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Sekisui Alveo GmbH
Frankfurter Strasse 151c
63303 Dreieich
GERMANYP +49 6103 94830
F +49 6103 948374
info.de@sekisuialveo.comArea Office
Soft PP foam: the perfect foam for high-temperature adhesive bonding applications
Adligenswil, Switzerland, March 2026 - The idea for this new Alveolit polyolefin foam started with a simple but persistent challenge from customers: Is there a foam that is soft, strong, sustainable and, in addition, temperature‑resistant — all at once?
Sekisui Alveo’s development team took on that challenge. The result is a thin, high‑performance polypropylene (PP) foam now available for temperature-demanding adhesive tape applications. It combines flexibility with inner strength and maintains stability even under elevated temperatures where standard polyethylene foams fail. Designed for modern bonding solutions, this new material brings together comfort, performance, and sustainability in one innovative foam.
A unique polymer blend
The new polyolefin foam consists of a blend of various polymers: a skeleton of polypropylene provides the temperature resistance and strength, a matrix of a rubber-like polymer provides the softness of the foam, and a speciality polymer enables the two polymers, which under normal circumstances are not compatible with each other, to stay together and form a fine-cell foam structure.
Proven in the lab and on the road
Application test results for the new foam were positive. The material has proven stable in double sided tape applications at elevated temperatures of up to 150°C. At such temperatures, standard PE foam is not stable anymore and loose its cellular structure. Up to now, polyurethane foams were the only foams providing a good bond at these harsh conditions.
TP SE has already been proven in standard automotive interior trim applications, being used under leather, foil and cloth in many interior parts of several car manufacturer.
“This PP foam sets a new benchmark for thin, heat-resistant tape carriers.”, says Lukas Berger, Application Development Manager, Adligenswil, Switzerland. "It performs where other foams lose their cellular structure."
Designed to be adhesive-friendly
This PP foam, like its PE counterparts, is uniquely adhesive-friendly and is compatible with a wide range of pressure-sensitive adhesives. It enables the industry to develop new products for various mounting and bonding requirements, whether for industrial applications (e.g. appliances), for building & construction (e.g. mounting or insulation tapes), for transportation (e.g. car emblem fixation) or other bonding applications.
Lightweight and performance
The new polyolefin foam is significantly lighter in area weight than PUR (polyurethane) based foam materials for equivalent high-temperature performance double sided tapes. This enables lighter end products with uncompromised performance.
Sustainability in focus
This new polyolefin foam is suited to meet the demand of manufacturers to have their final products certified by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. As a component, this PP based foam will help to achieve a very good rating, better than the equivalent component with high density PUR foam in the final product to be certified.
Thanks to their lower density, these polyolefin foams have a significantly lower carbon footprint than PUR or acrylic foam and are therefore more sustainable. The carbon footprint can even be further reduced by using polypropylene made of renewable raw materials. Such foams are available with ISCC PLUS certification.
Availability
Alveolit TP SE is currently available in a thickness range from 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm. Additional thicknesses can be developed to meet specific application requirements.