The present invention is concerned with expanded beads of a block copolymer of a polyethylene block and an ethylene/-olefin copolymer block, wherein a xylene insoluble fraction (A) of the expanded beads by a hot xylene extraction method is 10 to 70% by weight, and a ratio (A/B) of the xylene insoluble fraction (A) to a xylene insoluble fraction (B) of the expanded beads by a hot xylene extraction method when divided into two equal parts and measured is 1.0 to 1.1, and is able to provide expanded beads with excellent in-mold moldability and an expanded beads molded article with excellent fusion bondability and restorability.

The present invention relates to an expanded beads molded article containing a block copolymer of a polyethylene block and an ethylene--olefin copolymer block and having a density of 30 kg/m.sup.3 or more and less than 150 kg/m.sup.3 and a modulus of repulsion elasticity of 60% or more. The sole member of the present invention includes the expanded beads molded article of the present invention.

A composition for producing a sheet material with a cellular structure, the composition including the following components: (a) about 5 to about 25 weight % gelatine, (b) about 25 to 60 weight % filler material, (c) about 15 to about 40 weight % water, and (d) a cellular structure promoting agent.

A composition for producing a sheet material with a cellular structure, the composition including the following components: (a) about 5 to about 25 weight % gelatine, (b) about 25 to 60 weight % filler material, (c) about 15 to about 40 weight % water, and (d) a cellular structure promoting agent.

A process for production of expanded thermoplastic elastomer beads in the presence of a gaseous medium that surrounds thermoplastic elastomer beads. The process comprises a) an impregnating step, in which the gaseous medium has an impregnating temperature T.sub.a, and the absolute pressure of the gaseous medium is greater than ambient pressure, the thermoplastic elastomer beads impregnated with a blowing agent, b) an expanding step, in which the thermoplastic elastomer beads expand as they are exposed to a pressure reduction at a first expanding temperature T.sub.b, and c) optionally a fusing step, in which the expanded thermoplastic elastomer beads are fused together at a fusing temperature T.sub.c to form at least one shaped part.

An air flap for an air conditioning system of a motor vehicle may include a bearing section defining a pivot axis for mounting the air flap on a housing and at least one flap wing integrally formed on the bearing section. The at least one flap wing may extend from the pivot axis at least one of radially towards an outside and in a circumferential direction relative to the pivot axis at least in regions. At least one of the at least one flap wing and the bearing section may include an outer skin and at least one inner region delimited from the outer skin towards a respective inside. At least one of the at least one flap wing and the bearing section may be composed of a plastic. The plastic may be exclusively a foamed plastic in the at least one inner region.

A method and device for manufacturing a sandwich structure comprising at least one foam layer of a first thermoplastic comprising a chemical blowing agent and two fibre-reinforced cover layers of a second thermoplastic. The decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent is higher than the melting point or range of the first thermoplastic. The method comprises a series of steps performed on a starting structure including heating under pressure in order to cause decomposition of the blowing agent, cooling, foaming and further cooling in contact with the press tools.

A method and device for manufacturing a sandwich structure comprising at least one foam layer of a first thermoplastic comprising a chemical blowing agent and two fibre-reinforced cover layers of a second thermoplastic. The decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent is higher than the melting point or range of the first thermoplastic. The method comprises a series of steps performed on a starting structure including heating under pressure in order to cause decomposition of the blowing agent, cooling, foaming and further cooling in contact with the press tools.

A method for manufacturing a foam molded body which can allow the foam resin sheet to follow the shape of the cavity of the mold with high accuracy even when the thickness of the foam resin sheet is thick. The method includes an arranging step to arrange one sheet of a foam resin sheet between first and second molds, the foam resin sheet being formed by extruding and dangling a molten foam resin from a slit; and an expanding step to expand the foam resin sheet by subjecting the foam resin sheet to a reduced pressure suction.

Pre-expanded polypropylene-based resin particles include a polypropylene-based resin. The polypropylene-based resin satisfies tan 0.32V+0.1, where tan represents a loss tangent at an angular frequency of 0.1 rad/s in dynamic viscoelastic behavior measurement at 200 C. and V represents a melt fracture take-up speed (m/min) at 200 C.