Following two years of research, BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) has developed what it said is the world’s first particle foam based on polyethersulphone (PESU).

The “Ultrason E" foam has high-temperature resistance and inherent flame retardancy, along with being extremely lightweight with great stiffness and strength. Consequently, said BASF, the material is well suited for complex-shaped components in cars, aircraft and trains. The foams are approved for use in commercial aircraft, meeting the requirements for combustibility, low heat release and low smoke density, even without adding flame retardants.

The PESU particle foam also enables customers to make complex moulded parts from one single material, which the German group said offers numerous advantages compared to the traditional honeycomb structures coated with phenolic resins.These benefits include considerable flexibility in terms of densities and shapes resulting in greater design freedom as well as the ability to integrate additional functional parts, such as inserts and screw threads. In addition, there are fewer processing steps, reducing system costs. Parts made from the PESU foam are also easily recyclable.