An apparatus for molding a composite material comprising a plurality of mold pieces that cooperate to form a mold having a mold cavity for molding a composite part, the plurality of mold pieces split along a plurality of part lines configured to reduce voiding, the plurality of part lines comprising part lines running from a plurality of voiding areas of the mold cavity to an outer surface of the mold and adapted to provide bleed lines for the plurality of voiding areas.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a foam body, such as a foam insulation board, comprising the steps of: (i) providing foam reactant materials which react to form a foam body; (ii) providing a blowing agent; (iii) expanding, during reaction of the foam reactant materials, the foam reactant materials, using the blowing agent so as to form a foam body having cells defined therein and within which cells blowing agent is trapped; and (iv) collecting blowing agent not trapped within the foam body. Also disclosed herein is an apparatus for manufacturing a foam body. The collected blowing agent can be recycled/reused.

The process for forming closed cell expanded low density polyethylene foam includes the steps of: providing a mixture including low density polyethylene pellets and an effective amount of hydrocarbon scavenger additives or degassing agents, such as glycerides; adding a primary blowing agent comprising one of liquid propane, liquid butane, and combinations thereof, to the mixture and gasifying the blowing agent to expand the low density polyethylene; forming the expanded low density polyethylene into sheets, curing the expanded low density polyethylene until 80%, generally at least 99%, of the primary blowing agent is dissipated from cells within the expanded low density polyethylene forming evacuated closed cell low density polyethylene sheets.

The invention relates mold, particularly a mold for producing foam articles. In a preferred embodiment, the mold comprises a lid and a bowl releasingly engageable to define a mold cavity, the lid comprising: (i) a vent having a passageway for gas to escape from the mold cavity, and (ii) a plurality of grooves connected to the vent. The use of a plurality of grooves/slots in the mold cavity surface effectively acts as a siphon to draw gas away from the composition to be molded. The plurality of grooves/slots is connected to one or more vents which then allows for escape of the gas from the mold cavity to the exterior of the mold.

Methods for reducing the density of thermoplastic materials and the articles made therefrom having similar or improved mechanical properties to the solid or noncellular material. Also disclosed are improvements to foaming methods and the cellular structures of the foams made therefrom, and methods for altering the impact strength of solid or noncellular thermoplastic materials and the shaping of the materials into useful articles.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a solar cell module, comprising the steps of: placing a mixture solution comprising a polysiloxane and a curing agent in a humidified condition and sealing same; forming a polysiloxane film by curing the mixture solution; and manufacturing a porous polysiloxane film by evaporating water drops formed on the surface of the polysiloxane film. By applying the porous polysiloxane film manufactured by the present invention to a solar cell module, weight reduction and efficiency improvement effects of the solar cell module can be obtained.