ABSTRACT
Thermoplastic foams possess enhanced strength-to-weight ratio, impact resistance and acoustic properties, reduced permeability to water vapor/air compared to their solid counterparts, and have increasingly become an indispensable commodity in today's industrialized, mechanized world. Foamed thermoplastics from polyolefins to polycarbonates can be best utilized in the automotive sector to fulfill the demand for lightweight materials, given that 75" of fuel consumption is directly related to vehicular weight, and that a 6"-8" increase in fuel economy can be realized for every 10" reduction in vehicular weight. Thermoplastic foam typically consists of two phases, wherein the solid phase is the polymer matrix and the gaseous phase is air trapped in inter-connected or isolated cell-like structures within the matrix. The automotive industry is currently experimenting with and has successfully commercialized some biodegradable thermoplastic foams in an effort to combat large-scale pollution. Few automotive OEMs have also begun the use of bio-sourced polymeric foams in premium segments in order to promote sustainable bioplastics.
