It is provided a WPC extrusion profile comprising a WPC material, in which plant fibers are embedded in a plastic matrix, wherein the WPC material has a content of naturally growing plant fibers of between 30 and 75 wt-%, and the WPC extrusion profile includes at least one foam-filled hollow chamber. The at least one hollow chamber of the WPC extrusion profile is completely filled up with a foam, in particular a closed-pore foam. The foam includes or consists of a plastic material of the same type of plastic as the matrix of the WPC material. The foaming is effected by using a physically acting blowing agent, in particular CO.sub.2, wherein the density of the foam is less than 0.4 g/cm.sup.3 and the average cell size of the foam has a mean diameter of less than 0.4 mm.

Pre-expanded polypropylene-based resin particles include a polypropylene-based resin. The polypropylene-based resin satisfies tan 0.32V+0.1, where tan represents a loss tangent at an angular frequency of 0.1 rad/s in dynamic viscoelastic behavior measurement at 200 C. and V represents a melt fracture take-up speed (m/min) at 200 C.

Polymeric multilayer film comprising at least two adjacent layers each exhibiting a random network of strands and connective regions. The polymeric multilayer films are useful, for example, for tape and graphic articles.

A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapling instrument includes a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples and a cartridge deck. The staple cartridge assembly also includes a compressible adjunct positionable against the cartridge deck, wherein the staples are deployable into tissue captured against the compressible adjunct, and wherein the compressible adjunct comprises a first biocompatible layer comprising a first portion, a second biocompatible layer comprising a second portion, and crossed spacer fibers extending between the first portion and the second portion.

A weather seal includes an elongated micro-cellular foam bulb, and an elongated micro-cellular foam fin element attached to and extending along the length of the foam bulb. The fin element includes a spine having opposed planar surfaces and at least one microcellular foam barb extending outwardly and at a downward angle from each surface and along the length of the spine. As an alternative to barbs, another option is to use a higher durometer foamed thermoplastic elastomer in a hollow circle shape that would push into a retention pocket. A t-slot version that has a foamed bulb and a polypropylene base is another option.

A processing system for producing starch based expanded products useful as packing material for shipping, packaging and insulating applications. Generally, two processing steps for forming materials are involved. In a first step, dense pellets or granules are formed from starch and a plasticizing agent, such as a plasticizing polymer, for example, polyvinyl alcohol. The starch in the pellets is generally formed, for example with an extruder, into a thermoplastic or thermosetting form for further processing. The pellets generally have an individual density of at least about 70 lbs./cubic foot and a small size for convenient delivery for the second processing step. The second process step is based on the expanding of the material from an extruder with water as the expansion agent in which the dwell time in the extruder is short. The process is designed such that a less expensive single screw extruder is suitable for extruding the expanded material. The starch based pellets are convenient for shipping closer to the end use location.

A process for flexibly making a wetsuit or the like is disclosed by integrally forming a functional surface layer on a rubber foam substrate sheet, thereby rendering the function of the surface layer for the wetsuit or the like.

A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapling instrument includes a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples and a cartridge deck. The staple cartridge assembly also includes a compressible adjunct positionable against the cartridge deck, wherein the staples are deployable into tissue captured against the compressible adjunct, and wherein the compressible adjunct comprises a first biocompatible layer comprising a first portion, a second biocompatible layer comprising a second portion, and crossed spacer fibers extending between the first portion and the second portion.

A method and an extrusion device for producing a foamed body. A plastics melt is produced inside the casing of a first extruder. The plastics melt is conveyed to an outlet die of a second extruder. The conveyed plastics melt has a foaming agent and expands after being fed through the outlet die. Before the plastics melt is fed through the outlet die, variations in temperature between different radial positions over the cross-section of the plastics melt are reduced by an extruder screw device which has a number of screw spindles distributed around the periphery. The plastics melt which is thus thermally homogeneous is fed through the outlet die.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a molded foam product which can reduce or prevent blisters and crinkles on the surface even in the case of manufacturing a molded product designed to have a small thickness, thereby giving a molded foam product having excellent heat insulation while avoiding an increase in the amounts of materials used. The method for manufacturing a molded foam product according to the present invention includes the steps of: injecting, during injection molding, a molten resin containing a supercritical fluid or a chemical foaming agent into a cavity formed in a mold that includes a movable portion; and moving the movable portion to increase the volume of the cavity before the molten resin injected into the cavity completely solidifies, the mold alternately including, in a direction from a resin injection port to the periphery of the cavity, first linear portions each giving a large gap size in the cavity and second linear portions each giving a small gap size in the cavity.