Thermal properties, i.e. melting point and decomposition temperature of polymers, azodicarbonamide (ADC), and other additives mixture, are the most important information to determine the appropriate foaming process parameters. ADC has been widely used as a blowing agent for foam fabrication. Here, ADC will decompose and release gas which will be trapped in the melting polymer to make a foamed product. Originally, ADC has a decomposition temperature at around 220°C. In this study, the effect of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) addition on the thermal properties of intermediate product and Polyethylene/Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (PE/EVA) foam with ADC as the blowing agent was investigated. ZnO addition decreased the decomposition temperature of ADC. The thermal properties were characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The result showed that the decomposition temperature of ADC significantly decreased from the temperature of 220°C to 170°C with the increment of the ZnO.

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