A method of sub-ambient pressure processing of blow-molded polymer foams and skin-over-foam sandwich panel configurations for lightweight components having improved structural properties. The method can create either skinned or un-skinned foams that offer smooth interior and exterior surfaces, zero or controlled surface porosity, skins of pre-defined thickness, and foam cells that are expanded and oriented normal to the material plane, effectively spherical or polyhedral in nature, and offering improved bending and compressive strength.

In a method for producing a pipe made of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, two workpieces of the material are provided. The workpieces are introduced into a tool having a core and two part molds surrounding the core. The workpieces are heated and shaped between the core and the part molds to give a structural part of the pipe. The core is removed from the structural parts, the structural parts being held on the part molds, and joining regions of the structural parts are oriented towards one another. The structural parts are joined to one another in the joining regions to form the pipe. The pipe is released from the part molds, wherein the part molds are moved away from one another after shaping in order to remove the core, and are then moved back together in order to orient the structural parts towards one another.

A blow molded part is provided that includes a first portion consisting of a reinforced resin and a second portion consisting of a non-reinforced resin. The reinforced resin may be fiber-reinforced, and the non-reinforced resin may be a neat resin. In one form, the first portion and the second portion define first and second trim areas, respectively, and the second trim area is directly recyclable. In another form, the second portion comprises a material consisting of a non-reinforced resin and/or a reinforced resin, where the modulus of elasticity of the first portion is higher than the modulus of elasticity of the second portion. Furthermore, a method of forming a blow molded part is provided.

A blow-molded foam is provided by foaming and blow-molding the resin material including a polyethylene resin. The foamed resin includes the antioxidant by 300 ppm or more in total. The antioxidant is preferably the combination of a phosphorus antioxidant and a phenolic antioxidant. The optimum amount of phosphorus antioxidant to be included is 250 ppm to 3000 ppm, and that of phenolic antioxidant is 250 ppm to 750 ppm. In the manufacture, the collected resin material and the resin including 300 ppm or more of the antioxidant are melted and kneaded and the foaming agent is mixed thereto to provide the foamed resin, and the foamed resin is blow-molded.

An inlet duct for an internal combustion engine includes a duct member made of a compression molded fiber material. The duct member includes a main body and end portions provided on opposite sides in an axial direction of the main body. The main body includes at least one high-compression portion and at least one low-compression portion, which is made through compression molding at a compression ratio lower than that of the at least one high-compression portion. The at least one low-compression portion extends throughout a length in the axial direction of the main body.

Disclosed herein is a baffle for regulating air flow around an object. The baffle can be of unitary construction and can be made by a single shot injection molding process. The baffle can have an edge portion that is more flexible than the base portion. The baffle has also can have a base portion with a base portion thickness and an edge portion with an edge portion thickness that is less than the base portion thickness. A method of making a baffle by an injection molding process is also disclosed.

A method of sub-ambient pressure processing of blow-molded polymer foams and skin-over-foam sandwich panel configurations for lightweight components having improved structural properties. The method can create either skinned or un-skinned foams that offer smooth interior and exterior surfaces, zero or controlled surface porosity, skins of pre-defined thickness, and foam cells that are expanded and oriented normal to the material plane, effectively spherical or polyhedral in nature, and offering improved bending and compressive strength.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a foam molding resin containing LDPE capable of enhancing foaming magnification. According to the present invention, there is provided a foam molding resin containing low-density polyethylene, wherein the low-density polyethylene has a melt tension of 100 to 250 mN and a shear viscosity of 350 to 450 Pa.Math.s.

A blow-molded foam is provided by foaming and blow-molding the resin material including a polyethylene resin. The foamed resin includes the antioxidant by 300 ppm or more in total. The antioxidant is preferably the combination of a phosphorus antioxidant and a phenolic antioxidant. The optimum amount of phosphorus antioxidant to be included is 250 ppm to 3000 ppm, and that of phenolic antioxidant is 250 ppm to 750 ppm. In the manufacture, the collected resin material and the resin including 300 ppm or more of the antioxidant are melted and kneaded and the foaming agent is mixed thereto to provide the foamed resin, and the foamed resin is blow-molded.

The present invention relates to molded foam having no hollow space caused in a plate-shaped portion. The molded foam comprises a tube body and a plate-shaped portion joined to the outer side of the tube body. The expansion ratio of the molded foam is lower than two, and a value of a thickness B/a thickness A as a relationship between the thickness A of the tube body at the periphery of a point joined to the plate-shaped portion and the thickness B of the plate-shaped portion is less than 2.82.