Formulation, Properties and Applications of the Sticky Foams

The formulation, gun and safety of the sticky foams as a non-lethal weapon are studied. Sticky foams are one of the polymeric materials which have specific properties such as low density, high adhesion and suitable tensile strength. Sticky foams are a type of pressure-sensitive adhesive ()PSA) which are mixed with a foaming agent. Sticky foams are prepared by blending different compounds such as thermoplastic elastomers, tacky resin, surfactant and foaming agent. The foams are stored in tanks under pressure and released to atmospheric pressure at a desirable time. In addition, increase in the amount of the tacky resin and softener will lead to enhancement in the adhesion properties. The weapon needs a pressure vessel for storing the sticky foam formulation in order to release the sticky foam. Weight, throwing power and sticky-foam storage capacity are important parameters associated with asticky foam gun. Contacting the skin surface of the bodywith a sticky foam leads to irritation and local inflammation. Long-term continual exposure may lead to cancer due tooil derivatives and heavy hydrocarbons present in the sticky foam formulation. Sticky foams have various applications in obscuring the military sites, weakening the visibility of the military tools such as tanks and combatting insurgency in prisons and street demonstrations.