Molded-in-color thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) compositions useful for making automotive components, such as injection molded parts, as well as other articles of manufacture are described. The molded-in-color composition has a ΔE* value≤2.0 (compared to a painted color master), a gloss measured at 60° from about 76 to about 90 GU, a density ranging from about 0.9 to about 0.97 g/cm.sup.3, a melt mass flow rate from about 15 to about 40 g/10 min (ASTM D 1238, 230° C./2.16 kg), a flexural modulus between about 600 to about 2000 MPa, and an as-molded shrinkage between about 0.6% and about 1.4%. The compositions can be used to prepare molded-in-color components that can undergo additional clear coating steps as required by the automotive application. The clear coated molded-in-color components have a gloss measured at 20° from about 85 to about 95 GU and a gloss retention after mar between about 85% and about 93%.

A method of blow molding an article having at least one layer of thermoplastic material. The method comprises the steps of heating a mold having an inner surface with two or more areas of different surface textures to a first temperature of greater than 55° C. and subsequently feeding a parison into the mold. The parison is then blown against the inner surface of the mold to form an article. The temperature of the mold is subsequently lowered to a second temperature of between 20° C. to about 55° C. and the temperature cycle time (t.sub.ct) of the mold is less than 250 seconds. Using the two phase heating and cooling process in combination with a mold featuring different surface textures provides a finished article with different visual effects.

A method of preparing a diene-based rubber latex, a method of preparing an ABS-based graft copolymer including the same, and a method of manufacturing an ABS-based injection-molded article include preparing an in-situ bimodal rubber latex, in which a small-diameter polymer and a large-diameter polymer are formed in a desired ratio, by controlling contents, addition time points, and types of reactants when a conjugated diene based monomer, a crosslinking agent with a long linear chain end, an emulsifier including a multimeric acid of an unsaturated fatty acid or a metal salt thereof, and a molecular weight regulator are polymerized.

A multilayer film having coextruded layers comprising a znLLDPE-based core layer, and mLLDPE-based outer layers on each side of the core layer comprising, wherein the znLLDPE of the core layer has a density which is less than 0.005 g/cc different from a density of the mLLDPE of the outer layers, and wherein the znLLDPE of the core layer has a melting temperature which is less than 15 C. different from a melting temperature of the mLLDPE of the outer layers.

A method of manufacturing a window surround for a vehicle, a window surround for a vehicle, and a device for manufacturing a window surround. The window surround includes a first component to serve as a circumferential support frame to hold a window glass panel, a second component, composed of a material of less hardness than the material of the first component, onto the first component, to serve as a circumferential sealing element, and a third component that is composed of a high gloss material. The method includes injection molding the first component onto a window glass panel, then injection molding the second component onto the first component, and then injection molding the third component onto the first component.

A preform is provided for blow-molding to form a container. The preform includes a finish portion for rotatably engaging a closure to seal pressurized contents within an interior of the container. The finish portion comprises a cylindrical body that begins at an opening to the interior and extends to and includes a tamper evidence ledge. A bevel at a beginning of the opening receives a plug seal of the closure. Multiple mirror polished surfaces beyond the bevel are configured to cooperate with the plug seal to seal the container. Mirror polished transition surfaces are disposed between diameter changes within the finish portion. In some embodiments, wherein the plug seal includes a sidewall profile that mates with the transition surfaces, an interior surface of the preform has a diameter that tightly compresses an end of the plug seal to contain pressurized contents within the container.

Methods for preparing thermoplastic automotive appliques include applying heat from an auxiliary heater to a tool cavity of a forming tool. The auxiliary heater is activated for a period of time until a temperature of the heated tool cavity is heated to less than or equal to about a melting temperature of the thermoplastic. The heated tool cavity is filled with the thermoplastic, and a cooling fluid is pulsed through the forming tool. The thermoplastic applique is then removed, and the supply of cooling fluid is turned off.

A preform is provided for blow-molding to form a container. The preform includes a finish portion for rotatably engaging a closure to seal pressurized contents within an interior of the container. The finish portion comprises a cylindrical body that begins at an opening to the interior and extends to and includes a tamper evidence ledge. A bevel at a beginning of the opening receives a plug seal of the closure. Multiple mirror polished surfaces beyond the bevel are configured to cooperate with the plug seal to seal the container. Mirror polished transition surfaces are disposed between diameter changes within the finish portion. In some embodiments, wherein the plug seal includes a sidewall profile that mates with the transition surfaces, an interior surface of the preform has a diameter that tightly compresses an end of the plug seal to contain pressurized contents within the container.

The invention relates to a method for producing a moulded part (50) by structural foam moulding, in which a polymer melt (18) is provided by melting a thermoplastic material, in which the polymer melt (18) is charged with a foaming agent (22) and in which the polymer melt (18) charged with the foaming agent (22) is injected under pressure into a cavity (26) of a mould (28), and so the polymer melt (18) fills the cavity (26) behind a melt front (34) running through the cavity (26), wherein the rate of injection at which the polymer melt (18) is injected into the cavity (26) of the mould (28) is set such that the internal pressure of the polymer melt (18) in the cavity (26), in a region (40) that follows a portion of the melt front (34) with a time delay of at most 0.15 seconds, is greater than the critical pressure of the foaming agent (22), at least at one point in time during the injection-moulding operation. The invention also relates to a moulded part (50) of an expanded thermoplastic material, wherein the moulded part (50) has a surface region with visual structuring formed by the expanded thermoplastic material of which the average ratio of the degrees of gloss measured in the direction of flow in relation to the degrees of gloss measured transversely to the direction of flow is below 1.9, preferably below 1.5, in particular below 1.2. The invention also relates to uses of such a moulded part.

A method of forming a reusable, non-adhesive protective cover is disclosed which includes extruding first and second layers of a thermoplastic film onto a rotatable cast roll. The first layer has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The second layer is extruded onto the interior surface of the first layer to form a co-extruded laminate. The second layer has an exterior surface exhibiting attachment and release capabilities such that a joint tape can be used to join adjacent sheets of the protective cover together. The co-extruded laminate is then advanced between a nip formed by an embossing roll and a rubber roll whereby the exterior surface of the first layer contacts the embossing roll to form a co-extruded embossed laminate. Lastly, the co-extruded embossed laminate is passed around at least a portion of a chill roll to cool the laminate and form the reusable, co-extruded embossed non-adhesive protective cover.