A method of forming panels. The method comprises mixing a composition comprising curable resin, microspheres and at least one additive in the presence of a catalyst. The method further comprises transferring the composition to a cuboid shaped mold and allowing the composition to cure in the cuboid shaped mold to form a cuboid shaped body of syntactic foam material. The method further comprises demolding the cuboid shaped body of syntactic foam material and cutting panels from the cuboid shaped body of syntactic foam material. The method further comprises drying the panels.

A method for manufacturing a flexible surface element with at least one thermoplastic, thermosetting and/or elastomeric wear layer is provided. The method includes introducing expandable hollow microspheres into the wear layer and/or a functional layer, applying at least one pressure-resistant layer detachably to the wear layer, and subsequently heating at least one section of the surface element to be treated by a thermal energy supply to a temperature within an expansion temperature range of the hollow microspheres, so that at least the hollow microspheres contained in the section to be treated are at least partially expanded and/or further expanded. Expansion of the hollow microspheres is limited by pressure-resistant properties of the pressure-resistant layer. The method further includes removing the pressure-resistant layer from the wear layer at least sectionally.

A device (e.g., an article of athletic gear) comprising a post-molded expandable component, which is a part of the device that is configured to be expanded or has been expanded after being molded. This may allow the post-molded expandable component to have enhanced characteristics (e.g., be more shock-absorbent, lighter, etc.), to be cost-effectively manufactured (e.g., by using less material and/or making it in various sizes), and/or to be customized for a user (e.g., by custom-fitting it to the user).

A masterbatch (C) containing thermally expandable microcapsules (A) and a carrier resin composition (B) is provided. The carrier resin composition (B) contains a carrier resin (B1) and a plasticizer (B2), the carrier resin (B1) being an acrylic resin having a weight average molecular weight of 8,000 or more and 350,000 or less, and the plasticizer (B2) being an acrylic plasticizer having a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 or more and 20,000 or less. The carrier resin composition (B) is substantially compatible with a polycarbonate resin and has a shear viscosity of 1.0 Pa.Math.s or more and 1.510.sup.6 Pa.Math.s or less at 80 C. The occurrence of whitening is suppressed and a good appearance can be obtained in an injection molded foam made with the masterbatch. A polycarbonate resin composition, an injection molded foam, and a method for producing an injection molded foam are provided.

The present process is directed to a solvent-free process of expanding expandable polymeric hollow, fluid-filled microspheres.

A method for producing a foamed thermally crosslinked mass system, wherein the mass system is foamed at a first temperature in a first step, and crosslinker substances are added to the mass system in a subsequent step at a second temperature lower than the first temperature, wherein the crosslinker substances are crosslinker substances for thermal crosslinking of the mass system.

A thermal insulating additive, product formed therefrom, and method of making the same, wherein the thermal insulating additive comprises a plurality of hollow polymeric particles having an average particle size up to about 0.3 micrometers. The hollow polymeric particles exhibit a mechanical strength in a compression test up to about 420 psi and a thermal conductivity that is less than 0.150 W/m-k. The hollow polymeric particles are individually formed as an alkaline swellable core that is at least partially encapsulated with two or more shell layers; the alkaline swellable core prior to swelling exhibits an average particle size that is less than about 50 nanometers.

The invention is directed to a core material, suitable for use in a closed mold system, based on at least one fibrous web containing a foam-structure within the web, said foam-structure being formed of a plurality of members that are separated from each other by channels, wherein said core material has a compression-resistance of greater than 40% at a pressure of 4 bar and at a temperature that is greater than or equal to 80 C.

A system for forming a structure on a print medium 1 includes: a print unit (print device) 10 for printing an electromagnetic wave-heat conversion layer for converting electromagnetic waves into heat, on a medium including an expansion layer that expands by heating; an expansion unit (expansion device) 20 aligned laterally with the print unit 10, for expanding the expansion layer by irradiating the medium with electromagnetic waves; and a top plate 30 covering the print unit 10 and the expansion unit 20 from above.

A method of making a sleep product having a cooling gel layer includes providing a mold, coating the mold with a composite material including a mold release and a cooling gel, and introducing a foaming mixture into the mold so that the foaming mixture is in contact with the composite material. The foaming mixture is allowed to rise and cure into a foam layer having an outer surface covered by the composite material. The composite material is both a mold release coating that facilitates removing the foam layer from the mold and a cooling gel coating that remains on the outer surface of the foam layer after the foam layer has been removed from the mold to provide a cooling effect at the outer surface of the foam layer.