What Is This Material Called?

[Meteora]

I'm looking for this kind of material because I know it's super soft and could never scratch anything. It's like this fiber-ish white material that resembles a thin layer of malleable styrofoam, though I don't know the technical name of it. Here are some visual examples of what it looks like.

It is used by many manufacturers of electronics, like Nintendo with their DSi's. This DSi was just taken out of its bag that is shown below the DSi (Note: the layer shown on the exterior of the bag is a plastic-like surface that is on top of the soft fiberish material that I want. It was the softer, inner portion of this bag the DSi was touching).




Same with Macbooks too. A lot of them come in this soft material so that they don't get marked by harder substances (i.e. stuff that are plastic and whatnot).



The reason I'm wondering is, I own electronic products but it's been years since I bought them and some of their original packaging materials are gone, and I want to be able to re-pack them as best as I can when I move out, which is most likely happening later. So I want to use this material to wrap most of my stuff up when they get shipped. I want to cause them the least damage as possible.

It's not so much about shock-absorbency, either. I think bubble wrap takes care of that. It's about keeping them unmarked and unscratched, which this material will work perfectly for.

Thanks in advance!

[Chris H.]

Expanded Polypropylene is what you might be looking for.

[toMACsh]

Polypropylene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It comes in many forms!

[Meteora]

Why am I having trouble finding a place to buy this stuff?

From my searching, I stumbled upon forms of this I never saw before, like propylene chairs, random plastics or thick styrofoam sheets but I was looking specifically for the thin white soft material we see in our product packaging.

I'd be amazed if this stuff was not allowed to be bought by the public!

[TattooedMac]

WHere i go to get stuff like that is Storage Places ..... Where you go and hire a Storage place and in the office they sell Styrofoam, Bubblewrap, Loose Styrofoam pieces, and airbags ???
Best option i can offer ?? Dont know where ya from but i can get it in similar places here in Australia

[Meteora]

Foam Packaging Supplies: Find Foam Rolls, Foam Wrap & Foam Pouches from OfficeMax

Please tell me these prices are a joke. Seriously? I was expecting 5-20 dollars for most of these things. These cost more than the expensive electronics I've trying to protect them in!

[Meteora]

Found these at Office Depot: Office Depot Micro Foam Packing Sheets 12 x 12 Pack Of 100 by Office Depot

Surprised they don't sell them in bigger. They're just 1 feet squared.

By the way I found the name of the material (poly-propylene was a broader term) it's microfoam I'm looking for. No surprise actually. Almost anything with "micro" preceding it doesn't scratch anything, like microfiber, which I use to clean my stuff.

I wish there was somewhere I can buy microfoam sheet rolls from (that are at least 1 feet by many many for feet, hence a roll). There's got to be a place? That isn't like a Chinese website or involving an awkward method of online shopping.

Well here's another one: http://www.rpconline.com/Polyethylen...lls_c_411.html

Jesus Christ at the prices.

If only they were selling ones with 100-200 feet I'd pay for that because that would be between 50 and a hundred dollars which I'm willing to dish out.

They're smallest length is frickin 550 feet. Wtf?

[TattooedMac]

WOW not cheap is it

Why i personally like to go into a STORE to look at this sort of thing. From a chinese web site god know what you could be purchasing

Good luck with it all and thanks for posting back what you have found

[Meteora]

WOW not cheap is it

Why i personally like to go into a STORE to look at this sort of thing. From a chinese web site god know what you could be purchasing

Good luck with it all and thanks for posting back what you have found

Thanks and you're welcome.

So you know of a store it can be bought from? Can you name the store and I know you're in Australia but it doesn't hurt to ask.

They sell them at Office Depot here in America problem is like the link above says, it's just 12 feet by 12 feet which is not enough say to cover a desktop PC, CRT monitor, big glass mirror, some poster frames I have etc. that the size won't cover.

[TattooedMac]

So you know of a store it can be bought from? Can you name the store and I know you're in Australia but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Hmmm l know of places here. Office works, Bunnings, Clarke Rubber and Storage Places .....

Nothing that will be the same in the US but any BIG hardware stores or Walmart or BestBuy from what i have heard about those stores should sell something like it ?? Its the best i can offer mate. If you lived here i could buy you some in less than 10minutes from where i live :9
Doesnt help you out though does it lol

[Meteora]

Call me crazy but is there anyway you can get this stuff in the form of gloves??? I would absolutely love having to deal with delicates with this kind of material to prevent hand sweat from dirtying/nails from scratching.

[Meteora]

Still wondering guys thanks.

[toMACsh]

If anyone knew, they would post. It won't help to bump.

[Meteora]

I thought someone probably missed it...

[iMacaroni2]

try grainger.com and mcmastercarr.com, they sell

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