The instant application discloses, among other things, ways to manufacture reduced density thermoplastics. A rapid foaming process which may create a polymer product by saturating thermoplastic sheet or preforms, heating, and then forming into final shape, is described. The polymer product may include an integral solid skin. This method may be utilized with any thermoplastic. The material handling, saturation methods, and end products are also described.

A wide microporous film comprises one or more layers comprising a polyolefin; wherein the film has a width of a least 40 inches, at least 45 inches, at least 50 inches, at least 55 inches, at least 60 inches, at least 65 inches, or at least 70 inches.

A method for manufacturing a membrane switch member that can be manufactured easily and that can be caused to function as an electrostatic sensor even when a protruding portion is pressed. Injection molding by injecting a material including a supercritical fluid gas and a resin material in a mixed state; and, after the injection molding, removing a first mold from a second mold, causing gas produced within the injection molded resin to grow in concave portions, thereby causing the concave portions to invert to a protruding state; and manufacturing a membrane switch member in which voids are formed between the protruding portions and a molding resin layer, and portions other than the portions corresponding to the protruding portions are adhered to the resin layer by an adhesion layer.

A microporous polyolefin (PO) foamed material is provided, which is prepared from a PO composition through a foaming process, where the PO composition includes a PO and an additive composition, and with the PO composition as 100 parts by mass, the additive composition accounts for 3 to 20 parts by mass; the additive composition includes a functional additive A; the functional additive A has a molecular formula of R—(OCH.sub.2CH.sub.2).sub.xOH, where R is an aralkyl group, a straight alkyl chain, or a branched alkyl chain that has 5 to 60 carbon atoms, and x is 1 to 20; and an absolute value of a solubility parameter difference between the PO and the functional additive A is greater than or equal to 1 (J/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2 and less than or equal to 5 (J/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2 . When the method is used for PO foaming, the foaming efficiency is greatly improved, thereby reducing a production cost.

A process for injection molded microcellular foaming various flexible foam compositions from biodegradable and industrially compostable bio-derived thermoplastic resins for use in, for example, footwear components, seating components, protective gear components, and watersport accessories wherein a process of manufacturing includes the steps of: producing a suitable thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend; injection molding the thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend into a suitable mold shape with inert nitrogen gas; controlling the polymer melt, pressure, temperature, and time such that a desirable flexible foam is formed; and utilizing gas counterpressure in the injection molding process to ensure the optimal foam structure with the least amount of cosmetic defects and little to no plastic skin on the outside of the foamed structure.

Provided are a porous structure and a method of fabricating the same. The porous structure may include an aluminum oxide containing at least one of fluorine and phenyl group. For example, the porous structure may be formed from alumina which contains fluorine or phenyl group. The method of fabricating the porous structure may include preparing an aluminum precursor including at least one of fluorine and phenyl group; providing a precursor solution by mixing the precursor with a solvent; and forming the porous structure having 3-dimensional network structure including the aluminum oxide containing the at least one of fluorine and phenyl group from the precursor solution through gelation.

There is provided a polyolefin resin foam sheet having a plurality of cells which is formed by foaming a polyolefin resin, wherein, in the polyolefin resin foam sheet, the average cell sizes and the maximum cell sizes in the MD direction and the TD direction are each a predetermined value, and a ratio [TD strength at break/MD average cell size] and a ratio [MD strength at break/TD average cell size] are both 80 kPa/μm or more.

The invention relates to a structured body and a method for its preparation, whereby the structured body is produced of at least one powdery starting material by application of heat and/or pressure, and has several layers, whereby the starting material consists predominantly of thermoplastic basic material, and whereby the density of at least two layers of the structured body differ from each other, and whereby at least one layer of lower density contains hollow microspheres.

Microporous breathable films include a polyolefin and an inorganic filler dispersed in the polyolefin.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to polymer resins having a first thermoset and one or more additional components (e.g., a second thermoset and/or a thermoplastic), composite laminates including the same, methods of making and using the same, and composite laminate structures including the same.