Methods of manufacturing articles having foam particles

A method of forming a cushioning element comprising foam particles, comprising:

• providing a first composition comprising a plurality of foam particles dispersed or suspended in a liquid polymerizable composition;
• polymerizing a first portion of the liquid polymerizable composition, forming a first layer including a first portion of a polymeric material which is the polymerized reaction product of the polymerizable composition, the first portion of the polymeric material at least partially encapsulating a first portion of the plurality of foam particles;
• repeating the polymerizing and forming for a second iteration, polymerizing a second portion of the liquid polymerizable composition, forming a second layer including a second portion of the polymeric material at least partially encapsulating a second portion of the plurality of foam particles, and bonding the second layer to the first layer;
• and
• repeating the polymerizing, forming and bonding for at least a third iteration, thereby forming a cushioning element having at least three layers, each layer including foam particles at least partially encapsulated by the first polymeric material and being bonded to another layer, the total number of layers being equal to the total number of iterations conducted;
• wherein the polymerizing step includes a stereolithographic process utilizing a bottom-up process using continuous liquid interface production,
• wherein the plurality of foam particles of the first composition includes a foamed thermoplastic material, and
• wherein the first composition is maintained at a temperature of at least 10 degrees C. below a melting temperature of the thermoplastic material of the foam particles during the polymerizing, forming, and bonding iteration.