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).

The invention relates to a process for production of expanded pellets from a polymer melt comprising a blowing agent, said process comprising the steps of: a) pressing the polymer melt comprising a blowing agent through a perforated disk controlled to a temperature between 150 C. and 280 C. and into a pelletizing chamber, b) using a cutting device to comminute the polymer melt pressed through the temperature-controlled perforated disk into individual expanding pellets, c) discharging the pellets from the pelletizing chamber using a liquid stream,
wherein the blowing agent comprises CO.sub.2 or N.sub.2 or a combination of CO.sub.2 and N.sub.2 and the pelletizing chamber is traversed by a stream of liquid which is controlled to a temperature between 10 C. and 60 C. and the pressure of which is from 0.7 bar to 20 bar above ambient pressure, the pressure and temperature for the liquid in the pelletizing chamber and also the temperature for the perforated disk being chosen such that the pellets are expanded in the pressurized liquid by the blowing agent they contain so as to produce expanded pellets having an uninterrupted skin.

The invention relates to a process for production of expanded pellets from a polymer melt comprising a blowing agent, said process comprising the steps of: a) pressing the polymer melt comprising a blowing agent through a perforated disk controlled to a temperature between 150 C. and 280 C. and into a pelletizing chamber, b) using a cutting device to comminute the polymer melt pressed through the temperature-controlled perforated disk into individual expanding pellets, c) discharging the pellets from the pelletizing chamber using a liquid stream,
wherein the blowing agent comprises CO.sub.2 or N.sub.2 or a combination of CO.sub.2 and N.sub.2 and the pelletizing chamber is traversed by a stream of liquid which is controlled to a temperature between 10 C. and 60 C. and the pressure of which is from 0.7 bar to 20 bar above ambient pressure, the pressure and temperature for the liquid in the pelletizing chamber and also the temperature for the perforated disk being chosen such that the pellets are expanded in the pressurized liquid by the blowing agent they contain so as to produce expanded pellets having an uninterrupted skin.

Polyethylene-based resin foamed particles are obtained having good productivity, achieve an increase in foaming ratio, and in which a miniaturization of the average cell diameter is suppressed. A polyethylene-based resin in-mold-foam-molded body using the foamed particles is reduced in yellowing of the surface of the molded body and has favorable surface beauty (surface smoothness). The foamed particles contain, as a base resin, a polyethylene-based resin composition containing 1000 ppm or more and 4000 ppm or less in total of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, metal stearates, and inorganic substances and 50 ppm or more and 20000 ppm or less of hydrophilic compounds, in which the Z average molecular weight is 3010.sup.4 or more and 10010.sup.4 or less, the surface layer film thickness is 11 m or more and 120 m or less, and the open-cell ratio is 12% or less.

Various uses of fluoroalkenes, including tetrafluoropropenes, particularly (HFO-1336) in a variety of applications, including as blowing agents for integral skin foams are disclosed.

The present invention relates to a crash pad for a vehicle and a manufacturing method thereof. In one embodiment, the method for manufacturing the crash pad for the vehicle comprises a step of injecting a skin foam-forming composition between a lower mold having a color coating layer formed thereon and an upper mold having a core layer formed thereon, foaming the injected skin foam-forming composition to form a skin foam layer, wherein the color coating layer is formed by applying the color coating composition to the inside surface of the lower mold and curing the applied color coating composition.

This disclosure provides an article having a density of from 0.03 to 0.45 g/cc and including a plurality of anisotropic tubular particles that are randomly oriented in the article. The tubular particles include a thermoplastic elastomer foam and a polymer disposed on an exterior surface of the thermoplastic elastomer foam as an outermost layer of the particles. Each of the thermoplastic elastomer foam and the polymer independently has a softening temperature determined according to DIN ISO306. The softening temperature of the polymer is at least 5 C. lower than the softening temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer foam.

This disclosure provides an article having a density of from 0.03 to 0.45 g/cc and including a plurality of anisotropic tubular particles that are randomly oriented in the article. The tubular particles include a thermoplastic elastomer foam and a polymer disposed on an exterior surface of the thermoplastic elastomer foam as an outermost layer of the particles. Each of the thermoplastic elastomer foam and the polymer independently has a softening temperature determined according to DIN ISO306. The softening temperature of the polymer is at least 5 C. lower than the softening temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer foam.

Described herein is a process for producing molded non-crosslinked polymer materials including at least one at least partially coated surface, where a coating composition having release agent properties is used to coat the non-crosslinking polymer material. The coated materials show good optical properties as well as a good mechanical stability as well as a high flexibility. Further described herein are molded non-crosslinked polymer materials including at least one at least partially coated surface, which are produced by the process.

Described herein is a process for producing molded non-crosslinked polymer materials including at least one at least partially coated surface, where a coating composition having release agent properties is used to coat the non-crosslinking polymer material. The coated materials show good optical properties as well as a good mechanical stability as well as a high flexibility. Further described herein are molded non-crosslinked polymer materials including at least one at least partially coated surface, which are produced by the process.