The present invention relates to a foamed sintered polymeric material with improved mechanical properties and a process for the preparation thereof comprising the following steps: providing an expandable polymeric material in the form of granules, solubilizing with a time-varying pressure profile said one or more blowing agents in the expandable polymeric material, expanding said granules to form said expanded beads by instantly releasing the pressure or by pressure release and subsequent heating, and sintering together said expanded beads, preferably at a temperature higher than 30° C.

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 method for producing expanded particles having a high expansion ratio by a pressure-release expansion with a simpler configuration and at a low facility cost is provided. A production device includes an expansion cylinder being provided with a connecting port that connects with open-system branch cylinder and having a space of a saturated steam atmosphere. The space of a saturated steam atmosphere may be a different space from a space inside the branch cylinder. A temperature (T1) inside the expansion chamber exceeds 102° C. and is not higher than a higher one of 108° C. and a temperature obtained by a melting point Tm of a thermoplastic resin minus 14° C. A temperature (T2) at a connecting port is not lower than 100° C., and the temperature (T1) is higher than the temperature (T2).

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.

The invention discloses a horizontal supercritical fluid foaming autoclave with an internal stirring device, comprising a horizontal autoclave body, an end cover, a stirring driver and a stirring paddle, wherein a stirring shaft of the stirring driver passes through the autoclave body and is connected with the stirring paddle positioned inside the autoclave body. The stirring driver of the invention can drive the stirring paddle to rotate, drive the fluid in the autoclave body to generate convection circulation, increase convection heat transfer, improve a uniform distribution degree of the temperature in the autoclave, enable the temperature in each position in the autoclave body to be consistent, ensure the consistency of the shape and parameters of foamed products, and improve the yield of the products.

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.

Provided is a resin foam which has high stress dispersibility and is excellent in heat resistance. The resin foam of the present invention is a resin foam having a cell structure, wherein the resin foam has an apparent density of from 0.05 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.50 g/cm.sup.3, wherein the resin foam has a 50% compression load of from 2.0 N/cm.sup.2 to 30 N/cm.sup.2, and wherein the resin foam has an apparent density D (g/cm.sup.3) and a residue R (%) at 650° C. satisfying a relationship of the following expression (1).

1≤{(100−R)/D}/100≤10   (1)

A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapling instrument includes a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples and a cartridge deck. The staple cartridge assembly also includes a compressible adjunct positionable against the cartridge deck, wherein the staples are deployable into tissue captured against the compressible adjunct, and wherein the compressible adjunct comprises a first biocompatible layer comprising a first portion, a second biocompatible layer comprising a second portion, and crossed spacer fibers extending between the first portion and the second portion.

A method produces porous materials by expansion of polymer gels. The porous materials can be a micro- or nano-porous polymer materials.

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 imparted 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.