Zotefoam - Azote Foams

08 Dec 2020 | Posted by Andrew Onions

AZOTE® foams are a family of closed cell, crosslinked foam materials available in densities from 15kg/m³ to 115kg/m³ and in a wide variety of colours, manufactured using a unique nitrogen expansion process, patented by Zotefoams PLC.

The AZOTE® family of materials include

• PLASTAZOTE® Foam: Closed cell, cross-linked LDPE, HDPE and blends

• EVAZOTE® Foam: Closed cell, cross-linked EVA copolymers – tougher and more resilient than Plastazote.

• SUPAZOTE®: Closed cell, cross-linked EMA copolymer, soft-touch foam

Whilst the nitrogen gas expansion manufacturing process provides these materials with some distinctive properties over chemically expanded foams – non staining, non-corrosive, no off gassing -  they are outstanding materials in themselves, with properties ranging from excellent chemical resistance, high UV resistance, odourless and mechanically strong, whilst remaining flexible and lightweight. 

Uniquely the materials can be heat-laminated together to produce homogenous thicker block sizes and different colour combinations – especially useful in difficult packaging applications or where a colour contrast helps to highlight missing items in a tooling or storage system or for presentation items where aesthetics may be important.

Applications for Plastazote / Evazote / supazote

• Medical, Food & Drink - the purity of these foams means that they are suitable for a wide range of applications in the healthcare and food markets.
• Conservation – being both inert and with no off-gassing Plastazote is suited for direct contact with items needing to be displayed or stored with the Conservation Industry. 
• Arts & Crafts – the materials flexibility, inherent ability to stay in shape, and suitability for both heat forming and machining make this an ideal material for the creative arts and a preferred choice for costume and prop designers and manufacturers.   
• Chemical resistance – the base materials of these foams are resistant to a wide range of chemicals
• Packaging - the non-corrosive nature of the nitrogen used in expansion makes these products especially suitable for protective casing applications in the transport of products, equipment and even munitions.  The consistent cell structure also makes it ideal for milling out complex shapes.
• Construction – the chemical and water resistance of these foams make them highly suited for expansion joints and void fillers in buildings.
• Transport Insulation – with excellent insulation, flame retardancy, and low weight characteristics the materials are ideally suited for use in the aerospace, rail and automotive industries.
• Buoyancy and flotation – the manufacturing method and cell structure of these materials make them suitable for use in personal flotation devices, boat structures and similar applications.

MacLellan Rubber supplies sheeting in all Azote grades and in a variety of colours, converted from stock materials.  We offer technical and manufacturing support to customers using a variety of processes to meet your specific requirements.

For more information on our services contact our sales team on 01902 307711 or email sales@maclellanrubber.com