Compression molded polymeric foam articles and methods are described herein. Equipment design and processing techniques may be controlled to form compression molded articles having desired characteristics.

Films may be used as interleaves between hard and non-compressible surfaces such as surfaces of sheets or plates made of glass, metal, such as steel, polycarbonate, and/or poly(methyl methacrylate). The films may be embossed and/or may include a foamed core layer having a plurality of micro-voids. In particular, the films may include a polyolefin, a basis weight of between about 30 gsm and about 70 gsm, an embossed thickness of between about 150 microns and 800 microns, and a stiffness of between about 150 grams and about 750 grams according to the Circular Bend Stiffness Test.

A method for producing a foam-molded shoe component includes the steps of: providing a polymer granulate; pre-treating the polymer granulate including binding to or in the polymer granulate a physical propellant in an autoclave at a first pressure and a first temperature; and foaming the pre-treated polymer granulate including melting the polymer granulate to produce a molten polymer composition, and foaming the molten polymer composition as a result of the expansion of the physical propellant.

The present invention provides a process for producing a blow-molded foam including foamed cells, the process including: kneading a polyolefin-based resin containing a foaming agent mixed therewith in an extruder, and extruding a parison formed of the polyolefin-based resin between split mold blocks from a die slit at an extrusion rate of 700 kg/h or more.

The present invention provides a process for producing a blow-molded foam including foamed cells, the process including: kneading a polyolefin-based resin containing a foaming agent mixed therewith in an extruder, and extruding a parison formed of the polyolefin-based resin between split mold blocks from a die slit at an extrusion rate of 700 kg/h or more.

An object of the invention is to provide a blow-molded foam which has homogeneous foamed cells in size, is light in weight, and is excellent in surface smoothness, and a process for producing the same. The invention is directed to a blow-molded foam 1 having a wall portion formed in such a manner that a thermoplastic resin containing a foaming agent mixed therewith is subjected to blow molding. Herein, the wall portion has a closed cell structure in which a plurality of foamed cells are contained. The wall portion has an expansion ratio of not less than 2.0 times. The wall portion has an outer face having a center-line average surface roughness Ra of less than 9.0 μm. The foamed cell has a cell diameter having a standard deviation of less than 40 μm in a thickness direction of the wall portion.

Highly specialized three-dimensional structural kinetic mixing particles to promote low surface energy regions for bubble and nucleation sites resulting in stronger, lighter weight foam having consistent cellular structures. The foam composition includes particles that continue to remain active as foam constituent fluids move during the foam expansion process. The continued mixing promotes better dispersion of blowing agents as well as increased mobility through better dispersion of reactive and nonreactive additives throughout the polymer during expansion of the foam thereby improving cellular consistency. The addition of kinetic mixing particles will produce similar results in any structural foam material that uses endothermic blowing agents, exothermic blowing agents and/or gas foam injection systems.

An object of the invention is to provide a blow-molded foam which has homogeneous foamed cells in size, is light in weight, and is excellent in surface smoothness, and a process for producing the same. The invention is directed to a blow-molded foam 1 having a wall portion formed in such a manner that a thermoplastic resin containing a foaming agent mixed therewith is subjected to blow molding. Herein, the wall portion has a closed cell structure in which a plurality of foamed cells are contained. The wall portion has an expansion ratio of not less than 2.0 times. The wall portion has an outer face having a center-line average surface roughness Ra of less than 9.0 m. The foamed cell has a cell diameter having a standard deviation of less than 40 m in a thickness direction of the wall portion.

An object of the invention is to provide a blow-molded foam which has homogeneous foamed cells in size, is light in weight, and is excellent in surface smoothness, and a process for producing the same. The invention is directed to a blow-molded foam 1 having a wall portion formed in such a manner that a thermoplastic resin containing a foaming agent mixed therewith is subjected to blow molding. Herein, the wall portion has a closed cell structure in which a plurality of foamed cells are contained. The wall portion has an expansion ratio of not less than 2.0 times. The wall portion has an outer face having a center-line average surface roughness Ra of less than 9.0 m. The foamed cell has a cell diameter having a standard deviation of less than 40 m in a thickness direction of the wall portion.

Films may be used as interleaves between hard and non-compressible surfaces such as surfaces of sheets or plates made of glass, metal, such as steel, polycarbonate, and/or poly(methyl methacrylate). The films may be embossed and/or may include a foamed core layer having a plurality of micro-voids. In particular, the films may include a polyolefin, a basis weight of between about 30 gsm and about 70 gsm, an embossed thickness of between about 150 microns and 800 microns, and a stiffness of between about 150 grams and about 750 grams according to the Circular Bend Stiffness Test.