Thermal insulation structures include a polymer foam layer adhered to a multi-layer sheet having a non-cellular layer of a heat-resistant thermoplastic and a second non-cellular layer of a polylactide resin. The polylactide resin is a surprisingly good barrier to the diffusion of atmospheric gases into the foam layer and of blowing agents out of the foam layer. Accordingly, the diffusion of atmospheric gases and blowing agents is retarded substantially. This greatly reduces the loss of thermal insulation capacity of the structure due to the replacement of the blowing agent with atmospheric gases. The multi-layer sheet exhibits excellent thermal stability, even when the polylactide in the polylactide layer is highly amorphous.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a sandwich panel having an asymmetrical configuration in the thickness direction. This method comprises the steps of: a) providing a plate shaped assembly of a first cover part and a second cover part and between a core part of a thermoplastic material containing a suitable blowing agent, wherein the second cover part is not equal to the first cover part regarding heat transfer properties; b) heating the assembly under pressure between press tools in a press, thereby adhering the foamed core part to the first and second cover parts; c) foaming of the thermoplastic material in the core part under pressure between press tools in the press and at a foaming temperature by increasing the spacing between the press tools in a controlled manner; d) cooling the foamed sandwich panel under pressure between the press tools; e) removing the thus cooled sandwich panel from the press; and optionally f) drying the sandwich panel; wherein during step a) a first compensation part conforming to the heat transfer properties of the second cover part is positioned at the side of the first cover part and/or a second compensation part conforming to the heat transfer properties of the first cover part is positioned at the side of the second cover part, and wherein during or after step e) the first and/or second compensation parts are removed from the sandwich panel.

A multilayer thermal insulation panel for construction and manufacturing method thereof are described. The multilayer thermal insulation panel comprising: a main layer in thermally insulating material comprising a first surface and an opposite second surface; a first backing layer of the main layer connected to the main layer along the first surface; a second backing layer of the main layer connected to the main layer along the second surface.

At least one of the first and second backing layers comprising: a reinforcement layer in fibrous material, a fire-resistant layer comprising expansive graphite, and a cladding layer made on the reinforcement layer and configured to be sandwiched between the fire-resistant layer and the reinforcement layer.

A multilayer thermal insulation panel for construction and manufacturing method thereof are described. A manufacturing method of a backing layer of a multilayer thermal insulation panel for construction, the method comprising the steps of: providing a reinforcement layer in fibrous material, spreading a first fluid mineral mixture on the reinforcement layer to form a cladding layer of the reinforcement layer; forming a fire-resistant layer comprising expansive graphite on the cladding layer; and drying the backing layer.

A vehicle interior panel includes a decorative skin layer and a backing layer. The backing layer can include a barrier material that helps prevent outgassing of a plasticizer of the decorative skin layer in a direction toward an underlying substrate of the panel. The backing layer can be formed by vacuum coating and/or formed while a slush molded layer remains on a slush molding tool surface on which it was formed. in some cases, a slush molding tool thus finds new uses in a vacuum coating process or in some other process apart from slush molding.

A method of manufacturing a cover element for a motor vehicle comprises placing, in a mold, a stack formed at least of a covering material made of textile, of leather, of skin, or of a synthetic material, and of a foam layer at the rear surface of the covering material, the foam layer integrating reinforcing elements.

Embodiments of the present invention are based, at least in part, on the discovery of methods for encapsulating fragile insulation materials within polyisocyanurate foam to thereby provide a construction board having an advantageous balance of insulating properties and mechanical durability.

Light weight composites with high flexural strength comprise epoxy foam sandwiched between two layers of facing material have high strength and low weight and can be used to replace steel structures. The facing layer may be fibrous material especially glass or carbon fibres, the facing material is preferably embedded into the epoxy matrix. Alternatively they may be matching box structures or concentric metal tubes. The sandwich structures may be prepared by laying up the fibre; coating and/or impregnating the layer with epoxy resin, laying a layer of heat activatable foamable epoxy material, providing a further layer of the fibrous material optionally coated and/or impregnated with epoxy resin on the foamable material and heating to foam and cure the epoxy materials. Alternatively they may be formed by extrusion of the foamable material between the surface layers.

A method of producing a laminated article comprising placing a first metal skin, a core, and a second metal skin freely onto each other as discreet layers to provide a layered component; and forming the layered component into a shaped article via a die prior to producing a laminated article by applying pressure and heat to the shaped article, wherein at least the first skin moves relative to the core and/or second skin during the forming.

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.