A method for making a low density foamed article includes placing a desired amount of thermoplastic polyurethane foam beads in a cavity of an injection mold and closing the mold; combining in an extruder connected to the mold a molten polymer selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers and thermoplastic ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers with both a physical or chemical blowing agent other than a supercritical fluid present in an amount up to about 15 wt % based on molten polymer weight and a supercritical fluid that is at least one of about 0.1 to about 5 weight percent of supercritical CO.sub.2 based on molten polymer weight or about 0.1 to about 4 weight percent of supercritical N.sub.2 based on molten polymer weight, to form a mixture and injecting the mixture into the mold and foaming the mixture to form the low density foamed article.

A structural panel and method of fabricating and manufacturing same comprises a top panel and a bottom panel separated by and attached to at least one, but preferably a plurality, of structural composite preforms which may be fabricated by a continuous manufacturing process and may be saturated by resin using a continuous wetting process. The composite preforms may take any cross sectional shape but are preferably trapezoidal. The top and bottom panels may be fabricated from a plurality of layers of woven fabric layers and non-woven fabric layers which are saturated with a resin that is subsequently cured using cure processes known in the art. The composite structural panel of the invention is usable as a flat structural member for use as bridge decking, ramps, trestles, and any application requiring a structural panel.

Methods of manufacturing pre-fabricated insulated wall structures are described in this specification. The methods include (a) attaching a foam panel to a front frame surface of a substantially horizontally positioned frame; (b) placing the frame having the foam panel attached thereto on a track conveyor configured to convey the frame having the foam panel attached thereto in a substantially upright position; (c) conveying the frame having the foam panel attached thereto on the track conveyer in a substantially upright position to a spray foam application station; and (d) spray applying a spray foam composition into a cavity of the frame to form a substantially upright positioned wall structure having a foam layer deposited in the cavity in which the foam layer adheres to the foam panel. Also disclosed are track conveyors suitable for use in such methods.

A giant foam building block for children includes an inner core, an outer layer and a barrier skin. The inner core is made of foam or expanded polystyrene having a lower density than the outer layer. The inner core is softer than the outer layer, but both have a hardness less than 20 Shore A. A resin is sprayed onto the inside surface of a mold before the inner core is placed in the mold and the outer layer is molded around the inner core. The outer layer is molded such that an integral skin forms on the inner surface of the mold. The resin attaches to the integral skin and together forms a barrier skin that becomes the outer surface of the block. The block has no covering over the barrier skin. Children are not exposed to the TDI-based foam core which is sealed off by the outer layer.

A method of producing a foamed composite molded product includes fixing an exposed part of an insert material on a fixing part provided in a mold, the insert material being inserted in an in-mold foamed molded product made of a thermoplastic resin; introducing a polyurethane liquid into the mold; and producing the foamed composite molded product by foaming the polyurethane liquid in the mold. The foamed composite molded product includes an in-mold foamed molded product unit including the insert material and the in-mold foamed molded product; and a polyurethane foam. At least part of the insert material is exposed to an outside of the in-mold foamed molded product, and the in-mold foamed molded product unit and the polyurethane foam are integrated.

A process for producing a shoe sole, having a hybrid material of a polyurethane foam as a matrix material and an inlay component of expanded particles of a thermoplastic polyurethane is provided. The process includes preparing an inlay form by joining the expanded particles of a thermoplastic polyurethane in an amount and size of the desired inlay; preparing the shoe sole by placing the prepared inlay form in a shoe sole mold such that an edge of the inlay component is 0.2 cm or more from an edge of the shoe sole mold; embedding the inlay form within a reaction mixture in the shoe sole mold; and reacting the reaction mixture to form the matrix in the shoe sole mold.

A method of manufacturing a slim foam pad for vehicle seats, may include injecting a first foam solution into a first mold to manufacture an upper pad; inserting the manufactured upper pad into a second mold; and injecting a second foam solution to a first surface of the upper pad inserted into the second mold to manufacture a lower pad integrally coupled to the upper pad, wherein the second foam solution is foamed in a state of being in direct contact with the first surface of the upper pad, wherein no additional border separation member is provided at a border between the upper pad and the lower pad.

Methods of manufacturing wall structures having high racking strength are described in this specification. The methods include spray applying a foam-forming composition into a cavity of a wall structure, wherein the wall structure is disposed in a climate-controlled spray application station and allowing the foam-forming material to expand within at least a portion of the cavity to form a foam layer deposited in the cavity. In the methods, the foam layer is formed in-situ during the manufacturing method, and the density of the foam layer is selected and the relative humidity and dew point of the air in the climate-controlled spray application station throughout the spray applying is selected so that the wall structure has a racking strength of at least 500 pounds per linear foot.

A structural panel and method of fabricating and manufacturing same comprises a top panel and a bottom panel separated by and attached to at least one, but preferably a plurality, of structural composite preforms which may be fabricated by a continuous manufacturing process and may be saturated by resin using a continuous wetting process. The composite preforms may take any cross sectional shape but are preferably trapezoidal. The top and bottom panels may be fabricated from a plurality of layers of woven fabric layers and non-woven fabric layers which are saturated with a resin that is subsequently cured using cure processes known in the art. The composite structural panel of the invention is usable as a flat structural member for use as bridge decking, ramps, trestles, and any application requiring a structural panel.

A cushion pad of a vehicle seat including: a cushion member including a soft pad and a hard pad which is harder than the soft pad, the soft pad being integrated with the hard pad so as to wrap the hard pad without covering a mounting side surface of the hard pad, wherein a groove, which is opened to the mounting side and having a size large enough to receive an exuding piece generated during molding of the soft pad, is provided in a periphery of the mounting side surface of the hard pad.