Zotefoam
Plastazote is a nitrogen expanded foam and part of a range manufactured in sheet form by Zotefoams. We use their products as the basis of packaging and long term storage solutions.
It is commonly used in packaging where the superb range of colours and a smooth finish is as important as its cushioning and protective properties. Also, critical electronics devices, assemblies and equipment are known to be susceptible to "static zap". To overcome this potential problem, Zotefoams produces permanently static dissipative, protective foams. These foams incorporate a non‑corrosive, totally encapsulated conductive component in their make‑up that provides bulk conduction of static without the need for atmospheric moisture, making it non‑reliant on environmental conditions.
Because Zotefoams are the only products of their type which are expanded using pure nitrogen gas this results in pure, chemically inert foams, with excellent physical properties. Alternative foams made using solid chemical blowing agent systems always contain a significant amount of blowing agent chemical residues which can detract from the physical, chemical and biological properties of the foamed polymer, important when considering conservation. Foams manufactured using volatile liquids can suffer from dimensional changes. Plastazote foams contain no blowing agent residues. Tests show Plastazote foam to be stable, safe and non reactive when in contact with a variety of Museum objects. It is the preferred choice for conservation packaging of artefacts, antiquities and works of art around the world.
The regular cell size of Plastazote foams makes them highly energy absorbent... ideal materials for protective packaging. They are inert, lightweight, UV stable, flexible, tough and resilient and exhibit outstanding resistance to chemicals and water. They are highly pure, will not cause corrosion or staining and are safe to use for the transit and archival storage of antiquities and works of art.
A similar product is Propozote, which is used for returnable medical transit packaging because of its tolerance to sterilisation methods.