A resin composition containing heat-expandable microspheres including a thermoplastic resin shell and a thermally vaporizable blowing agent encapsulated therein and at least one base resin selected from rubbers, olefin resins and thermoplastic elastomers. The thermoplastic resin is a polymer of a polymerizable component containing N-substituted maleimide and a nitrile monomer containing methacrylonitrile. Also disclosed are molded articles manufactured by molding the resin composition.

A thermoplastic resin foam including a thermoplastic resin, wherein: the thermoplastic resin includes a polyester resin and a polyimide resin, and the thermoplastic resin foam shows a single glass transition temperature Tg. The glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic resin is preferably 80 to 130° C. An absolute value of difference between heat absorption and heat generation, each determined by heat flux differential scanning calorimetry at a heating rate of 10° C./min, is preferably 3 to 35 J/g.

Foamed acrylic materials using both traditional chemical blowing agents as well as foamable microspheres. The acrylic foams have improved density reduction, optical properties, and insulation properties. The acrylic foams can be formed by traditional melt processing methods (extrusion, blow molding, etc.) as well as innovative foaming methods, such as foaming during or after polymerization. One method involves the use of expandable microspheres blended with monomers, the monomers then polymerized through bulk polymerization in cell cast, infusion, or compression molding processes. This method can be effectively used to produce composite foam structures.

A building panel has a deep drawn transparent film having an inner face and a structure having solar cells on the inner face of the deep-drawn film. The structure has an inner face turned away from the film and an outer face on or closely juxtaposed with the inner face of the film. A reinforcement layer constituted as a mass of foamed granular particles is spread over the inner face of the structure in direct contact with the inner face of the structure without the interposition of an adhesive and is heat cured to the film.

The present invention relates to a copolymer having polyamide blocks and having polyether blocks (PEBA) which can be used for the manufacture of an article, preferably a foamed article. The invention also relates to expanded particles prepared from said copolymer and to the manufacture of a foamed article from said expanded particles.

A method for producing a foam-molded shoe component includes the steps of: providing a polymer granulate; pre-treating the polymer granulate including binding to or in the polymer granulate a physical propellant in an autoclave at a first pressure and a first temperature; and foaming the pre-treated polymer granulate including melting the polymer granulate to produce a molten polymer composition, and foaming the molten polymer composition as a result of the expansion of the physical propellant.

A method of forming a polymeric vacuum insulation board is provided, the polymeric vacuum insulation board including a plurality of evacuated, closed-cell pores therein. In one embodiment, the method includes intermixing a polymer with zeolite particles that contain water and extruding the resulting composition under high pressure. During extrusion, water in the zeolite particles evaporates and creates a porous, closed-cell microstructure within a polymer matrix. As the polymer matrix cools and solidifies, water vapor is reabsorbed by the zeolite, which at least partially evacuates the closed-cell pores. In another embodiment, the method includes intermixing a polymer with expandable graphite particles and extruding the resulting composition under high pressure. During extrusion, the expandable graphite particles define evacuated voids. The polymer binder can be selected to include low gas permeance, for example ethylene vinyl alcohol (EvOH) or polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC). In some applications, the polymer can be blended with nano-clays or other additives to further decrease the gas permeance of the vacuum insulation board.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of a composite article comprising a structured porous body (PB) and a particle foam (PF), wherein the provided structured porous body (PB) is inserted into a mould (M) and the mould (M) is filled with expanded foam beads (EFB) so that the expanded foam beads (EFB) are in contact with each other and the structured porous body (PB) is at least partially in contact with the expanded foam beads (EFB). Then, the expanded foam beads (EFB) are thermally welded, wherein the particle foam (PF) is built and the composite article is obtained. Moreover, the present invention relates to a composite article obtained by this process, as well as to a composite article comprising a structured porous body (PB) and a particle foam (PF). The present invention further relates to the use of the inventive composite articles in the shoe industry, in the sports and leisure sector, in vehicle construction, in the medical sector, in mechanical engineering and in the logistics sector. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a composite article comprising a structured porous body (PB) and a foam (F), wherein the structured porous body (PB) and the foam (F) comprise the same polymer (P).

Planters are provided. The planters include one or more molded foam articles that are formed from polylactic acid. Forming the molded foam articles from polylactic acid advantageously enables air and water transport through the walls of the planter, reduces the overall weight of the planter, enables highly customizable shapes and sizes of planters, and enables compostability of the planter.

Device (1) for processing a particle foam material for producing a particle foam molded part, comprising: at least one functional unit (2), through at least portions of which at least one working medium that is or can be used in the operation of the device (1) flows or can flow during operation of the device (1), at least one supply unit (7) for supplying the or at least one working medium that is or can be used in the operation of the device (1) to the at least one functional unit (2), at least one discharge unit (10) for discharging the or at least one working medium that is or can be used in the operation of the device (1) from the at least one functional unit (2), at least one preparation unit (13) which is or can be connected to the at least one supply unit (7) and/or to the at least one discharge unit (10) and is designed for preparing the or at least one working medium that is or can be used in the operation of the device (1).