Disclosed is an organic amine salt foaming agent, that is, a composite polyurethane foaming agent, comprising: 1) hexafluorobutene; and 2) an alkanolamine salt mixture (MAA), the alkanolamine salt mixture (MAA) contains an organic amine salt compound having the following general formula (I): A.sup.n[B.sup.m+].sub.p (I); wherein A.sup.n is one or two or three selected from the following anions: (b) carbonate: CO.sub.3.sup.2; (c) formate: HCOO.sup.; (d) bicarbonate: HOCOO.sup.. A polyurethane foaming method using carbon dioxide and an organic amine in combination is also disclosed, in which carbon dioxide is added to a polyurethane composition for foaming. A method for preparing an alkanolamine carbonate salt with low water content from ammonium carbonate and an epoxide is additionally disclosed, in which a liquid alkanolamine salt mixture is used as a dispersion medium or as a solvent for reaction raw material.

A total recycling system of capture, conversion and utilization of flue gas from factory, power plant and refinery. A combined decontamination and dust removal unit removes dust and oxides; a capture subsystem captures CO.sub.2; a water unit recovers water; a hydrogen unit decomposes water into hydrogen and oxygen, and the oxygen is fed into a water gas unit to support combustion and extract hydrogen; a conversion subsystem enables a catalytic reaction between CO.sub.2 and hydrogen to convert into methanol and diol; an utilization subsystem makes a supercritical CO.sub.2 nanocellulose slurry, then to be blended with other material particles and extruded to form a supercritical CO.sub.2 nanocellulose foam; an energy subsystem is configured with solar energy, wind energy, and supplements energy by means of residual heat and hydrogen power generation; the system achieve carbon dioxide emission's reduction, conversion and utilization, thoroughly improve air pollution and green house effects.

A sole structure for articles of footwear and a method of manufacturing them comprising at least one polymeric foamed component expanded through supercritical fluid (SCF) expansion of a shaped pre-expanded polymeric material. The polymeric foamed component may include apertures situated and fashioned in the formation of the pre-expanded polymeric material to promote uniform expansion and optimal curing conditions during the SCF expansion process. At least one polymeric foamed component having one set of physical properties that may be bound to or assembled in conjunction with one or more sole components having the same or another set of physical properties.

The invention refers to a method for producing expanded polymer pellets, which comprises the following steps: melting a polymer comprising a polyamide; adding at least one blowing agent; expanding the melt through at least one die for producing an expanded polymer; and pelletizing the expanded polymer. The invention further concerns polymer pellets produced with the method as well as their use, e.g. for the production of cushioning elements for sports apparel, such as for producing soles or parts of soles of sports shoes. A further aspect of the invention concerns a method for the manufacture of molded components, comprising loading pellets of an expanded polymer material into a mold, and connecting the pellets by providing heat energy, wherein the expanded polymer material of the pellets or beads comprises a chain extender. The molded components may be used in broad ranges of application.

Methods for manufacturing articles of footwear are provided. In various aspects, the methods comprise utilizing additive manufacturing methods with foam particles. In some aspects, the disclosed methods comprise selectively depositing a binding material on foam particles in a target area such that the binding material coats at least a portion of defining surfaces of the foam particles with the binding material. The binding material is then cured to affix foam particles in the target area to one another. In various aspects, the disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that differential levels of affixing between the foam particles, and thereby resulting in sub-regions with different properties such as density, resilience, and/or flexural modulus. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

The present invention provides a polymer composition for manufacturing a foam, the polymer composition comprising a vinyl aromatic based copolymer and a processing aid, wherein the amount of the processing aid in the total weight of the polymer composition is equal to or more than 5 wt % and equal to or less than 75 wt %; and the polymer composition does not comprise ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene--olefin copolymer, homopolymer and copolymer of polyethylene, homopolymer and copolymer of polypropylene, homopolymer and copolymer of polybutene and olefin-based ionic polymer. The present invention also provides the foam and the method for forming the same.

The present disclosure provides a process. The process includes (i) forming a composition containing a peroxide-modified ethylene-based polymer selected from the group consisting of a peroxide-modified ethylene/a-olefin multi-block copolymer, a peroxide-modified low density polyethylene, and combinations thereof; (ii) contacting the composition with a blowing agent to form a foam composition; and (iii) forming foam beads comprising the foam composition. The present disclosure also provides a foam bead produced by said process.

A footwear article is provided. The footwear article includes a shoe sole. The shoe sole includes a crosslinked foam polyolefin elastomer having a density less than 0.88 g/cm.sup.3, the crosslinked foam polyolefin elastomer including: a silane-grafted polyolefin elastomer, a silane-grafted olefin block copolymer, a polyolefin elastomer (POE), an olefin block copolymer (OBC), or a combination thereof; an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer; a crosslinker; a condensation catalyst; and a foaming agent. The shoe sole exhibits a compression set of from about 1.0% to about 50.0%, as measured according to ASTM D 395 (48 hrs @ 50 C.).

Methods to produce substantially closed cell foams with densities less than 0.75 g/cm.sup.3, and more preferably less than 0.5 g/cm.sup.3, without substantial loss of the polymer's weight average molecular weight, have been developed. The closed cells foams have an open cell content of generally less than 50%, and more preferably an open cell content of less than 20%, and the cells have a maximum diameter of less than 5 mm. The foam may include poly-4-hydroxybutyrate or a copolymer thereof. Preferably, the foam is derived by heating a foam polymer formula to a temperature above the melt temperature of the polymer to form a melt polymer system, adding a blowing agent to produce a foamable melt, extruding the foamable melt through a die to a lower pressure to cause foaming, cooling of the foam, and solidification of the foam. These foam structures can be used for fabrication of medical products.

The present disclosure relates to foam beads of an elastomeric composition comprising a propylene-based elastomer. The foam bead has a density of less than 0.5 g/cm.sup.3. The foam beads can be made from pellets of elastomeric compositions by expanding with supercritical fluid blowing agent. The foamed bead has reduced lightness while maintaining elasticity.