The present invention relates to expanded thermoplastic polyurethane beads, a preparation method for same, and an application thereof. The expanded thermoplastic polyurethane beads consists of components of the following parts by weight: 100 parts of a thermoplastic polyurethane, 1-10 parts of a cell size stabilizer, and 1-35 parts of a melt viscosity modifier. The preparation method for the expanded thermoplastic polyurethane beads is also disclosed. The bead is produced by employing a volatile blowing agent to immerse the thermoplastic polyurethane, comprising the pore size stabilizer and the melt viscosity modifier, in an aqueous suspension, and is then followed by the foaming process. Utilization of the expanded thermoplastic polyurethane beads of the present invention allows for preparation of a foam product. The expanded thermoplastic polyurethane beads prepared per the present invention has uniform cell sizes and a high product yield. At the same time, the expanded thermoplastic polyurethane bead provides a great sintering performance even at a relatively low vapor pressure, a molded foam product has a small deformation, a low dimensional shrinkage ratio relative to a mold, great dimensional stability, and an aesthetically appealing appearance.

Provided is a shoe sole member partially or entirely formed by a crosslinked foam, wherein the crosslinked foam shows specific results of pulsed NMR measurement.

One object of the present invention is to provide a polyolefin resin foam which does not have a difference between the front side and the back side on the top and bottom surfaces which sandwich in the thickness direction the foam which is excellent in flexibility, buffer property, and heat insulation property despite its thinness, and which can be used suitably in the fields of architecture, electricity, electronics, vehicles, and the like as a variety of heat-resistant sealing materials. The surface hardness of the foam measured by a micro rubber hardness tester is 30° or more and 70° or less, and the centerline average roughness Ra75 of a first surface portion on one side of the foam in the thickness direction and of a second surface portion on the other side of the foam in the thickness direction is 5 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

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.

Provided is a shoe sole member partially or entirely made of a resin composite in which a plurality of resin foam particles, and one or a plurality of non-foamed elastic bodies having an initial elastic modulus at 23° C. being smaller than that of the resin foam particles are integrated together. Also provided is a shoe including the shoe sole member.

The present disclosure relates to a pressure sensitive adhesive foam comprising a rubber-based elastomeric material and at least one hydrocarbon tackifier, wherein the hydrocarbon tackifier(s) have a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) value of less than 1000 ppm and a Volatile Fogging Compound (FOG) value of less than 1500 ppm, when measured by thermogravimetric analysis according to the weight loss test methods described in the experimental section. The present disclosure also relates to a method of manufacturing such a pressure sensitive adhesive foam and uses thereof.

A foamed article is made by infusing the article of thermoplastic elastomer with a supercritical fluid, then removing the article from the supercritical fluid and either (i) immersing the article in a heated fluid or (ii) irradiating the article with infrared or microwave radiation.

In an injection molded product of the invention, an unevenness forming portion having unevenness formed by thermal expansion of thermally expandable capsules is formed. The injection molded product includes a highly expanded portion that is formed at a surface side of the unevenness forming portion in a thickness direction of the injection molded product and in which the thermally expandable capsules are thermally expanded, and a main body portion that is a portion adjacent to the highly expanded portion in the thickness direction and in which the thermally expandable capsules are substantially not thermally expanded. The thickness of the highly expanded portion is a half or smaller than the thickness of the injection molded product in the unevenness forming portion, and a polymer material of the highly expanded portion and a polymer material of the main body portion are the same polymer material.

The present invention provides methods for surface-modifying a rubber vulcanizate or a thermoplastic elastomer, which can cost-effectively provide a variety of functions, such as sliding properties, according to the application. The present invention relates to a method for surface-modifying a rubber vulcanizate or a thermoplastic elastomer as a target for modification, the method including: step 1 of forming polymerization initiation points on a surface of the modification target; and step 2 of radically polymerizing a non-functional monomer, starting from the polymerization initiation points, to grow non-functional polymer chains, and then radically polymerizing a fluoropolyether segment-containing functional monomer to grow functional polymer chains.

The present disclosure relates to methods for making elastomeric laminates that may be used as components of absorbent articles. The elastomeric laminates may include a first substrate, a second substrate, and an elastic material located between the first and second substrates. During assembly of an elastomeric laminate, a beam is rotated to unwind the elastic strands from the beam, wherein the strands may include a spin finish. First bonds are applied to bond discrete lengths of the stretched elastic strands with and between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the discrete first bonds are arranged intermittently along the machine direction. In addition, second bonds are applied between consecutive first bonds to bond the first and second substrates directly to each other, wherein the second bonds extend in the machine direction and may be separated from each other in a cross direction by at least one elastic strand.