Disclosed herein is a process for the production of a moulded article (MA). Additionally disclosed herein is a method of using at least one blowing gas (C) in the production of a moulded article (MA) for reducing the warpage of the moulded article (MA), where the moulded article (MA) includes at least one thermoplastic polymer (A) and at least one reinforcing fibre (B). Further disclosed herein is the moulded article (MA) obtained by the process.

An extruding system includes a melting unit configured to convey a polymeric material, a mixing unit configured to mix the polymeric material with a blowing agent to form a mixture, an injection unit configured to inject the mixture, a first flow control element disposed between the melting unit and the mixing unit, and a second flow control element disposed between the mixing unit and the injection unit. A method of extruding includes conveying a polymeric material from a melting unit to a mixing unit, conveying a blowing agent into the mixing unit, mixing the polymeric material with the blowing agent to form a mixture, conveying the mixture from the mixing unit to an injection unit, and discharging the mixture from the injection unit, wherein flow of the polymeric material is controlled by a first flow control element, and flow of the mixture is controlled by a second flow control element.

A method for producing a foam-molded shoe component includes the steps of: providing a polymer granulate; pre-treating the polymer granulate including binding to or in the polymer granulate a physical propellant in an autoclave at a first pressure and a first temperature; and foaming the pre-treated polymer granulate including melting the polymer granulate to produce a molten polymer composition, and foaming the molten polymer composition as a result of the expansion of the physical propellant.

A method for manufacturing a foam component of a sole structure includes positioning a preformed component within a cavity of an autoclave, heating the preformed component to be at or above a glass transition temperature of a material of the preformed component, and pressurizing the autoclave. The method further includes injecting a blowing agent into the cavity of the autoclave, which becomes a supercritical fluid that saturates the preformed component, and dropping the pressure within the cavity. The drop in pressure causes nucleation of the supercritical fluid within the preformed component to expand and crystallize the material of the preformed component to form the final foam component so that the foam component has a substantially uniform density.

A push-in earplug is provided. The push-in earplug comprises an elongate core comprising a core material. The push-in earplug also comprises an outer layer comprising a foam material, the outer layer covering at least a portion of an outer surface of the elongate core. The push-in earplug also comprises a channel extending through the elongate core from a first end of the elongate core to the second end of the elongate core.

A mixing device for producing a plastic melt loaded with propellant, from which a foamed plastic part is producible in a molding machine, includes a mixing chamber, at least one propellant inlet device for feeding propellant into the mixing chamber, an inlet channel for plastic melt, and an output channel for dispensing plastic melt loaded with propellant. A first gas-tight shutoff device is provided for closing the inlet channel, and a second gas-tight shutoff device is provided for closing the output channel.

Molded polymer foam articles are described as having a novel a foam structure. The polymer foam articles include a continuous polymer matrix defining a plurality of pneumatoceles therein which is present throughout the entirety of the article, including in the surface region extending 500 microns beneath the surface of the article. The surface region is further characterized as having compressed pneumatoceles. The novel foam structure is achieved even when molding polymer foam articles comprising a thickness of more than 2 cm, a volume of more than 1000 cm.sup.3; or both a volume of more than 1000 cm.sup.3 and a thickness of more than 2 cm. Methods of making the molded polymer foam articles are also described.

The present invention is a manufacturing method for obtaining a molded article having foam layer inside for providing a foaming agent, a device, a mold, a molding machine, a means for increasing the foaming ratio and a means for increasing coating appropriateness used for manufacturing resin having foaming properties. When the resin having compatibility (miscibility) with the resin to be blended is used as a carrier resin used for manufacturing a masterbatch of the foaming agent, the molded article having an excellent outer appearance can be obtained. When the sodium bicarbonate which is an inorganic foaming agent is used for the foaming agent, a sodium carbonate, which is a foam residue remaining in the molded article after the foaming agent is decomposed to generate the foaming gas, reduces the adherability of the coating film. Thus, when the acid cleaning is preliminarily performed to remove the sodium carbonate, the coating appropriateness is satisfied. When performing the GCP, the thickness of the skin layer located at the surface varies depending on the surface temperature of the mold. In general, the means using the heated steam is generally used for increasing the temperature of the mold. In the present invention, the means for heating the magnetic fluid (liquid) by high frequency induction heating is used. Thus, the temperature of the mold can be safely increased at low cost with heating efficiency. When a mold-back or a core-back is performed for obtaining the molded article having high foaming ratio, the resin is separated from the fixed side. The present invention provides the means for solving the above described problem of the separation by using the gas.

A process for injection molded microcellular foaming various flexible foam compositions from biodegradable and industrially compostable bio-derived thermoplastic resins for use in, for example, footwear components, seating components, protective gear components, and watersport accessories wherein a process of manufacturing includes the steps of: producing a suitable thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend; injection molding the thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend into a suitable mold shape with inert nitrogen gas; controlling the polymer melt, pressure, temperature, and time such that a desirable flexible foam is formed; and utilizing gas counterpressure in the injection molding process to ensure the optimal foam structure with the least amount of cosmetic defects and little to no plastic skin on the outside of the foamed structure.

A method for producing a foamed extrudate comprises a device containing a main melting device and an auxiliary melting device. A first melt is generated in the main melting device, a second melt is generated in the auxiliary melting device from a meltable starting material. At least one reactive additive is added to the meltable starting material, wherein the at least one reactive additive being selected from the group consisting of a chemical blowing agent and an active nucleating agent is mixed in the auxiliary melting device with the second melt, so that an additive-containing second melt is obtained in the auxiliary melting device which is added to the first melt.