Components for articles of footwear and athletic equipment including a foam are provided. The foam portion of the components and articles include a composition which includes a thermoplastic copolyester, the composition having a foam structure. A polymer layer is provided on at least on surface of the foam portion. The polymer layer can control or reduce the water uptake of the foam portion. Methods of making the compositions, foams, and components are provided, as well as methods of making an article of footwear including one of the foam components. In some aspects, the foams and foam components can be made by injection molding, or injection molding followed by compression molding.

A method for making a polymer with a porous layer from a solid piece of polymer is disclosed. In various embodiments, the method includes heating a surface of a solid piece of polymer to a processing temperature and holding the processing temperature while displacing a porogen layer through the surface of the polymer to create a matrix layer of the solid polymer body comprising the polymer and the porogen layer. In at least one embodiment, the method also includes removing at least a portion of the layer of porogen from the matrix layer to create a porous layer of the solid piece of polymer.

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 method for making a polymer with a porous layer from a solid piece of polymer is disclosed. In various embodiments, the method includes heating a surface of a solid piece of polymer to a processing temperature and holding the processing temperature while displacing a porogen layer through the surface of the polymer to create a matrix layer of the solid polymer body comprising the polymer and the porogen layer. In at least one embodiment, the method also includes removing at least a portion of the layer of porogen from the matrix layer to create a porous layer of the solid piece of polymer.

A heat-insulating housing (21) includes: a wall body; and an open-cell resin body (4) of thermosetting resin with which a heat-insulating space formed by the wall body is filled by integral foaming, the open-cell resin body including: a plurality of cells (47); a cell film portion (42); a cell skeleton portion (43); a first through-hole (44) formed so as to extend through the cell film portion; and a second through-hole (45) formed so as to extend through the cell skeleton portion, wherein the plurality of cells communicate with one another through the first through-hole and the second through-hole.

The present invention provides means for improving bondability between a vehicle seat core and a cushion in a vehicle seat pad formed by integration of them without significantly impairing mechanical properties. A vehicle seat core is characterized in that it is a vehicle seat core for forming a vehicle seat pad by integration with a cushion, which comprises a foamed resin molded body obtained by filling a cavity of a mold with a plurality of foamed resin particles and performing in-mold foam molding, and that at least a partial region of a surface of the foamed resin molded body to which the cushion is bonded when forming the vehicle seat pad has a surface expansion rate of 40% to 85%, and the foamed resin molded body has a first fusion rate of 95% or more or a second fusion rate of 60% or more.

Process for manufacturing an applicator (3) comprising a loading/application part (4), with the succession of steps a/ a mould is provided, b/ thermoplastic elastomer material (M) with a hardness before injection of between 5 Shore A and 70 Shore A and inert gas (G) suitable for a physical foaming process are provided, c/ they are mixed, d/ the mixture is injection-moulded in the mould, e/ after the thermoplastic elastomer material has cooled and physical foaming thereof has been carried out, the filler/application part (4) which has an inner structure (11) with closed cells (11a) and a microporous surface structure (12) is removed, and with the absence of a step of depositing on the microporous surface structure (12) a flock or flock adhesion material.

A process for making a three dimensional foam article of non-uniform shape employs a two-stage nitrogen autoclave process and a pre-form which has a non-uniform cross-section in at least one dimension.

There is provided an insulation foam in a tubular form, comprising at least one seamless layer of crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) closed-cell physical foam. The tubular foam can favourably be used to thermally insulate tubes that convey water, refrigerants or other fluids, in particular, copper tubes for Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) applications, as well as plastic tubes for use in domestic plumbing systems, hydronic radiant heating and cooling systems. There is also provided a method for manufacturing a crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) closed-cell physical foam in seamless tubular form, an insulation foam material using the same and a polymer blend for its manufacturing.

A process comprises placing a first foamable material inside of a first region of a mold space, and a second foamable material inside of a second region of the mold space, the first foamable material and the second foamable material comprising a physical, chemical or quantitative difference or any combination thereof. Both the first and the second foamable materials are concurrently foamed inside of the mold space to produce a heterogeneous foam comprising a first portion that differs from the second portion.