A Brand New Fitness/Yoga Mat Production

Let’s start with how A KEEP fitness mat is made in Shincell?

Generally, there are 3 steps to obtain a perfectly foamed mat in Shincell.

1. Extrusion-from raw material TPU(thermoplastic polyurethanes) granules with colour masterbatch to solid slab/sheet;

2. CO2 and N2 saturation- saturate the slab/sheet with supercritical CO2 and N2 fluid under certain temperature and pressure;

3. Foaming in the foaming machine with CO2 and N2- then by a quick/sudden depressurization/cooled to obtain a foamed original sheet. 

As you can tell from the supercritical foaming process, it is a process purely physical.

1. Using ONLY CO2 and N2 as foaming agent instead of chemical agents

2. The foamed sheets are #non-crosslinked, which means #recyclability.

 Compared with traditional chemical foaming, which uses AC agent (azodicarbonamide), the specially added chemical foaming agent. The gas generated by thermal decomposition or chemical reaction between raw material components makes the plastic melt fill with cells. In the process, there will be harmful carcinogens such as formamide, which might remain on the finial product and cause Irreversible damage to people’s health.

 Advantages of supercritical foaming:

1.Supercritical foaming produces clean and environmental materials with food safety grade and good compatibility with skin.

2. Compared with chemical foaming ones, supercritical foaming materials have finer cell structure and more stable performance.

3. The supercritical foamed foam has greater impact resistance, better thermal stability, toughness, and good sound insulation

LOW CARBON FOOTPRINT

An important part of the #circular economy and #sustainable development- Shincell’s training pads(KEEP, Yottoy) are a product of #LOWCARBONFOOTPRINT! 
In the foaming process of supercritical physical foaming, the gases added are mainly carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The ODP of carbon dioxide = 0, and the GWP (global warming potential) is directly and indirectly relevant with the amount of greenhouse effect gases (mainly carbon dioxide). Alternatives with relatively small GWP should be preferable. The use of carbon dioxide as the foaming agent is completely in line with this principle. The carbon dioxide used by Shincell is only a by-product of other industrial processes- CO2 reuse!

In conclusion, training mats are produced in a way that minimizes waste of resources and avoids emission of pollution, uses no or less resource-scarce materials or toxic/hazardous materials, pursues product reusability, improves resource utilisation, poses no health or safety risks to customers and has no or little negative impact on the environment.

#Shincell New Materials has created a fully #recyclable #TPU fitness mat, a product made to be remade.