Syntactic foam adds strength and buoyancy
Meaning “to piece together,” the word “syntactic” is derived from the word “syntax.” Fitting this definition, syntactic foam consists of hollow glass spheres known as microballoons that are joined together in a binder phase, usually in a polymeric resin system. As Trelleborg Emerson & Cuming’s syntactic foam uses a rigid glass wall as a void former, it is much stronger than traditional “blown” foam with its unreinforced air void. It is used as a structural reinforcement as well as a buoyancy agent, insulator, and thermoforming material. The diameter of the hollow spheres can range from a couple of inches down to the thickness of a single strand of human hair.
Trelleborg uses syntactic foam extensively in offshore applications. Some of the more common applications are used as buoyancy material for use in undersea exploration and drilling operations.
“When you make a vehicle for the deep ocean, it needs to be neutrally buoyant so that it doesn’t rise or sink,” explains Trelleborg Emerson & Cuming Vice President of Technology, Dr Gary Gladysz. “Syntactic foam counterbalances the heavy construction of the vehicle.”
Aircraft manufacturers that include Airbus and Boeing reinforce hollow areas within the aircraft with syntactic foam. Special formulations of syntactic foam are used by NASA to insulate the fuel tanks and solid rocket boosters of the Space Shuttle.
The automotive industry is also beginning to take notice of syntactic foam’s potential. “As automotive manufacturers continue to seek new and innovative ways of reducing weight and, consequently, improving fuel economy, while at the same time enhancing such safety features as crash absorption, syntactic foam is opening new opportunities for the industry,” says Gladysz.
In the production of disposable drinking cups and plastic packaging, syntactic foam is used because it is a highly durable material capable of withstanding the millions of cycles associated with repetitive thermoforming.
At the heart of syntactic foam are glass microspheres. In addition to producing various types of syntactic foams, Trelleborg Emerson & Cuming produces both high-performance glass microspheres and, in a separate process, coated microspheres which are used in many different industries. “Coating the microspheres adds new levels of functionality such as dielectric or thermal imaging properties,” says Gladysz. “When these coated microspheres are used in the production of syntactic foams, you effectively introduce additional functionality. This opens the door to exciting new opportunities.”
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