• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.991-997
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• 2011

This paper deals with the basic principles and procedures involved in the steam-chest molding process used for manufacturing expanded polypropylene (EPP) bead foam. Steam-chest molding is an integral process for EPP technology. However, little research has been carried out on the processing conditions for steam-chest molding this process. The characteristics of EPP foam are energy absorption, multiple-impact protection, low weight, structural strength, and durability. In this study, the steam pressure in steam-chest molding was varied to determine the optimum conditions for manufacturing EPP foam. Moreover, annealing was performed after EPP-foam molding to prevent the shrinkage of the steam-molded product. It was possible to verify the mechanism of foam shrinkage by observing the change in weight with time at different annealing temperatures. Moreover, a tensile test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were performed to support these experimental results. The dimensional stability of each molded product was investigated at different steam pressures.