An expansion-molded article that can be firmly heat-fused with another member is provided. The expansion-molded article is one that may be heat-fused with another member, where the expansion-molded article includes at least one protrusion which is formed on at least one surface of the expansion-molded article including at least one surface is to be heat-fused with the another member. The at least one protrusion comprises at least two surfaces as viewed from above, and a boundary line between the at least two surfaces, where the at least one boundary line intersects a direction from an outside of the at least one protrusion toward a center of an apex of the at least one protrusion.

The invention relates to foamed acrylic materials using both traditional chemical blowing agents as well as foamable microspheres. The acrylic foams have improved density reduction, optical properties, and insulation properties. The acrylic foams of the invention can be formed by traditional melt processing methods (extrusion, blow molding, etc.) as well as innovative foaming methods, such as foaming during or after polymerization. One novel method of the invention involves the use of expandable microspheres blended with monomers, the monomers then polymerized through bulk polymerization in cell cast, infusion, or compression molding processes. This method can be effectively used to produce composite foam structures, such as in combination with ELIUM liquid resins from Arkema.

A molding tool for producing molded parts from expandable plastic beads. The molding tool has an inner wall facing the molded part and an outer wall facing away from the molded part, between which a hollow space is formed for conveying a heating/cooling medium, and the inner and outer walls are connected to each other in some areas by spacers. Inside the spacers, through bores are formed, which convey steam, pass through the outer and inner walls, and are sealed relative to the hollow space.

A run-flat tire insert for installation in a pneumatic tire mounted on a rim. The insert is a one-piece toroidal member formed from expanded polymer foam beads molded into a structural foam part. The insert has an inner diameter surface sized to fit snuggly about a periphery of a tire rim and an outer diameter sized to fit within a tire cavity. The insert is spaced from the tire inner casing surface during normal operation and supports the tire inner casing surface away from the rim in the event of a flat tire. A molding apparatus and a method of forming a run-flat tire insert is also disclosed.

A resin composition containing heat-expandable microspheres including a thermoplastic resin shell and a thermally vaporizable blowing agent encapsulated therein and at least one base resin selected from rubbers, olefin resins and thermoplastic elastomers. The thermoplastic resin is a polymer of a polymerizable component containing N-substituted maleimide and a nitrile monomer containing methacrylonitrile. Also disclosed are molded articles manufactured by molding the resin composition.

Low-density thermoplastic expandable microspheres are disclosed. Various low-density structures, in particular, sandwich panels, based on foam prepared from the low-density microspheres, are also disclosed. Process of preparing low-density polymeric microspheres, per se, and the corresponding low-density structures, based on the microsphere foam, are also disclosed.

A seat core material of the present invention is a seat core material for vehicle including: a thermoplastic resin expanded bead article; and a frame member embedded in a peripheral edge portion of the expanded bead article. The expanded bead article has two or more lightening parts in an area from a center portion as seen in a front-back direction to a rear side. A through or non-through slit is provided in a continuous part between the lightening parts or an area in front of the continuous part over a distance of 100 mm or less along a vehicle-width direction of the expanded bead article. The slit is closed at both longitudinal ends.

The invention relates inter alia to a method of making a thin component (10) in lightweight sandwich construction with a high-quality surface (26).

The invention relates, inter alia, to a method of making a thin component (10) in a lightweight sandwich construction having a high-quality surface (26).

The invention relates to a crack-split moulding tool for producing a foam particle part, having two mould halves (2, 3). The mould halves (2, 3) are pivotably mounted relative to one another such that they can be arranged at a varying distance from each other in certain sections when being filled with foam particles and when pressing together, are moved together at a varying distance until in a closed position, due to a pivoting movement. As a result, it is possible to homogeneously compress areas of the moulding cavity (6) having a different thickness and to compress in a different manner, area having the same thickness.