Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Foam Environmental Impact
Although the synthetic polymer is a useful material for the athletic shoe industry it has become an environmental concern because of its poor biodegradability.
Ethylene vinyl acetate foam environmental impact. Eva mats will have a glossy appearance and are resistant to uv radiation and cracking. Eva shows good barrier and stretch properties. This is the most flexible and versatile formulation. Eva is a polyolefin copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate that provides durability and flexibility making it the most commonly used material found in athletic shoe midsoles.
Eva can also be made into eva foam with the use of a plasticizer. Added during the manufacturing process ecopure enhances the biodegradability of eva plastics and shortens the time plastics that have been disposed of. Eva is used in several applications thanks to the varied properties it possesses. Ethylene vinyl acetate is a plastic made by combining ethylene and vinyl acetate.
There are three different types of eva copolymer which differ in the vinyl acetate va content and the way the materials are used. Ethylene vinyl acetate offers good low temperature flexibility. Vinyl acetate is a clear colorless liquid. It s very soft and elastic and it can be made into a plastic that s like rubber yet extremely tough.
Ethylene vinyl acetate is a type of plastic a polymer with a wide variety of uses both residential and industrial. The food and drug administration fda has stated that ethylene vinyl acetate is safe when used in food production packaging or transportation and it s not an especially dangerous material. You can easily smell vinyl acetate when it is in the air at levels around 0 5 ppm half a part of vinyl acetate in 1 million parts of air. The outstanding versatility of eva foam is of.
It has a sweet pleasant fruity smell but the odor may be sharp and irritating to some people. What you can make with eva foam. Ethylene vinyl acetate eva also known as poly ethylene vinyl acetate peva is the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate the weight percent of vinyl acetate usually varies from 10 to 40 with the remainder being ethylene. Ethylene vinyl acetate properties ethylene vinyl acetate is a flexible and transparent thermoplastic.
It shows good chemical resistance. High percentage vinyl acetate. What s the down side of using eva in today s shoes. Evas release volatile organic compounds vocs into the air when decomposing.
This formulation is more flexible than low percentage vinyl acetate. It s considered to be a safe alternative to pvc. Ethylene vinyl acetate or eva material is an elasticized closed cell foam with rubber like softness and flexibility. Biodegradable ethylene vinyl acetate eva plastic is the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate polymers.
It readily evaporates into air and dissolves easily in water.