Posted by Nancy Grossbart
Part of my daily web meanderings take me down the path of looking at new product designs and concepts. If you follow me on Twitter (@foamentingideas) you will see that I am apt to share these "finds." Yesterday I came across a unique bathroom tile with the towel hook built in. 
It was designed by Czech designer Vadim Kibardin. I liked it immediately as it was both innovative and very practical. How many times have you been in the shower and wish you had easy access to a towel? It's a thoughtful, beautiful design as is but (being in the foam business) I suddenly realized "this design could have been made of injection molded foam."
I know this sounds like a commercial but, I swear, it's not. Don't you agree that foam tiles on the shower walls wouldn't be a great idea?
Imagine it could be both colorful and protective at the same time. Because this foam is closed cell it wouldn't absorb any of the water. Plus the base resin is chemically resistant, allowing you to keep it clean with any regular household cleaner.You could even mold logos and textures into it.
I will probably come across lots of products that fit the "It Could Have Been Made From Foam" description. When I find them, I'll talk about them. If it feels like a commercial then I'll, at least, try to make it a commercial worth watching.
Posted by Nancy Grossbart
I am particularly excited to hear that a US sheet foam manufacturer has created an additive for polyolefin foam that makes it biodegrable. This is an incredible breakthrough.
Bio-Tec Environmental LLC and the M.H. Stallman Company, a global leader in the development and manufacture of specialty fabricated crosslinked polyolefin foams for use in a wide variety of industrial and consumer markets, announce the first commercial production of the B-LinkTM line of biodegradable crosslinked foam, using the proprietary additive EcoPure® from Bio-Tec Environmental LLC. The EcoPure® additive enables microorganisms in a landfill disposal site to metabolize the molecular structure of most common plastics into an inert humus-like form that is harmless to the environment. This process takes organic compounds, mixed with nutrients, a scissoring agent and a carrier resin to enable biodegradation while not affecting the normal use performance of the polymers.
Polyolefin foam has many benefits. It's closed-cell, durable, and chemically resistant. In it's injection molded form, it creates products with incredible detail and unusual geometric features. What it hasn't been is biodegrable. President of the M.H. Stallman Company, said,
"This advancement in green technology will have a major impact on our industry. Until today crosslinked polyolefins could not be recycled and would not break down once thrown away. Now with our B-LinkTM products we are able to provide our customers with crosslinked foams that meet all of their performance requirements during normal use but will safely biodegrade once disposed of in a landfill."
I'm hoping this is an indication of more developments to come to help the foam manufacturing industry expand it's product offering as well as resolve environmental issues at the same time.
Download 8-page white paper on
"Understanding Flexible Foam".
Posted by Nancy Grossbart
Polyolefin foam is a great material for kid's products. It works well in lots of applications from padding for sporting goods to sandals (Crocs) and now, products for kids.
To begin with, it's closed-cell. That means it's waterproof and won't absorb bodily fluids. It also means it resists mold and mildew because the bacteria has no place to reside.
It's so light that it floats and can be used for bath or pool toys and has no adverse chemicals so when kids put the toy in their mouths, there is no need to worry.
Polyolefin foam has a high tear and tensile strength so it can't easily rip and won't crack or peel. This means it will not only last a long time but, when kids put it in their mouths, it will pass the bite test.
The chemistry of polyolefin foam makes it resistant to most chemicals. This allows you to clean and disinfect it with any household cleaner keeping it safe from any surface bacteria.
Parts can be also designed with lots of features and benefits including molded-in logos and graphics. And can be made in extremely bright, attractive to kids, colors.
If you're wondering if it will pass the new CPSIA standards, it will!
MDI Products' offering of formulas known as PolyCellTM are phthalate free, PVC free, AZO dye free, with insignificant metal content. In addition to all the other reasons why it is great for kid's products, you can also be confident of its safety.
I'd love to get your feedback on what other specifications might be important for kid's products.
Download 8-page white paper on
"Understanding Flexible Foam".