Devices and methods for making a polymer with a porous layer from a solid piece of polymer are disclosed. In various embodiments, the method includes heating a surface of a solid piece of polymer to a processing temperature and holding the processing temperature while displacing a porogen layer through the surface of the polymer to create a matrix layer of the solid polymer body comprising the polymer and the porogen layer. In at least one embodiment, the method also includes removing at least a portion of the layer of porogen from the matrix layer to create a porous layer of the solid piece of polymer.

Disclosed herein are manufacturing/casting processes for the preparation of a foam.

There is provided herein thermoset porous polymer composites a methods for producing such composites. The method comprises: preparing a mixture comprising a resin, optionally a curing agent, and dry ice; optionally casting the mixture; curing the mixture to obtain the porous composite; and optionally controlling at least one of a reaction rate and an expansion rate of the mixture during the curing.

A processing method for molding a foamed polymer, which includes molding a mixture of a polymer material and a foaming agent in a space of a mould chamber into a molded article having a predetermined shape. The shape of the entire space of the mould chamber is an injection molding shape that is different from the shape of the molded article before the mould chamber is fully filled with the mixture, and a shape of at least one local part of the mould chamber is changed after the space of the mould chamber is fully filled with the mixture. An exterior peripheral surface of a substrate of a movable portion and an adjustment end face are located in a center portion of a first mould surface and are spaced apart from all outer edges of the first mould surface.

A processing method for molding a foamed polymer, which includes molding a mixture of a polymer material and a foaming agent in a space of a mould chamber into a molded article having a predetermined shape. The shape of the entire space of the mould chamber is an injection molding shape that is different from the shape of the molded article before the mould chamber is fully filled with the mixture, and a shape of at least one local part of the mould chamber is changed after the space of the mould chamber is fully filled with the mixture. An exterior peripheral surface of a substrate of a movable portion and an adjustment end face are located in a center portion of a first mould surface and are spaced apart from all outer edges of the first mould surface.

The present disclosure provides a polymeric membrane. The polymeric membrane includes a first thermoplastic elastomer layer that comprises a styrenic thermoplastic. The thermoplastic elastomer layer has a foam structure. The polymeric membrane can further include an optional second thermoplastic elastomer layer in contact with the first polyolefin layer.

The present disclosure provides a polymeric membrane. The polymeric membrane includes a first thermoplastic elastomer layer. The thermoplastic elastomer is a styrenic thermoplastic. The polymeric membrane can further include an optional second thermoplastic elastomer layer in contact with the first polyolefin layer.

An ultrasound-detectable polymeric device that offers superior visibility of the body of the device and decreased ultrasound angle dependence through the use of microcavities and methods of manufacturing thereof is disclosed. These microcavities enable superior ultrasound visualization due to diffuse reflection of sound waves when compared to solid polymeric objects, ensuring that a strong signal is received at the source of the ultrasound transducer and providing strong image contrast throughout the entire cross-section of the implant that is also robust to variable angles of insonation.

Open cell foam compositions are provided including a thermoplastic polymeric matrix and at least one filler. In some embodiments of the foam compositions, the filler includes nepheline syenite. Methods of making the foam compositions are described, the methods including (a) obtaining a composite materials containing a first thermoplastic polymer having a filler component and a blowing agent distributed therein; (b) coextruding the composite material with a second thermoplastic polymer and a third thermoplastic polymer to form a three-layer composition, wherein the three-layer composition includes a middle layer comprising an open cell foam formed from the foam composition, and the middle layer is disposed between the first and the second outer layers formed from the second and the third thermoplastic polymers, respectively; and (c) separating the middle layer from each of the first and the second outer layer. The first thermoplastic polymer is different from the second and the third thermoplastic polymers.

Presented are manufacturing systems, methods, and devices for forming footwear using scrap or waste plastic materials. A method for manufacturing an article of footwear, such as an athletic shoe, begins with receiving a batch of recycled plastic, which may include thermoplastic elastomers or ethylene-vinyl acetate, and grinding the batch of recycled plastic material. The ground recycled material is processed, for example, by adding a foaming agent that activates at elevated temperatures. The processed recycled material is placed into the internal cavity of a final mold that is shaped like a segment of the footwear, such as a unitary sole structure. To form the footwear segment, the processed recycled material is heated past the threshold activation temperature of the foaming agent such that the foaming agent causes the recycled material to expand and fill the internal cavity of the final mold. The formed footwear segment is then extracted from the mold.