How Cellulose Sponges Are Made? 6 Steps – Foam Spirit

The cellulose sponge can be composted and degraded, and it’s great for a lot of industrial uses. In this article, we’ll look at cellulose sponge production process from a raw material perspective.

In our everyday lives, we already come across cellulose sponges, but we only see finished sponges made by sponge fabricators.

Would you like to learn how the original cellulose sponge was made? Follow Foam Spirit to learn more.

Cellulose sponges are made from hemp fibers, sodium sulphate crystals, and wood pulp (cellulose). Flax and other ingredients are added to certain formulations for durability, chemical resistance, or other benefits. Cellulose sponges are made from rigid pieces of cellulose. In huge water containers, sheets are combined with softeners to create a jelly-like slurry that is later mixed with sodium sulfurate crystals and dye.

Below are the steps to make a cellulose sponge.

1. The cellulose used to make sponges is delivered to the factory in huge rigid sheets. Workers soak the sheets in water mixed with chemical softeners. As the cellulose softens, it becomes jelly-like. Afterwards, workers load the cellulose into a rotating steel drum mixer. Hemp fibers are cut, sodium sulphate crystals are added, and dye is added. In the mixer, the ingredients are churned and stirred until they’re completely mixed.

2. After mixing, workers pour the material into a rectangular mold, which could be as tall as 2 feet (61 centimeters), 2 feet (61 centimeters) wide, and 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. The cellulose mixture gets heated and cooked in this mold. Sodium sulphate crystals melt and drain through holes at the bottom of the mold while it cooks. As a result of the melting, the sponge has distinctive pores. It depends on the size of the salt sulphate crystals how big the pores are. For instance, coarse crystals are used to make sponges to wash cars. Another uses tiny crystals to apply makeup. The cellulose mixture is heated, cools, and turns into a rigid porous block.

3. In a puddle of bleach, the sponge block is submerged. Bleach removes dirt and impurities. It also improves the color. Water is then used to wash the sponge. As the sponge is washed, the texture changes, making it more flexible. Once the sponge is dry, it’s ready to cut.

4. Some companies make the sponge, cut it and package it themselves. Others make sponge blocks then sell them off to a company called a converter.

Distributors and packagers cut sponges to meet client requirements. Workers cut sponges with an automated cutter at the original manufacturing plant or the converter. They put every huge rectangular sponge piece into the machine, which slices it to size. Due to its rectangular shape, this sponge can be sliced into smaller rectangles and there won’t be any leftovers.

5. There’s a plastic scouring pad attached to a lot of household sponges. Following the cutting of the sponge, the scouring pad is laminated. A laminating process is used to attach the scouring pad, which is cut to the same dimensions as the sponge.

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