High energy absorption efficiency and biodegradable polymer based microcellular materials via environmental-friendly CO2 foaming for disposable cushioning packaging

Abstract

Efficient energy absorption is crucial to ensure full protection on precision electronic devices during transportation. Hence, it is necessary to employ a substantial quantity of cushioning packaging materials, despite their disposable feature and severe environmental pollution impact. Therefore, an urgent need arises to develop a green and environmentally friendly material in its production and full life cycle and to offer high energy absorption for buffer packaging. In this study, two kinds of biodegradable components were selected, including a flexible chain structure to enhance the energy absorption capacity, and a rigid chain structure to provide effective support. By utilizing environmental-friendly supercritical CO2 foaming technology, a fully biodegradable foam was fabricated, which demonstrates great potential as a green buffer packaging material with the following advantages: (1) the material boasts a high energy absorption efficiency of 0.325, providing robust protection against the impact of external forces for precision devices during transportation; (2) its low thermal conductivity shields precision devices from heat shock; (3) as water contact angle exceeding 100°, the material changes from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, guarding against moisture erosion; (4) the introduction of cell structure accelerates the degradation process, further enhancing the material's environmental properties. Consequently, it is evident that the development of this innovative biodegradable material holds significant promise for advancing the existing environmentally friendly packaging material.