The thermoplastic elastomer composition contains a thermoplastic elastomer and a pigment.

The invention relates to a method for producing a moulded part (50) by structural foam moulding, in which a polymer melt (18) is provided by melting a thermoplastic material, in which the polymer melt (18) is charged with a foaming agent (22) and in which the polymer melt (18) charged with the foaming agent (22) is injected under pressure into a cavity (26) of a mould (28), and so the polymer melt (18) fills the cavity (26) behind a melt front (34) running through the cavity (26), wherein the rate of injection at which the polymer melt (18) is injected into the cavity (26) of the mould (28) is set such that the internal pressure of the polymer melt (18) in the cavity (26), in a region (40) that follows a portion of the melt front (34) with a time delay of at most 0.15 seconds, is greater than the critical pressure of the foaming agent (22), at least at one point in time during the injection-moulding operation. The invention also relates to a moulded part (50) of an expanded thermoplastic material, wherein the moulded part (50) has a surface region with visual structuring formed by the expanded thermoplastic material of which the average ratio of the degrees of gloss measured in the direction of flow in relation to the degrees of gloss measured transversely to the direction of flow is below 1.9, preferably below 1.5, in particular below 1.2. The invention also relates to uses of such a moulded part.

Methods of making fiber reinforced composite articles are described. The methods may include treating fibers with a sizing composition that includes a polymerization compound, and introducing the treated fibers to a pre-polymerized composition. The combination of the treated fibers and pre-polymerized composition may then undergo a temperature adjustment to a polymerization temperature at which the pre-polymerized composition polymerizes into a plastic around the fibers to form the fiber-reinforced composite article. Techniques for introducing the treated fibers to the pre-polymerized composition may include pultrusion, filament winding, reactive injection molding (RIM), structural reactive injection molding (SRIM), resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), long fiber injection (LFI), sheet molding compound (SMC) molding, bulk molding compound (BMC) molding, a spray-up application, and/or a hand lay-up application, among other techniques.

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.

A hybrid woven textile for reinforcing a polymer matrix of a composite material that includes inorganic fibers selected from glass fibers, basalt fibers, carbon fibers, ceramic fibers, quartz fibers and silica fibers, and natural organic fibers, characterized in that the inorganic fibers and the natural organic fibers are co-woven, co-braided or co-knitted with one another.

Disclosed is a multi-layer body with high weathering resistance comprising (a) a substrate layer containing at least one thermoplastic polymer (b) one cover layer on at least one side of the substrate layer, characterized in that the substrate layer further contains: (a1) at 0.02 wt. % to 0.2 wt %, at least one colorant on the basis of anthraquinone of structure (1) or (2) with structure (1), R1 and R2 standing, independently of each other, for H, OH, OR5 NH2 and NHR5, R5 being selected from alkyl, cycloalkyl, phenyl and substituted and annulated phenyls, and R3 standing for H, alkyl, alkoxy, and R4 standing for H, OH and p-methylphenyl-NH—; and with structure (2): (a2) at 0.01 wt % to 1.00 wt. %, one or a plurality of demolders, and the cover layer consisting of a coating on the basis of polysiloxane or on the basis of polyacrylate or on the basis of polyurethane acrylate, containing at least one UV-absorber and having a layer thickness of 2-15 [mu]m.

The number of composite material layers laminated to realize a preset thickness of a substrate, for example, a web portion of a panel structural body is referred to as a reference lamination number. Doubler layers that are the composite material layers added to the reference lamination number are laminated in at least a rib base bottom portion of the substrate. Reinforced fibers that includes basic layers and the doubler layers reach a tip portion of the rib. Filler layers that are composite material layers located only at a portion corresponding to a filler region may be laminated in the rib base bottom portion in addition to the doubler layers.

Provided are composite particles in which reinforcing fibers adhere to the surface of thermoplastic resin expanded beads via a thermosetting resin being in an uncured state, a cured product of the composite particles, an in-mold molded article of the composite particles, a laminate of the composite particles and a reinforcing fiber sheet material, a composite of the composite particles, and a method for producing composite particles.

Disclosed is a method for molding a foamed article, such as a midsole or outsole for footwear, in which first water, then a desired amount of thermoplastic polyurethane foam beads are placed in a compression mold in the shape of the article and the mold is brought to a peak temperature of from about 130° C. to about 180° C. over a period of from about 300 to about 1500 seconds, then cooled to from about 5° C. to about 80° C. over a period of from about 300 to about 1500 seconds within about 30 seconds after the peak temperature is reached. The foamed article made by the method has a density of from about 0.1 to about 0.45 g/cm.sup.3.

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 an infusing pressure and infusing 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 first intermediary holding temperature and first intermediary holding pressure, and subjecting the article to an expanding pressure and expanding 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.