The present invention is to provide a thermoplastic polyester elastomer resin foam molded product which exhibits light weight, excellent rebound resilience and excellent surface smoothness. A foam molded product including a continuous phase formed of a resin component containing a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, wherein the thermoplastic polyester elastomer is prepared by bonding a hard segment and a soft segment, wherein the hard segment consists of polyester constituted from aromatic dicarboxylic acid and aliphatic and/or alicyclic diol as constituting components, wherein the soft segment is at least one member selected from a group consisting of aliphatic polyether, aliphatic polyester and aliphatic polycarbonate, wherein the foam molded product is constituted from, as a surface layer ranging from a surface of the foam molded product to a depth of 1000 μm, a surface layer consisting of only a foamed region in which a non-foamed portion having a cell density of 10% or less is not present, or the foam molded product has, as a surface layer ranging from a surface of the foam molded product to a depth of 1000 μm, a surface layer consisting of both a foamed region in which the non-foamed portion is present and a foamed region in which the non-foamed portion is not present, and wherein the foam molded product has a density of 0.01 to 0.70 g/cm.sup.3.

Methods for manufacturing articles of footwear are provided. In various aspects, the methods comprise utilizing additive manufacturing methods with foam particles. In some aspects, the disclosed methods comprise selectively depositing a binding material on foam particles in a target area such that the binding material coats at least a portion of defining surfaces of the foam particles with the binding material. The binding material is then cured to affix foam particles in the target area to one another. In various aspects, the disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that differential levels of affixing between the foam particles, and thereby resulting in sub-regions with different properties such as density, resilience, and/or flexural modulus. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

A thermoplastic composite sheet may be composed of a polymer material matrix and a lightweight material that is disposed throughout the polymer material matrix. The polymer material matrix may extend continuously throughout a length, width, and thickness of the thermoplastic composite sheet. The polymer material matrix may be a fully polymerized thermoplastic material. The lightweight material may be fully saturated by the thermoplastic material of the polymer material matrix. The thermoplastic composite sheet may include between 50 and 99 weight percent of the thermoplastic material and between 1 and 50 weight percent of the lightweight material. The thermoplastic composite sheet may be free of reinforcing fibers.

A method for forming a vacuum insulated structure using a prepared core material includes preparing a powder insulation material defining a bulk density, pre-densifying the powder insulation material to form a pre-densified insulation base, crushing the pre-densified insulation base into granular core insulation to define a core density of the granular core insulation, disposing the granular core insulation having the core density into an insulating cavity defined within an insulating structure and expressing gas from the interior cavity of the insulating structure to further densify the granular core insulation to define a target density. The granular core insulation defines the target density disposed within the insulating structure defines the vacuum insulation structure, wherein the target density defines a density in the range of from approximately 80 grams per liter to approximately 350 grams per liter.

A container for transporting beverage has at least one part made of a sandwich structural laminate. The sandwich structural laminate has a PU and/or PET foam core, a resin outer skin, and a resin inner skin.

A three-dimensional vacuum thermal insulation element having a compressed three-dimensional porous structure and a shell closed in an airtight manner. The shell includes a thermoformable barrier wall and encloses the porous structure arranged between two major surfaces of said barrier wall. The porous structure has a pressure of between less than 105 Pa and more than 10-2 Pa at ambient external temperature and pressure. The barrier wall is thermoformed at the site of said two major surfaces, between which the porous structure has a curved shape and/or reliefs and/or depressions.

A process for the production of expanded material based on sulfone polymers includes an extrusion step in an extruder of virgin sulfone polymer with the injection of at least one expanding agent and in the presence of at least one nucleating agent, and a recycling step of part of the expanded material, which provides a recycled product used as raw material fed to the extruder in combination with the virgin sulfone polymer.

A three-dimensional, vacuum thermal insulating element comprising a compressed three-dimensional porous structure, an envelope closed in an airtight manner comprising a thermoformable barrier wall, enclosing the porous structure, which is interposed between two major surfaces of the barrier wall, and where, at outside ambient temperature and pressure, a pressure between less than 10.sup.5 Pa and more than 10.sup.−2 Pa prevails. The barrier wall is thermoformed at said the two major surfaces, between which the porous structure is bent-shaped and/or has reliefs and/or depressions.

An apparatus to batch or continuously form solid polymer particles, the apparatus comprising the following components: A) at least one pastillation unit comprising a pastillation head, said unit used to form discrete molten polymer particles from a polymer melt; B) a moving belt to receive and transfer the discrete molten polymer particles from the pastillation head; C) a means to transfer water onto the moving belt, such that the water comes into contact with the discrete molten polymer particles on the moving belt to form the solid polymer particles; and wherein the water of component C is sprayed onto the discrete molten polymer particles, such that the ratio of “the rate of water spray” to “the discharge rate” is ≥3.0; and wherein the belt residence time is ≤50 seconds.

A device (e.g., an article of athletic gear) comprising a post-molded expandable component, which is a part of the device that is configured to be expanded or has been expanded after being molded. This may allow the post-molded expandable component to have enhanced characteristics (e.g., be more shock-absorbent, lighter, etc.), to be cost-effectively manufactured (e.g., by using less material and/or making it in various sizes), and/or to be customized for a user (e.g., by custom-fitting it to the user).