A monolithic injection molded plastic part including an interior core, a surface formed as a monolithic structure with the interior core, and a distribution of hollow cells formed within the interior core during an injection molding process from a blowing agent and methods for making the same are provided. Such methods include preparing a mixture of unmelted plastic resin, filler agent, and blowing agent, melting the mixture into a viscous combination using a standard injection molding machine, injecting a set amount of the viscous combination into a hollow cavity of an injection mold secured within the standard injection molding machine, and holding the set amount of the viscous combination in the hollow cavity at a low pressure for a hold time until the viscous combination sets into a monolithic structure at least partially filling the hollow cavity and the blowing agent forms a distribution of hollow cells throughout the monolithic structure.

An article includes a thermoplastic resin, a metal-resin composite particle, and a pore and a method of manufacturing the article. The metal-resin composite particle includes a metal deposition layer, a first coating layer positioned on one side of the metal deposition layer, and a second coating layer positioned on the other side of the metal deposition layer, and the first and second layers include a thermosetting resin respectively.

A method for manufacturing a foamed fabric includes providing a fabric which includes at least one layer including a plurality of first foamable filaments made from a first foamable polymeric material, infusing the fabric with a supercritical fluid in a pressurized vessel, subjecting the infused fabric to a depressurizing process to permit the at least one layer to undergo an initial stage of foaming so as to obtain a pre-foamed fabric, placing the pre-foamed fabric in a mold cavity, and heating the mold cavity to obtain a molded foamed fabric.

A foamed article is made by infusing the article of thermoplastic elastomer with a supercritical fluid, then removing the article from the supercritical fluid and either (i) immersing the article in a heated fluid or (ii) irradiating the article with infrared or microwave radiation.

The present disclosure relates to a method for preparing a foamed structure, comprising: providing a preform prepared from one or more of thermoplastic materials, in which the preform has corresponding shape of the foamed structure; subjecting the preform to a first treatment with a first supercritical fluid at a first temperature and a first pressure; optionally, subjecting the preform treated with the first supercritical fluid to a second treatment with a second supercritical fluid at a second temperature and a second pressure; and foaming the resulting preform into a structure having predetermined shape and size.

The present invention provides a continuous process for solid-state expansion of a biopolymer, e.g., polylactic acid, which can be used to manufacture reduced-density thermoplastic materials with improved physical and thermal properties. By incorporating multiple stages of heating into the process as a means to regulate heat flux, unprecedented control of microstructure and crystallinity can be achieved. Thermoplastic sheets with the distinct cellular characteristics implied by the process disclosed herein were found to be thicker and stronger than materials prepared by conventional processes. Thermoforming sheets with such characteristics enabled the production of light-weight thermally-stable, compostable products that resist warping, and are thus suitable for a range of industrial applications.

Foamed articles including a foamed thermoplastic elastomeric material, methods of making the foamed articles, and methods for manufacturing articles of footwear, apparel, and athletic equipment incorporating such foamed articles are provided. In one aspect, a method for making a foamed article comprises placing an article comprising a foamable material and carbon dioxide in a vessel, maintaining the vessel at a first pressure and first temperature at which the carbon dioxide is a liquid and carbon dioxide is soluble in the foamable material, optionally exposing the infused article to a second temperature and second pressure, and subjecting the article to a third pressure and third temperature at which the infused carbon dioxide phase transitions to a gas, thereby expanding the foamable material into a foamed material and forming the foamed article.

A method of making a foamed article, for example a foamed component for an article or footwear, comprises depositing an unfoamed, thermoplastic polymer onto a support surface in a three-dimensional printing process to form an unfoamed article; heating the article to soften the article and infusing the softened article with at least one inert gas at a first pressure greater than atmospheric pressure that is sufficient to cause the at least one inert gas to permeate into the softened article; and reducing the pressure to second pressure below the first pressure while the article is softened to at least partially foam the article, wherein a surface of a partial mold limits foam expansion in at least one direction but less than all directions. The article or a part of the article may be made by printing a thermoplastic polymeric material with a three-dimensional printer in a structure of interconnected, unfoamed, thermoplastic polymeric members spaced to define openings between the thermoplastic polymeric members.

The invention disclosed herein relates to relates to foamed thermoplastic material objects and articles of manufacture having an internal layered cellular structure, as well as to methods of making the same. In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a multi-layer foamed polymeric article of manufacture, comprising: a non-laminated multi-layer thermoplastic material sheet, wherein the multi-layer thermoplastic material sheet has first and second discrete outer layers sandwiching a plurality of discrete inner foamed layers, and wherein the two outer layers and plurality discrete inner foamed layers are integral with one another. The thermoplastic material may be a semi-crystalline polymer such as, for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEEK (polyetheretherketone), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PLA (polylactide), polyhydroxy acid (PHA), thermoplastic urethane (TPU), or blends thereof. The two outer layers may be unfoamed skin layers having smooth outer surfaces, and the discrete inner foamed layers may be microcellular.

A method for producing expanded thermoplastic polymeric (eTP) material and tuning the density of the eTP during the process of producing said eTP wherein the density of the eTP material can be decreased by increasing the partial pressure of the at least one gas which is soluble in the TP material and/or by increasing the total pressure during the charging step.