What Are the Differences Between the 3 Types of PVC Foam Boards?

It is certain that most people who know rigid PVC foam board (expanded PVC sheet) know that there are three types of PVC foam board, which are pvc free foam board, pvc celuka foam board and pvc co-extruded foam board. However, do we know what are the differences between these three? And, which type of PVC foam board should be used for our purposes?

To answer these questions, we analyze the differences between these three types of PVC foam boards from manufacturing technique, appearance, performance, specification, price. And, some common uses for each of them.

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The naming of these three types of PVC foam boards is derived from their manufacturing technique. In the previous blog, we shared the manufacturing process of PVC foam board. We can know that PVC foam board is made of PVC resin mixed with other auxiliary materials, foamed, and then extruded through the mouth die and shaped into a board. So, what are the specific differences between the manufacturing processes of pvc free foam board, pvc celuka board and pvc co-extruded board?

After the PVC raw material melt leaves the mouth die, it continues to expand freely to a certain distance under the action of the foaming agent, and is shaped into a board by shaping dies. The PVC foam board produced by the free foaming process has a thinner skin, and the density of the inner core and outer layers is about the same.

The opposite of the free foaming process is controlled foaming process. Controlled foaming means that the PVC raw material melt is rapidly cooled as soon as it leaves the mouth die, preventing the surface of the PVC foam board from continuing to foam. The cooling methods include water cooling and oil cooling. The celuka process belongs to controlled foaming process. The PVC celuka board has a harder skin, and the density of the outer layer is greater than that of the inner core.

The co-extrusion process also belongs to controlled foaming process. The production equipment of PVC co-extruded board is different from that of PVC free foam board and PVC celuka board. The production equipment of PVC co-extruded board has more than one raw material barrel, but two. One of the barrels provides the raw material for the inner core and the other provides the raw material for the two surfaces. The PVC raw material melt enters the mold from two raw material barrels at the same time and extrudes to form the surface layer, inner core and bottom layer of the board respectively. The PVC foam board produced by the co-extrusion process has a relatively obvious three-layer structure. The top and bottom layers are not foamed, so the PVC co-extruded board has a harder outer layer.

It can be said that different manufacturing processes determine the appearance of PVC free foam board, PVC celuka board and PVC co-extruded board.  

There is no difference in chemical properties between pvc free foam board, pvc celuka board and pvc co-extruded board. They are all waterproof, mildewproof, and self-extinguishing when away from fire. 

What differentiates them is the physical properties. In terms of strength, both pvc celuka board and pvc co-extruded board have better performance than pvc free foam board. Because the harder two surfaces allow them to obtain a better rigid structure. However, it does not mean that the physical properties of pvc free foam board are not good. When we are looking for a more flexible and bendable plastic material, pvc free foam board with a low density is the best choice.

The main reason for their price difference lies in the material consumption and energy consumption in the manufacturing process, that is, the production cost.

As far as our own factory is concerned, the price comparison of the three types of PVC foam boards is:

PVC co-extruded board ﹥ PVC free foam board ﹥ PVC celuka board

PVC free foam board is also called PVC sign board because of its wide use in the advertising industry. It has a fine matt surface, which has good adhesion to ink and adhesive, so it is conducive to printing, spray coating, and laminating. When used as a billboard or sign, it can be used both indoors and outdoors. In addition, as a rigid foam board, PVC free foam board has the advantages of light weight, large size and low price compared with solid plastic boards of the same size.

PVC celuka board has a very smooth surface, high hardness, and is not easy to be scratched. In addition, its waterproof, mildew-proof and termite-proof properties make it commonly used in making cabinets in kitchen and bathroom, furniture, etc. And PVC foam board is free of formaldehyde and can be self-extinguishing from fire (fireproof reinforcement board meets ASTM E84 grade A), these characteristics are not found in wooden board. That's why we call PVC celuka board PVC building board. If you want to use the PVC celuka board as the exterior panel of the cabinet, you can also choose the board laminated with the decorative surface, and the aesthetics will be greatly improved.

PVC co-extruded board can be said to be an upgraded version 2.0 of PVC celuka board. It has a closer performance to PVC celuka board, but we have strengthened the hardness of its two surfaces. The combination of the solid surface and the foamed inner core not only retains its advantages of light weight and good strength structure, but also increases the surface hardness, making the overall appearance of the board more glossy and beautiful. PVC co-extruded board can usually be used directly in decoration and furniture making. For example, one of our customers uses high density PVC co-extruded board to make cabinets on ambulances. Another customer makes movable self-assembling houses, and they use PVC co-extruded board for the house's wall panels and ceilings.

There are no good or bad between the three types of PVC foam board. But because of the different production process, they have different appearance and performance. Taking full advantage of their different properties, we can find the most suitable material for our application.