MuCell Extrusion is the name of the new joint venture formed by foam specialists Trexel (Woburn, Massachusetts / USA; www.trexel.com) and Zotefoams (Croydon / UK; www.zotefoams.com) to exploit Trexel’s “MuCell” technology in extrusion applications. Trexel will be the majority shareholder with 70%. The jv will exclusively own the rights to the technology for extruded microcellular foam products. It already has active licensees in industries such as high performance seals, electronics, automotive, packaging and wire & cable markets, and will pursue further product development and licensing opportunities. Independently, Trexel will continue to own and market the technology for injection moulding applications.

Zotefoams managing director David Stirling said the cooperation will eventually allow his company to offer highly consistent, thin roll foams with no chemical agents and should open new markets. Zotefoams will install a commercial-scale MuCell line at its UK site during the second half of this year, and there will also be infrastructure investments.

The patented Trexel technology uses nitrogen and carbon dioxide to create microcellular foam products with consistent cell structures. Zotefoams produces cross-linked foams using unique technology based on pure nitrogen. The business was developed around the production of polyolefin block foams, but the technology is now being applied also to high performance polymers, such as PVdF. Under the terms of a separate transaction with Trexel, Zotefoams has signed licence agreements to apply MuCell extrusion technology to certain advanced thermoplastics.

For 2007, the UK group reported sales of GBP 31.6m (nearly EUR 40m), up from GBP 30.1m in 2006. Sales of high performance polymers increased by 49% to GBP 734,000. Pretax profit rose 26% to GBP 3.4m. Some 36% of sales are with the packaging sector and 15% with industrial customers, followed closely by the automotive and aeronautics sector with 14% and sport and leisure applications with 12%.