The present disclosure provides advantageous graphene/graphite stabilized composites (e.g., graphene/graphite stabilized emulsion-templated foam composites), and improved methods for fabricating such graphene/graphite stabilized composites. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved methods for fabricating pristine, graphene/graphite/polymer composite foams derived from emulsions stabilized by graphene/graphite kinetic trapping. In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides that, instead of viewing the insolubility of pristine graphene/graphite as an obstacle to be overcome, it is utilized as a means to create or fabricate water/oil emulsions, with graphene/graphite stabilizing the spheres formed. These emulsions are then the frameworks used to make foam composites that have shown bulk conductivities up to about 2 S/m, as well as compressive moduli up to about 100 MPa and breaking strengths of over 1200 psi, with densities as low as about 0.25 g/cm.sup.3.

A polymer composition including a crosslinkable thermoplastic matrix, a crosslinking agent, a blowing agent, and at least one cell opener is provided. A method of producing an open cell polymer foam from the polymer composition is also provided. The method includes heating a foamable precursor under positive pressure to a temperature greater than a decomposition temperature of the crosslinking agent and below a decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent to produce a primary foam. Then, the method includes heating the primary foam to a temperature greater than the decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent and then allowing the primary foam to cool to a temperature below a softening temperature of the crosslinkable thermoplastic polymer to form the open cell polymer foam. The produced open cell polymer foam has an open cell content of at least 80% immediately following the step of allowing the primary foam to cool.

A variety of foams and foam components are provided, including foam components for articles of footwear and athletic equipment. The articles include a composition having a foam structure, wherein the composition includes a thermoplastic copolyester elastomer comprising: (a) a plurality of first segments, each first segment derived from a dihydroxy-terminated polydiol; (b) a plurality of second segments, each second segment derived from a diol; and (c) a plurality of third segments, each third segment derived from an aromatic dicarboxylic acid. Methods of making the compositions and foams are provided, as well as methods of making an article of footwear including at least one of the foam components. In some aspects, the foams and foam components can be made by extrusion or injection molding to foam the polymeric composition, or extrusion or injection molding to foam the polymeric composition followed by compression molding of the foam.

A method of manufacturing a hydrophobic/oleophobic material comprises providing an open cell structure having a plurality of interconnected cells and providing a resin solution containing nanoparticles. The resin solution containing nanoparticles is introduced into, and is cured within, the interconnected cells of the open cell structure. By curing the resin solution containing nanoparticles within the interconnected cells of the open cell structure, a highly hydrophobic/oleophobic material can be produced which exhibits isotropic properties.

A method for modifying a cellular polymer foam with apparent porosity, which includes providing a cellular polymer foam with apparent porosity, placing the cellular polymer foam in contact with at least one compound in order to obtain a cellular polymer foam including on the surface thereof an intermediate phase formed from the compound having at least one catechol unit. The foam may be used as a catalyst substrate.

A variety of forms and foam components are provided, including foam components for articles of footwear and athletic equipment. The articles include a composition having a foam structure, wherein the composition includes a thermoplastic copolyester elastomer comprising: (a) a plurality of first segments, each first segment derived from a dihydroxy-terminated polydiol; (b) a plurality of second segments, each second segment derived from a diol; and (c) a plurality of third segments, each third segment derived from an aromatic dicarboxylic acid. Methods of making the compositions and foams are provided, as well as methods of making an article of footwear including at least one of the foam components. In some aspects, the foams and foam components can be made by extrusion or injection molding to foam the polymeric composition, or extrusion or injection molding to foam the polymeric composition followed by compression molding of the foam.

An expansion joint seal system with a water-activated impregnation solute, and a body of an open-celled and resiliently-compressible foam, where the volume of the water-activated impregnation solute may be combined on-site and on-demand with water and manually impregnated into the body of the foam for insertion.

A porous sound absorbing material having an average cell size of 100 to 600 μm and an apparent density of 40 to 140 kg/m.sup.3. A sound absorption method using this porous sound absorbing material.

Described herein is a process for preparing a foam (FA) with a Poisson's ratio in the range of from −0.5 to 0.3, the method including the steps of providing a foam (F1) with a flow resistance in the range of from 3000 to 8000 Pas/m, determined according to DIN EN 29053, and subjecting the foam (F1) to thermoforming including triaxial compression, wherein the foam (F1) is not reticulated prior to step (ii). Also described herein is the foam obtained or obtainable according to the process and the use of the foam as, for example, an energy absorbing device, preferably in protective gear, furniture, cushions, in cleaning devices with improved rinse-out behavior, in shoe soles, or as sealing, insulating or anchorage providing material for example used in earphones, ear plugs or dowels, or as acoustic material.

A closed loop recycling process of manufacturing a foam part includes dispersing a filler material recycled from an additive manufacturing (AM) process in at least one foam reactant and pouring or injecting the at least one foam reactant with the filler material into a mold and forming the foam part. The foam part has a foam matrix with between 2.5 wt. % and 30 wt. % of the filler material. The filler material can be a recycled powder from a selective laser sintering process that is not graded (i.e., sized) before being dispersed in the at least one foam reactant. For example, the recycled powder can be a recycled polyamide 12 (rPA12) powder with an average particle diameter of less than 100 micrometers. Also, the least one foam reactant can be a polyol reactant and an isocyanate reactant such that a polyurethane foam matrix with recycled rPA12 filler material is formed.