The present invention relates to a method for preparing a foamed thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer product, comprising the steps of: 1) coating a binder: coating the binder on the surfaces of expandable thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer particles; 2) curing and molding: adding the product obtained from step 1) to a mold and then placing it in a vulcanizing machine for curing and molding; and 3) cooling and setting: cooling the mold after the molding in step 2) to obtain the product of the present invention. By means of pre-coating the binder on the surfaces of expanded thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer particles according to the present invention, the weight of the binder can be reduced, and the properties of the expanded thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer particles can be utilized to the maximum extent.

A process can be used for preparing thermally insulating articles containing a thermally insulating polyurethane foam producible in place, a casing surrounding the thermally insulating polyurethane foam, and a foam separator located within the thermally insulating polyurethane foam. The thermally insulating articles producible according to this process are useful. Corresponding cooling systems like fridges, heat storage systems, insulation panels for construction, insulated pipes, mobile transport systems, water boilers, burners, chimneys, instrument panels, roofs of industry hails, engines, or caravans contain the thermally insulating article.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a sandwich panel comprises the steps of: a) providing a plate-shaped assembly of a first cover part and a second cover part and between these cover parts a core part of a thermoplastic material containing a physical blowing agent, b) heating the assembly resulting from step a) under pressure between press tools in a press to a foaming temperature below the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material in the core part, thereby effecting adhesion of the foamed core part to the first and second cover parts c) foaming the thermoplastic material in the core part under pressure and at the foaming temperature wherein the spacing between the press tools is increased; d) a cooling step of cooling the foamed sandwich panel resulting from step c), while the sandwich panel is maintained under pressure between the press tools; e) removing the thus cooled sandwich panel from the press; and f) drying the sandwich panel thus obtained; wherein the cooling step d) comprises.a first substep d1) of cooling the foamed assembly from the foaming temperature to an intermediate temperature in the range of 70-100° C. at a first cooling rate and a second substep d2) of cooling the foamed assembly from the intermediate temperature to ambient temperature at a second cooling rate, the second cooling rate is less than the first cooling rate.

Molded articles contain a foam composed of a thermoplastic elastotner (TPE-1). The foam has a storage modulus (G modulus) at 25° C. and 1 Hz within the range from 0.01 to 0.5 MPa, a molding density within the range from 20 to 400 kg/m.sup.3, and a comfort factor of greater than 4. A process produces molded articles of this kind, and the molded article can be used for producing floors, mattresses, seating furniture, bicycle saddles, car seats, motorcycle seats, components of a shoe, shoe inserts, packaging, shock absorbers, protectors, fall protection mats, elastic insulating material, or sealing material.

A system includes a dip tube, a feed line, and a check valve. The dip tube is inserted through an opening in a source of chemical precursor and into the chemical precursor in the source. A portion of the feed line is located in the dip tube. The feed line passes out of the dip tube. The chemical precursor is capable of flowing out of the source through the feed line in a downstream direction. The check valve is located in the portion of the feed line in the dip tube. The check valve permits the chemical precursor to pass substantially only in the downstream direction. The feed line is coupled to a transfer pump that draws the chemical precursor out of the source through the portion of the feed line in the dip tube.

A device for processing a particle foam material for producing a particle foam moulded part, comprising: at least one die apparatus, comprising a first die element and at least one additional die element, wherein the first die element is mounted so as to be movable along a movement axis relative to the at least one additional die element and/or the at least one additional die element is mounted so as to be movable along the or at least one movement axis relative to the first die element; at least one drive apparatus which is or can be assigned to the at least one die apparatus and is configured for generating and/or transmitting a drive force that sets the first die element and/or the at least one additional die element into a movement along the movement axis, wherein the least one drive apparatus is designed as or comprises a linear-drive apparatus.

A composite material is formed by combining an expandable polymer having a charge with another polymer having an opposite charge to produce. In particular, the composite material can be prepared by combining the polymers with a medium such as and water, and expanding the mixture using a treatment that expands the mixture to produce, for example, insoluble porous foam-like composites.

The present application relates to a thermally expandable composition containing at least one peroxide cross-linking polymer, at least one peroxide and at least one endothermic, chemical blowing agent, the blowing agent comprising at least one solid, optionally functionalized, polycarboxylic acid or the salt thereof and at least one urea derivative according to the formula (I) as defined herein; as well as shaped bodies containing the composition and to a method for sealing and filling voids in components, for strengthening or reinforcing components, in particular hollow components, and for bonding mobile components using shaped bodies of this type.

The present invention relates to multi-layered composite structures and to methods for the preparation thereof. The present multi-layered composite structures are light weight and capable of high load bearing making the present multi-layered composite structures especially suitable to be used as load bearing structures in, for example, automotive. Specifically, the present invention relates to methods comprising the steps of a) providing a mould for said multi-layered composite structure; b) layering said mould with two or more layers forming the outer surface of said multi-layered composite; c) filling said layered mould with a mixture comprised of non-expanded heat-expandable microspheres and closing said mould; and d) subjecting said closed mould to a temperature of 80° C. to 140° C. during 1 to 230 minutes thereby providing a relative pressure in said closed mould of 0.1 to 20 bar through expansion of said heat-expandable microspheres thereby forming a multi-layered composite structure in said mould with a foam enforced inner core and a multi-layered outer surface; and e) separating the multi-layered composite structure from said mould.

The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.