The Flexibility of Polyethylene Foam for Different Applications

Polyethylene Foam (PE foam) is closed cell foam made from polyethylene and blended copolymers. It is a semi-rigid material with a high level of chemical cross linking and fine uniform cell structure that is suitable for a variety of applications. Polyethylene Foam comes in a wide range of diameters and lengths which are ideal for insulations and backers rods to fill joints before sealant application. PE foam is also used as pool noodles or material for crafts, padding and cushioning. The advantages of Polyethylene Foam are:

-        Impact and vibration absorption

-        Weather and chemical resistance

-        Acoustic and thermal insulation

-        Buoyancy with low water absorption

-        Suitability for thermo-forming and thermo-molding

Polyethylene Foam as an insulation material

Closed cell PE foam has been widely used for HVAC products for thermal insulation because it provides many benefits over fiberglass which is another typical material used today. Among the characteristics of Polyethylene Foam that makes it an excellent insulation material is its smooth, durable surface that resists dirt and moisture accumulation to reduce pathogen growth. Because of the toughness of its surface, it has a higher level of puncture resistance than fiberglass. Closed cell PE foam resists compression due to its rigidity and therefore retains its high thermal insulating capacity to a greater degree than fiberglass products.

Polyethylene Foam as backer rod

Backer Rods made from Polyethylene Foam have a variety of applications that includes expansion joints, windows and doors, pavement joints and curtain wall joints. Backer rods are available in ¼ inch to 1 ½ inches in diameters and packaged in rolls for use in building construction to save in caulking material by filling in most of the gaps. Aside from the sealant, backer rods are one of the important components of weatherproofing a concrete pre-cast building because it is inserted into the gaps before the application of the sealant. It is the most excellent choice for creating perfect caulk joints. The advantages of Polyethylene Foam as backer rod are:

-        Flexible and easy to compress for ease of installation with excellent recovery after compression

-        Non-absorbent and resistant to most chemicals

-        Compatible with most kinds of sealants

-        Resilient and does not distort under normal load from wet concrete

Polyethylene Foam for soundproofing

Soundproofing is designed to form a resilient layer reducing the impact of noise transmission in concrete and timber floors. Polyethylene Foam provides a vapor barrier with superior compression strength. In concrete construction, PE foam is laid as a membrane between a structural concrete floor and the finishing screed. In conventional timber floors, PE foam batten strips are applied to the underside of the timber battens to form a resilient layer between the joists and the boarding to reduce impact noise. Even if eventually some of the cells will be punctured, Polyethylene Foam will continue to perform with good compression strength and low thickness loss. In laminated floors, PE foam is most cost effective and ideal method to reduce noise caused by footfalls and the movement of furniture. Insulation is simply rolled out on the structural floor and perimeter walls and columns to stop sound bridging.