Foamex (closed-cell PVC foam sheet) remains the everyday workhorse for signage, displays and a long list of semi-engineering jobs. It’s light, cheap, prints beautifully and you can work it with the tools you already own. It’s not Dibond and it’s not acrylic – it sits right in the middle. Here’s the current, real-world picture.
Table of Contents
What Foamex actually is?
“Foamex” began as a Palram trade name but in the UK, Ireland, Australia and most of Europe everyone now uses it generically for any expanded PVC sheet – same way we say Hoover for vacuum cleaner.
It’s an extruded PVC foam with a closed-cell core and solid outer skins. Nothing like the crumbly open-cell polystyrene you get in packaging.
The numbers that matter (2024 data, 3 mm sheet)
| Property | Foamex | Acrylic | Polycarbonate | Dibond/ACP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.5–0.7 g/cm³ | 1.18 | 1.20 | 1.5–1.7 |
| Tensile strength | 25–40 MPa | 50–77 | 55–75 | 30–40 |
| Water absorption (24 h) | < 0.5 % | 0.3–0.4 % | 0.15–0.2 % | virtually 0 |
| Fire rating | B-s1,d0 / Class 1 | B2 (burns) | B1 | A2 core |
| Thermal expansion | 5–7 × 10⁻⁵ | 7 × 10⁻⁵ | 6.5 × 10⁻⁵ | 2.4 × 10⁻⁵ |
| Rough price index | 1.0 | 1.8–2.5 | 2.5–3.5 | 2.0–2.8 |
Takeaway: half the weight of acrylic, self-extinguishes, costs a lot less. Starts to soften above ~65 °C and gets brittle below about -20 °C, but that rarely causes problems on real jobs.
Where it’s actually being used right now
Advertising & retail (still roughly 42 % of total volume)
- Direct UV flatbed printing on 3–10 mm is now excellent – coated boards hit 98 % Adobe RGB.
- 5–10 mm with routed LED channels for edge-lit and back-lit work.
- Textured finishes (brushed metal, linen, canvas) are all over high-end retail fit-outs.
Construction
- 6–19 mm for feature walls, wet-room cladding, suspended ceilings (Class 1 or better fire-rated grades).
- Temporary site hoarding and protection – shrugs off wet plaster and concrete splatter.
- Perforated acoustic panels when you need NRC 0.6–0.8.
Transport
- Higher-density marine and aerospace grades (0.8–1.2 g/cm³) for boat interiors and non-structural cabin parts.
- Rail and bus interior panels with EN 45545 or FST compliance.
Medical / cleanroom
- Antimicrobial (silver-ion) versions for wall linings.
- ESD grades for electronics plants.
- Gamma-sterilisable trays (25–50 kGy) – special order only.
Art & photography
- Archival giclée mounts on 10–19 mm.
- Seamless studio backdrops with perfect diffusion.
The green picture It’s never going to be bamboo, but it’s improved a lot:
- Mechanical recycling is straightforward – 3–5 cycles typical.
- Chemical recycling (Vinyloop-type processes) recovers 96 % pure PVC.
- Most big manufacturers now offer carbon-neutral or 30–70 % recycled-content sheet if you ask.
Cutting and finishing without drama
- CNC: 12–18 k rpm, single-flute upcut, plenty of air cooling.
- Laser: possible but you need serious extraction for the HCl fumes.
- Glue: Tensol 12, acrylate structural adhesives or the newer MS-polymer options.
- Thermoform: 135–150 °C, heat both sides evenly.
Standards & compliance (the boring but essential bit) EU: REACH/RoHS fine. UK/US: Class 1 and UL 94 grades readily available. Marine: DNV-GL/ABS grades in stock. Rail: EN 45545-2 versions standard at the main suppliers. Food contact: only the specific certified grade – normal sheet isn’t.
What’s coming following couple of years
- Conductive versions with printed circuits for interactive displays.
- Virtually phthalate-free formulations already below 0.1 %.
- Foamex-aluminium laminates for when you want Dibond looks at lower weight.
Quick FAQ from the people who spec it every day
Q: Can it carry any real load?
A: Not really. 19 mm sags at ~15 kPa continuous. Anything structural, look elsewhere.
Q: Foamex or Dibond outdoors?
A: Dibond for 15–20-year flatness. UV-stabilised Foamex with laminate is good for 5–8 years and half the price.
Q: Temperature limits?
A: 60 °C normal service, 65 °C it starts to soften.
Q: Food safe?
A: Only the specially certified grade – ask for the migration certificates.
Bottom line
In 2024–2025 Foamex is still the sweet spot for lightweight, printable, easy-to-fabricate jobs that don’t need to last forever or carry serious weight. Pick the right grade (fire, UV, density, recycled content) and it will do the job brilliantly 95 % of the time.
Need the very latest data sheet or a niche grade? Pick up the phone to your supplier’s technical desk – the exact formulations change faster than any article can track