A foam article, such as a cushioning element for an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is provided that comprises a foam component, such as a midsole, having a number of beneficial physical characteristics. The cushioning element is a low-density foamed component with a surface skin that encases the remaining foam volume. The cushioning element has a number of foam volumes, arranged to achieve a more consistent foam component. Additionally, the cushioning element includes a series of concentric ridges extending radially outwardly from injection gate vestige locations, and a number of striation bands near the perimeter of the cushioning element. The location of the gate vestiges can be beneficially arranged to produce intersecting flow boundaries that are located away from key strain areas of the cushioning element. The cushioning element is more environmentally-friendly, requiring less energy to produce while still providing acceptable energy return and low density.

A process for injection molded microcellular foaming various flexible foam compositions from biodegradable and industrially compostable bio-derived thermoplastic resins for use in, for example, footwear components, seating components, protective gear components, and watersport accessories wherein a process of manufacturing includes the steps of: producing a suitable thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend; injection molding the thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend into a suitable mold shape with inert nitrogen gas; controlling the polymer melt, pressure, temperature, and time such that a desirable flexible foam is formed; and utilizing gas counterpressure in the injection molding process to ensure the optimal foam structure with the least amount of cosmetic defects and little to no plastic skin on the outside of the foamed structure.

A method for producing a foam-molded product by using a plasticizing cylinder, includes: plasticizing and melting the thermoplastic resin to provide the molten resin in a plasticization zone of the plasticizing cylinder; introducing a pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at a fixed pressure into a starvation zone of the plasticizing cylinder to retain the starvation zone at the fixed pressure; allowing the molten resin to be in the starved state in the starvation zone; bringing the molten resin in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at the fixed pressure, in the starvation zone in a state in which the starvation zone is retained at the fixed pressure; and molding the molten resin having been brought in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent into the foam-molded product.

A main technical feature of a method for molding and forming a flip-flop and a mold thereof provided by the invention is that when a polymer raw material is filled into a mold chamber space of the mold, the filled raw material is preferentially flowed in a direction of a strap area space used to mold a V-shaped strap portion of the flip-flop to ensure that the slender V-shaped strap portion of the flip-flop can be integrally formed.

A method for producing a foam-molded product by using a plasticizing cylinder, includes: plasticizing and melting the thermoplastic resin to provide the molten resin in a plasticization zone of the plasticizing cylinder; introducing a pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at a fixed pressure into a starvation zone of the plasticizing cylinder to retain the starvation zone at the fixed pressure; allowing the molten resin to be in the starved state in the starvation zone; bringing the molten resin in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at the fixed pressure, in the starvation zone in a state in which the starvation zone is retained at the fixed pressure; and molding the molten resin having been brought in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent into the foam-molded product.

A main technical feature of a method for molding and forming a flip-flop and a mold thereof provided by the invention is that when a polymer raw material is filled into a mold chamber space of the mold, the filled raw material is preferentially flowed in a direction of a strap area space used to mold a V-shaped strap portion of the flip-flop to ensure that the slender V-shaped strap portion of the flip-flop can be integrally formed.

A process for injection molded microcellular foaming various flexible foam compositions from biodegradable and industrially compostable bio-derived thermoplastic resins for use in, for example, footwear components, seating components, protective gear components, and watersport accessories wherein a process of manufacturing includes the steps of: producing a suitable thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend; injection molding the thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend into a suitable mold shape with inert nitrogen gas; controlling the polymer melt, pressure, temperature, and time such that a desirable flexible foam is formed; and utilizing gas counterpressure in the injection molding process to ensure the optimal foam structure with the least amount of cosmetic defects and little to no plastic skin on the outside of the foamed structure.

A method for producing a foam-molded product by using a plasticizing cylinder, includes: plasticizing and melting the thermoplastic resin to provide the molten resin in a plasticization zone of the plasticizing cylinder; introducing a pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at a fixed pressure into a starvation zone of the plasticizing cylinder to retain the starvation zone at the fixed pressure; allowing the molten resin to be in the starved state in the starvation zone; bringing the molten resin in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at the fixed pressure, in the starvation zone in a state in which the starvation zone is retained at the fixed pressure; and molding the molten resin having been brought in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent into the foam-molded product.

A method for producing a foam-molded product by using a plasticizing cylinder, includes: plasticizing and melting the thermoplastic resin to provide the molten resin in a plasticization zone of the plasticizing cylinder; introducing a pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at a fixed pressure into a starvation zone of the plasticizing cylinder to retain the starvation zone at the fixed pressure; allowing the molten resin to be in the starved state in the starvation zone; bringing the molten resin in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at the fixed pressure, in the starvation zone in a state in which the starvation zone is retained at the fixed pressure; and molding the molten resin having been brought in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent into the foam-molded product.

A molding method includes providing a molding device, wherein the molding device includes a mold cavity, a feeding port in communication with the mold cavity, and a junction point in connection with the mold cavity; engaging an outlet of an injector to the feeding port; injecting a molding material including a blowing agent into the mold cavity from the feeding port by the injector; and injecting a gas into the mold cavity through the junction point to increase a pressure inside the mold cavity to a predetermined pressure for maintaining the blowing agent in a supercritical state.