Foamcore
Encyclopedia
Foam core or Foam board is a very strong, lightweight and easily cut material used for the mounting of photographic prints, as backing in picture framing
, in 3D design, and in painting. It is also in a material category referred to as "Paper-faced Foam Board". It consists of three layers — an inner layer of polystyrene
clad with outer facing of either a white claycoated paper or brown Kraft paper
.
in 1993, and the business is currently operated by 3A Composites. It is now widely-used as backing in art and document mounting and picture framing
, with archival-quality variants now available from several companies. It ranges in thickness from 1/16" - 1/2". It is not recyclable or biodegradable in normal situations.
, is slightly acid
ic, for archival picture framing
and art
mounting purposes. However, it can be produced in a neutral
, acid-free version with a buffered
surface paper, in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses.
Foam cored materials are also now available with a cladding of solid styrene and other rigid plastic sheeting, some with a textured finish.
Foamcore does not adhere well to some glue
s, such as superglue, and certain types of paint
. The foam tends to melt away and dissolve. Some glue works well in casual settings, however, the water in the glue can warp the fibers in the outer layers. Best results are typically obtained from higher-end spray adhesives. A hot glue gun can be used as a substitute, although the low viscosity
of hot glues can affect finished projects in the form of board warping, bubbles, or other unsightly blemishes.
Self-adhesive foam boards, intended for art and document mounting are also available, though these can be very tricky to use properly; this is because the glue sets very fast. It is considered cheaper to buy plain foam board and then re-positionable spray mount adhesive.
s, prototype
small objects and to produce patterns for casting. Scenery for scale model
displays and diorama
s and computer games is often produced by hobbyists from foamcore. It's also often used by photographers as a reflector, in the design industry to mount presentations of new products, and in picture framing
as a backing material; this latter use includes some archival picture framing methods, which utilize the acid-free versions of the material.
Picture frame
A picture frame is a decorative edging for a picture, such as a painting or photograph, intended to enhance it, make it easier to display, or protect it.-Construction:...
, in 3D design, and in painting. It is also in a material category referred to as "Paper-faced Foam Board". It consists of three layers — an inner layer of polystyrene
Polystyrene
Polystyrene ) also known as Thermocole, abbreviated following ISO Standard PS, is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry...
clad with outer facing of either a white claycoated paper or brown Kraft paper
Kraft paper
Kraft paper or kraft is paper or paperboard produced from chemical pulp produced in the kraft process.Pulp produced by the kraft process is stronger than that made by other pulping processes; acidic sulfite processes degrade cellulose more, leading to weaker fibers, and mechanical pulping...
.
History
The original white foam core board was made in 1/8 inch (3 mm) and 3/16 inch (5 mm) thicknesses for the graphic arts industry by Monsanto Company under the trade name Fome-Cor ® starting in 1957. Monsanto sold the business to International PaperInternational Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
in 1993, and the business is currently operated by 3A Composites. It is now widely-used as backing in art and document mounting and picture framing
Picture frame
A picture frame is a decorative edging for a picture, such as a painting or photograph, intended to enhance it, make it easier to display, or protect it.-Construction:...
, with archival-quality variants now available from several companies. It ranges in thickness from 1/16" - 1/2". It is not recyclable or biodegradable in normal situations.
Construction, variants and composition
The surface of the regular board, like many other types of paperPaper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, is slightly acid
Acid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
ic, for archival picture framing
Picture frame
A picture frame is a decorative edging for a picture, such as a painting or photograph, intended to enhance it, make it easier to display, or protect it.-Construction:...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
mounting purposes. However, it can be produced in a neutral
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
, acid-free version with a buffered
Buffer solution
A buffer solution is an aqueous solution consisting of a mixture of a weak acid and its conjugate base or a weak base and its conjugate acid. It has the property that the pH of the solution changes very little when a small amount of strong acid or base is added to it. Buffer solutions are used as a...
surface paper, in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses.
Foam cored materials are also now available with a cladding of solid styrene and other rigid plastic sheeting, some with a textured finish.
Foamcore does not adhere well to some glue
Glue
This is a list of various types of glue. Historically, the term "glue" only referred to protein colloids prepared from animal flesh. The meaning has been extended to refer to any fluid adhesive....
s, such as superglue, and certain types of paint
Paint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
. The foam tends to melt away and dissolve. Some glue works well in casual settings, however, the water in the glue can warp the fibers in the outer layers. Best results are typically obtained from higher-end spray adhesives. A hot glue gun can be used as a substitute, although the low viscosity
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...
of hot glues can affect finished projects in the form of board warping, bubbles, or other unsightly blemishes.
Self-adhesive foam boards, intended for art and document mounting are also available, though these can be very tricky to use properly; this is because the glue sets very fast. It is considered cheaper to buy plain foam board and then re-positionable spray mount adhesive.
Uses
Foam core is commonly used to produce architectural modelArchitectural model
An architectural model is a type of a scale model, tangible representation of a structure built to study aspects of an architectural design or to communicate design ideas to clients, committees, and the general public...
s, prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
small objects and to produce patterns for casting. Scenery for scale model
Scale model
A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
displays and diorama
Diorama
The word diorama can either refer to a nineteenth century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum...
s and computer games is often produced by hobbyists from foamcore. It's also often used by photographers as a reflector, in the design industry to mount presentations of new products, and in picture framing
Picture frame
A picture frame is a decorative edging for a picture, such as a painting or photograph, intended to enhance it, make it easier to display, or protect it.-Construction:...
as a backing material; this latter use includes some archival picture framing methods, which utilize the acid-free versions of the material.