A pressure of 96 kPa (kilopascals) is not considered a good vacuum in the context of industrial or scientific applications. In fact, 96 kPa is approximately equal to atmospheric pressure at sea level, which is about 101.3 kPa. A true vacuum would have a pressure significantly lower than atmospheric pressure.
To compress something like a sponge or foam, you would need a vacuum pump capable of creating a much stronger vacuum. The process of compression typically involves removing air or gas from the pores of the sponge or foam, which causes them to collapse or shrink in size. This is often achieved using a vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump capable of creating a vacuum with a much lower pressure, such as millipascals (mPa) or even lower.
Industrial and scientific vacuum pumps are capable of achieving much lower pressures, and the strength of the vacuum required for compressing materials like sponge or foam would depend on the specific properties and porosity of the material.
So, in summary, 96 kPa is not a strong vacuum and would not be sufficient for compressing materials like sponge or foam. For that purpose, you would need a vacuum pump capable of achieving much lower pressures.