistance of expanded polystyrene?
Its physical properties do not change within its service temperature range (i.e. up to 167°F/75°C) for long term temperature exposure. Its chemical resistance is nearly equivalent to the material upon which it is based – polystyrene. EPS is 98% air and it is recyclable.
What is expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam?
What is Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam? The word Styrofoam™ is often used to describe expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam; however, ‘Styrofoam’ is actually a trademarked term for closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam made for thermal insulation and craft applications. EPS foam is the correct term for any form of expanded polystyrene. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is produced from a mixture of about 90-95% polystyrene and 5-10% gaseous blowing agent, most commonly pentane.
The initial blowing agent employed is pentane which is the VOC that requires abatement. Typically, a blowing agent content of EPS beads is 3.5 to 6.5% of Pentane by weight.
EPS operation typically requires customized emission control systems to handle the high VOC concentrations that emanate from raw material, container opening, pre-expansion, aging, molding and storage processes of production.
Standards.
(1) The pentane must be composed solely of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur.
(2) The pentane must meet the standards for blender-commercial grade pentane or blender-non-commercial grade pentane.
(3) For blender commercial grade pentane, the producer or importer must conduct analytical testing to on each production batch to demonstrate compliance with the following standards using sampling and testing procedures that have been approved by the Administrator:
(i) Pentane ≥95 vol%.
(ii) Olefins ≤1.0 vol%.
(iii) Aromatics ≤2.0 vol%.
(iv) Benzene ≤0.03 vol%.
(v) C6 and higher carbon number hydrocarbons ≤5.0 vol%.
(vi) Sulfur ≤30 ppm from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2016; ≤10 ppm beginning January 1, 2017 and thereafter.
(4) For blender-non-commercial grade pentane, the producer or importer must conduct analytical testing on each production batch to demonstrate compliance with the following standards using sampling and testing procedures that have been approved by the Administrator:
(i) Olefins ≤10.0 vol%.
(ii) Aromatics ≤2.0 vol%.
(iii) Benzene ≤0.03 vol%.
(iv) C6 and higher carbon number hydrocarbons ≤5.0 vol%.
(v) Sulfur ≤30 ppm