A tray having: an annular sidewall having upper and lower annular peripheral edges, an upper annular peripheral rim which is integral with the upper annular peripheral edge, and a base having an annular peripheral edge which is integral with the lower annular peripheral edge of the sidewall, wherein the rim, the sidewall and the base are composed of a thermoplastic polymer and the sidewall and the base define a central concavity for packaging a product, wherein the base has a lattice structure of elongate foam ribs interconnected by foam junctions, wherein each foam rib has opposite ends, and each end is integrally connected to either the annular peripheral edge of the base or one of the foam junctions, wherein each foam rib and each foam junction has opposed upper and lower unfoamed solid skins of the thermoplastic polymer on opposite sides of a central cellular foam core of the thermoplastic polymer.

Expanded rubber articles (11) and processes for making such, comprising: partially curing an expandable rubber formulation (2) by heating it in a first mould cavity (1) to form a moulded blank (3); releasing the moulded blank (3) from the first mould cavity (1) and allowing the moulded blank (5) to expand to form an expanded moulded blank (4); and further curing and expanding the expanded moulded blank (4) by heating it to form the expanded rubber article (11) comprising an expanded rubber part (6), wherein the expanded moulded blank (4) is heated in a second mould cavity (5). Optionally, the expanded moulded blank (4) is contacted with a further rubber formulation (7) and a substrate comprising a base material (9) and an elastomer bonding layer (8) in the second mould cavity (5) to form an expanded rubber article additionally comprising a solid rubber part (10) and a substrate (8, 9).

A method of making a foamed article comprises (a) injection molding a molten thermoplastic elastomer to form a precursor; (b) crosslinking the thermoplastic elastomer; (c) heating the thermoplastic elastomer to a first temperature to soften the thermoplastic elastomer; (d) infusing the thermoplastic elastomer with at least one inert gas at a first pressure that is sufficient to cause the at least one inert gas to permeate into the softened thermoplastic elastomer; and (e) while the article is softened, reducing the pressure to a second pressure below the first pressure to at least partially foam the precursor into a foamed article, wherein the foamed article is substantially the same shape as the precursor.

A moulded polymer article having a monolithic wall part composed of a polymer, the monolithic wall part having a core layer of expanded cellular foam, composed of the polymer, disposed between, and integral with, first and second solid skins, composed of the polymer, wherein the core layer is multilaminar and includes a first layer of the expanded cellular foam adjacent to the first solid skin, a second layer of the expanded cellular foam adjacent to the second solid skin, and an intermediate layer of the expanded cellular foam which is between, and adjacent to, the first and second layers, wherein the first and second layers have a first cellular microstructure of closed cells and the intermediate layer has a second cellular microstructure of cells which have an average aspect ratio between a maximum cell dimension and a minimum cell dimension which is greater than 2:1 and less than 5:1 and wherein in the second cellular microstructure the maximum cell dimension of the cells is oriented in a direction extending between the first and second solid skins.

A container having an annular sidewall with upper and lower annular peripheral edges and a lattice structure of elongate ribs interconnecting the upper and lower annular peripheral edges, wherein the lattice structure is an open framework defining a plurality of sidewall openings, and a base having an annular peripheral edge which is integral with the lower annular peripheral edge of the sidewall, the annular peripheral edge of the base surrounding a base wall structure which is integral therewith, the base wall structure having at least one injection moulding sprue at a central region of the base wall structure, wherein the at least one injection moulding sprue is connected to the upper annular peripheral edge of the annular sidewall by the base wall structure, the annular peripheral edge of the base, the lower annular peripheral edge of the sidewall and the lattice structure of the sidewall, wherein the sidewall and the base are composed of a thermoplastic polymer and define a central concavity for packaging a product, and wherein the container further has a flexible sheet which is bonded to the lattice structure to cover the sidewall openings and form a sealed sidewall surface of the container.

This disclosure relates to a foam-molding mold having channels formed therein and a physical foaming process using the same, and more specifically, the foam-molding mold is characterized by comprising a cavity formed therein for accommodating mixed resin for foaming, and having channels formed therein for guiding gas to the cavity.