Abstract:
A method of producing a foamed material comprises contacting a material with a fluid mixture comprising carbon dioxide and a surfactant, wherein the surfactant facilitates the dissolution of the carbon dioxide into the material and then foam the material in the fluid mixture.
Abstract:
The invention disclosed provides integral multilayered polymers with variable interlayer gaps, and processes for their manufacture. The materials thus produced consist of many layers of a polymeric material, which may be a single polymer or a blend of compatible polymers, separated by discontinuous narrow gaps containing air and/or a blowing agent. The layer density can be controlled within a wide range, typically 10 to 2000 layers/mm, while the gap width between the layers can be controlled either to ≦100 nanometers (called nanolayered polymers) or ≧1 micrometer (called microlayered polymers), depending on the process. These layered materials are mechanically strong and have excellent thermal and electrical, and sound insulation properties. Two distinct mechanisms were developed for producing such materials. A first process produces nanolayered polymers and involves first introducing a low degree of entanglement among some of the polymer chains and then breaking apart these entanglements using a blowing agent. The microlayer process involves the use of stress-induced nucleation to uniformly grow cells in the polymer containing dissolved blowing agent and force the cells to grow in a preferential direction.
Abstract:
A flexible, low density thermoplastic foam and a method for lowering the density and increasing the flexibility of a thermoplastic foam having a melting temperature and being either amorphous with a softening temperature or semicrystalline with a glass transition temperature. The method comprises the steps of (a) decreasing the pressure on the thermoplastic foam to a subatmospheric pressure, further providing that while the thermoplastic foam is under the subatmospheric pressure, the thermoplastic foam is also at a temperature in the range of less than the melting temperature and greater than the softening temperature if the thermoplastic foam is amorphous, or greater than the glass transition temperature if the thermoplastic foam is semicrystalline, whereby the thermoplastic foam expands; (b) then exposing the thermoplastic foam to a superatmospheric pressure and a secondary expansion gas for a sufficient amount of time to allow the secondary blowing gas to permeate into the thermoplastic foam; and (c) then releasing the superatmospheric pressure on the thermoplastic foam whereby the thermoplastic foam expands. With this method, it is possible to produce thermoplastic foams having densities as low as 0.008 grams/cc. Also included in this invention are insulations made from these low density foams.
Abstract:
The disclosed invention is a crystalline microporous polymer and process for preparing a low density microporous polymer comprising, providing a mixture of a polymer and a polymer solvent, the mixture capable of achieving a supercritical condition; applying pressure, at a temperature sufficient for the mixture to attain a super critical condition; cooling the supercritical solution that results and precipitating a microporous crystalline polymer product.
Abstract:
A method of making a foamed article comprises (a) milling a block or sheet of thermoplastic polymer to form a precursor; (b) crosslinking the thermoplastic polymer; (c) heating the precursor to a first temperature to soften the thermoplastic polymer; (d) infusing the thermoplastic polymer with at least one inert gas at a first pressure that is sufficient to cause the at least one inert gas to permeate into the softened thermoplastic polymer; and (e) while the thermoplastic polymer is softened, reducing the pressure to a second pressure below the first pressure to at least partially foam the precursor into a foamed article, wherein the foamed article is substantially the same shape as the precursor.
Abstract:
A method of producing C02-impregnated crystallisable polylactic acid resins comprising contacting the polylactic acid resin with liquid C0 2 at a temperature of about -57° to about 2° C. Expansion of the C0 2 -impregnated polylactic acid resins provides low density foams.