Provided is a method for producing a low specific gravity molded foam using a propylene-based polymer. The method includes: providing a foamable composition including a mixture of a propylene-based polymer and thermally expandable microspheres; introducing the foamable composition into a mold for producing a molded foam; raising the temperature of the foamable composition to at least the expansion start temperature (T.sub.start) of the thermally expandable microspheres to expand the foamable composition in the mold; forming a molded foam in a state in which the foamable composition is expanded to fill the mold; and releasing the molded foam from the mold.

A three-dimensional image forming system according to the present invention includes a conveying unit which conveys a heat-expandable sheet along a conveyance path, a heating unit which heats the heat-expandable sheet by irradiating the heat-expandable sheet with light, and a control unit which preheats the surroundings of the heating unit to a previously determined preheat temperature and then causes the conveying unit to convey the heat-expandable sheet.

A resin molded product includes a main body including a design face and a opposite face opposite to the design face and having a first foamed layer formed inside the main body, and a protruding portion located at a periphery of the main body, having a second foamed layer formed inside the protruding portion, and protruding to a thickness direction of the main body and a side opposite to the design face, the protruding portion includes a tip end portion disposed so that a protruding tip portion on the design face extends to a protruding direction of the protruding portion more than a protruding tip portion on the opposite face, and a thickness of the tip end portion is 1.2 mm or less.

A molded body, comprising a foamed portion in which a skin layer A, a foamed layer and a skin layer B are disposed in this order in a thickness direction, wherein in the foamed portion, the foamed layer has a ratio of thickness, with respect to a total thickness of the skin layer A, the foamed layer and the skin layer B, of from 73% to 88%.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a foamed thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer product, comprising the steps of: 1) coating a binder: coating the binder on the surfaces of expandable thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer particles; 2) curing and molding: adding the product obtained from step 1) to a mold and then placing it in a vulcanizing machine for curing and molding; and 3) cooling and setting: cooling the mold after the molding in step 2) to obtain the product of the present invention. By means of pre-coating the binder on the surfaces of expanded thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer particles according to the present invention, the weight of the binder can be reduced, and the properties of the expanded thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer particles can be utilized to the maximum extent.

Provided are a method for molding a foamed resin molded article having a mounting hole which is formed with good dimensional precision without occurrence of shape sag and which has an improved load resistance, a mold therefor, and a foamed resin molded article thereby. A method for molding a foamed resin molded article 1 including a mounting section 11 and a non-mounting section 12, using a mold 3 including a first mold 31 having a non-mounting-section mold portion 31a and a mounting-section mold portion 31b, a second mold 32, and a cavity 4 having a non-mounting-section cavity portion 42 for molding the non-mounting section 12 and a mounting-section cavity portion 41 for molding the mounting section 11. The method includes: a filling step of filling a material to be molded into at least the mounting-section cavity portion 41; and a core-back step of moving at least one of the non-mounting-section mold portion 31a, the mounting-section mold portion 31b, and the second mold 32 so that a cavity width of the non-mounting-section cavity portion 42 is increased while a cavity width of the mounting-section cavity portion 41 is constant, the filling step and the core-back step being sequentially performed.

This invention provides a plastic container characterized in that an expanded layer comprising expanded cells having a flat shape with an average major axis of not more than 400 m and an average aspect ratio (L/t) of not less than 6 as viewed in cross section of the container wall along the maximum stretch direction, which are oriented in the stretch direction and are distributed so as to be superimposed on top of each other in the thickness-wise direction, is formed within the container wall. In this container, expanded cells having a flat shape are distributed so as to orient in a given direction and, thus, has light shielding properties and has a pearl-like appearance, that is, has a very high commercial value. Further, since any colorant is not contained, the suitability for recycling is excellent.

An injection foam molded body composed of a propylene resin composition, when a sample having a size of 50 mm?150 mm cut from the injection foam molded body is used to carry out a three-point bending test in which force is applied to the center position of the body with a distance between supports of 100 mm by an indenter at a bending rate of 50 mm/min, a bending elastic gradient within the range of 27 to 1,000 (N/cm), and when the injection foam molded body is subjected to a test in which a force (load) is applied to a flat surface thereof by a circular indenter with a flat tip having a diameter of 4 mm at a rate of 1 mm/min to push the indenter into the molded body, a press elastic gradient is in the range of 5 to 120 (N/mm).

A system for forming a structure on a print medium 1 includes: a print unit (print device) 10 for printing an electromagnetic wave-heat conversion layer for converting electromagnetic waves into heat, on a medium including an expansion layer that expands by heating; an expansion unit (expansion device) 20 aligned laterally with the print unit 10, for expanding the expansion layer by irradiating the medium with electromagnetic waves; and a top plate 30 covering the print unit 10 and the expansion unit 20 from above.

The present invention relates to, in a first aspect, a surfing device including a surfing device body comprised of polymer bead foam being substantially formed from at least one polymer selected from a single polymer class, and at least one at least one performance enhancing component at least partially embedded within, or integral with, the surfing device body, the at least one performance enhancing component being substantially formed from polymers selected from the single polymer class. Further aspects of the invention, directed to a performance enhancing component and to a method of forming a surfing device body, are also disclosed.