In a handrail including a carcass, a stretch inhibitor within the carcass, and a sliding layer bonded to the carcass, at least a portion of the carcass has a gas phase dispersed in a solid polymer matrix. The gas phase can reduce a density of the carcass by at least 5% or 10%, or about 15%, as compared to a density of the polymer matrix. The carcass can have a generally uniform distribution of gas bubbles in the polymer matrix, which can define a generally closed cell structure in the polymer matrix. The gas phase can be formed of particles of a syntactic foam dispersed in the polymer matrix. The handrail can further include a cover. The carcass and the cover can be formed of thermoplastic materials, and the cover can represent between 10 and 30% of the overall TPU required for the handrail.

A method of making a foamed article comprises (a) milling a block or sheet of thermoplastic polymer to form a precursor; (b) crosslinking the thermoplastic polymer; (c) heating the precursor to a first temperature to soften the thermoplastic polymer; (d) infusing the thermoplastic polymer with at least one inert gas at a first pressure that is sufficient to cause the at least one inert gas to permeate into the softened thermoplastic polymer; and (e) while the thermoplastic polymer is softened, reducing the pressure to a second pressure below the first pressure to at least partially foam the precursor into a foamed article, wherein the foamed article is substantially the same shape as the precursor.

A method of making a foamed article comprises (a) milling a block or sheet of thermoplastic polymer to form a precursor; (b) crosslinking the thermoplastic polymer; (c) heating the precursor to a first temperature to soften the thermoplastic polymer; (d) infusing the thermoplastic polymer with at least one inert gas at a first pressure that is sufficient to cause the at least one inert gas to permeate into the softened thermoplastic polymer; and (e) while the thermoplastic polymer is softened, reducing the pressure to a second pressure below the first pressure to at least partially foam the precursor into a foamed article, wherein the foamed article is substantially the same shape as the precursor.

A method of molding a sole (6) in vulcanized foam rubber for footwear, includes preparing a rubber in the form of a strip, preformed and/or granules, mixing the rubber inside a loading and mixing chamber (10), and preparing a mold (4) for the molding of a footwear sole (6). The mold (4) defines a molding chamber (8) counter-shaped with respect to a footwear sole (6). The mixed material is conveyed inside the molding chamber (8) and molding the footwear sole (6) inside the molding chamber (8) and the footwear sole (6) is removed from the mold (4). The rubber includes a foaming agent able to generate an expansion of the material inside the molding chamber (8) during molding, so as to uniformly fill the molding chamber (8) with the foam rubber. The foam material is vulcanized inside the molding chamber (8).

A method of making a foamed article comprises (a) milling a block or sheet of thermoplastic polymer to form a precursor; (b) crosslinking the thermoplastic polymer; (c) heating the precursor to a first temperature to soften the thermoplastic polymer; (d) infusing the thermoplastic polymer with at least one inert gas at a first pressure that is sufficient to cause the at least one inert gas to permeate into the softened thermoplastic polymer; and (e) while the thermoplastic polymer is softened, reducing the pressure to a second pressure below the first pressure to at least partially foam the precursor into a foamed article, wherein the foamed article is substantially the same shape as the precursor.