In order to enable dehydration of a slurry of expanded particles with a simple structure, a dehydration device includes: a transporting tube configured to transport a liquid mixture of expanded particles, the transporting tube having a curved part in which the transporting tube is curved, and a mesh member provided to the curved part of the transporting tube. The mesh member is configured to separate the expanded particles and a liquid component in the liquid mixture from each other.

The present invention is concerned with expanded beads of a block copolymer of a polyethylene block and an ethylene/α-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 disclosure provides a composite material layer including a core layer and a shell layer. The core layer includes foamed elastomers. The shell layer encapsulates the core layer and continuously covered surfaces of the foamed elastomers, wherein the shell layer includes a material having light absorption. The melting point of the core layer is higher than the melting point of the shell layer.

A push-in earplug is provided. The push-in earplug comprises an elongate core comprising a core material. The push-in earplug also comprises an outer layer comprising a foam material, the outer layer covering at least a portion of an outer surface of the elongate core. The push-in earplug also comprises a channel extending through the elongate core from a first end of the elongate core to the second end of the elongate core.

A method for impregnating a polymeric granulate with a physical blowing agent is disclosed. The polymeric granulate can be a typical material such as a polycarbonate that is used in foam injection moulding processes. The physical blowing agent can be carbon dioxide which impregnates that polymeric granulate at a temperature range of 40° to 120° C. and a pressure range of 15 to 55 bar. Preferably, the polymeric granulate is heated in a range of 50° to 90° with a range of 60° to 80° preferred. A pressure range of 25 to 45 bar is preferred with a range of 30 to 40 bar more preferred.

A method of microcellular foam molding an article includes feeding plastic granules to a hopper; supplying a supercritical fluid (SCF) to the hopper to effuse through the plastic granules; conveying the effused plastic granules to a buffer tank; and conveying the effused plastic granules in the buffer tank to a mold of an injection molding machine to perform foam molding on the effused plastic granules to produce a foamed article. In a second embodiment, the injection molding machine is replaced by an extrusion press.

A method for producing bead foams from foam beads based on thermoplastic elastomers, especially thermoplastic polyurethane, comprises foam beads being wetted with a polar liquid and joined together thermally in a mold via high-frequency electromagnetic radiation, especially microwave radiation, and also the bead foams obtainable therefrom.

A thermoplastic resin foam including a thermoplastic resin, wherein: the thermoplastic resin includes a polyester resin and a polyimide resin, and the thermoplastic resin foam shows a single glass transition temperature Tg. The glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic resin is preferably 80 to 130° C. An absolute value of difference between heat absorption and heat generation, each determined by heat flux differential scanning calorimetry at a heating rate of 10° C./min, is preferably 3 to 35 J/g.

The present invention relates to a polyurethane, in particular a thermoplastic polyurethane, obtainable or obtained by reacting at least the components (i) to (ii): (i) a polyisocyanate composition; (ii) a polyol composition, comprising (ii.1) at least one polyester diol or polyether diol having a number-average molecular weight in the range from 500 to 3000 g/mol, (ii.2) at least one polysiloxane having two terminal isocyanate-reactive functionalities selected from the group consisting of thio group, hydroxyl group and amino group. The invention additionally relates to a process for preparing this polyurethane, to the use thereof, to a molded body comprising the polyurethane. Furthermore, the invention relates to foam beads based on polyurethane, obtained or obtainable from the polyurethane, to a process for producing foam beads and also to bead foams and to the use thereof.

Polymer foams based on polyetherimides (PEIs) fulfill the legal specifications demanded by the aviation industry for aircraft interiors. Specifically, the demands on fire characteristics, stability to media and mechanical properties constitute a great challenge here. According to related art, suitable polymer foams are produced as semi-finished products. Reprocessing to give shaped articles is uneconomic in terms of time and material exploitation, for example by virtue of large amounts of cutting waste. The material is suitable in principle and can be processed to give particle foam mouldings. These mouldings can be produced without reprocessing in short cycle times and, hence, economically. Furthermore, this gives rise to new means of functional integration, for example by direct incorporation of inserts etc. in the foam, and with regard to freedom in terms of design.