# US 11,992,981 B2 · Expanded pellets and method for manufacturing molded components using them

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- Number: US 11,992,981 B2
- Document ID: US11992981B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/399,842
- Filed: 2021-08-11
- Published: 2021-12-02
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2014-08-26
- Assignees: adidas AG
- Applicants: adidas AG
- Inventors: Christopher Edward Holmes; Tru Huu Minh Le; Sabrina Kerling; Dharan Kirupanantham; Volker Altstädt; Amir Fathi; Daniel Raps; Clemens Keilholz; Thomas Koeppl; Paul Smith; Jan Hill; Angus Wardlaw; Daniel Stephen Price; James Tarrier; Christopher Robertson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992981B2

## CPC

- B29C 44/3461: {Making or treating expandable particles}
- A43B 13/04: Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
- A43B 13/187: {Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials}
- B29B 7/582: {for discharging, e.g. doors}
- B29B 9/065: {under-water, e.g. underwater pelletizers}
- B29B 9/10: by moulding the material, i.e. treating it in the molten state
- B29B 9/12: characterised by structure or composition
- B29C 44/02: for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
- B29C 45/0001: {characterised by the choice of material}
- B29C 45/0053: {combined with a final operation, e.g. shaping (injection-compression moulding B29C45/561)}
- C08G 81/027: {containing polyester or polycarbonate sequences}
- C08G 81/028: {containing polyamide sequences}
- C08J 9/122: {Hydrogen, oxygen, CO2, nitrogen or noble gases}
- C08J 9/127: {Mixtures of organic and inorganic blowing agents}
- C08J 9/142: {Compounds containing oxygen but no halogen atom}
- C08J 9/16: Making expandable particles
- C08J 9/18: by impregnating polymer particles with the blowing agent
- C08J 9/232: by sintering expandable particles
- C08J 9/36: After-treatment (C08J9/22 takes precedence)
- E04B 1/84: Sound-absorbing elements
- B29B 2009/125: {Micropellets, microgranules, microparticles}
- B29C 2045/0091: {Pellets or granules, e.g. their structure, composition, length, height, width}
- B29C 2045/0093: {of articles provided with an attaching element}
- B29K 2077/00: Use of {PA, i.e.} polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material
- B29K 2105/04: cellular or porous
- B29K 2995/0002: insulating
- B29L 2031/504: {Soles}
- B29L 2031/712: {Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages (closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418)}
- C08J 2201/03: Extrusion of the foamable blend
- C08J 2201/036: Use of an organic, non-polymeric compound to impregnate, bind or coat a foam, e.g. fatty acid ester
- C08J 2201/038: Use of an inorganic compound to impregnate, bind or coat a foam, e.g. waterglass
- C08J 2203/06: CO2, N2 or noble gases
- C08J 2203/08: Supercritical fluid
- C08J 2203/12: Organic compounds only containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, e.g. ketone or alcohol
- C08J 2203/18: Binary blends of expanding agents
- C08J 2203/182: of physical blowing agents, e.g. acetone and butane
- C08J 2205/05: Open cells, i.e. more than 50% of the pores are open
- C08J 2359/00: Characterised by the use of polyacetals containing polyoxymethylene sequences only
- C08J 2359/02: Copolyoxymethylenes
- C08J 2367/00: Characterised by the use of polyesters obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic ester link in the main chain; Derivatives of such polymers
- C08J 2367/02: Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; (C08J2367/06 takes precedence)
- C08J 2367/04: Polyesters derived from hydroxy carboxylic acids, e.g. lactones (C08J2367/06 takes precedence)
- C08J 2371/00: Characterised by the use of polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain; Derivatives of such polymers
- C08J 2377/00: Characterised by the use of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain; Derivatives of such polymers
- C08J 2377/02: Polyamides derived from omega-amino carboxylic acids or from lactams thereof (C08J2377/10 takes precedence)
- C08J 2377/06: Polyamides derived from polyamines and polycarboxylic acids (C08J2377/10 takes precedence)
- C08J 2387/00: Characterised by the use of unspecified macromolecular compounds, obtained otherwise than by polymerisation reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
- E04B 2001/742: {Use of special materials; Materials having special structures or shape}
- G10K 11/162: Selection of materials
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001})
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

The invention refers to a method for producing expanded polymer pellets, which comprises the following steps: melting a polymer comprising a polyamide; adding at least one blowing agent; expanding the melt through at least one die for producing an expanded polymer; and pelletizing the expanded polymer. The invention further concerns polymer pellets produced with the method as well as their use, e.g. for the production of cushioning elements for sports apparel, such as for producing soles or parts of soles of sports shoes. A further aspect of the invention concerns a method for the manufacture of molded components, comprising loading pellets of an expanded to polymer material into a mold, and connecting the pellets by providing heat energy, wherein the expanded polymer material of the pellets or beads comprises a chain extender. The molded components may be used in broad ranges of application.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Pellets comprising an expanded polymer material, wherein the expanded polymer material comprises amorphous regions and wherein the expanded polymer material comprises polyamide, and wherein the polyamide is present in an amount of at least 50% by weight, based on 100% by weight of the expanded polymer material, wherein the pellet exhibits a variation of less than 50% in its storage modulus in the temperature range of −40° C. to 40° C.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pellets according to claim 1, wherein the polyamide is at least one of homopolyamide, copolyamide, polyetherblockamide, and polyphthalamide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The pellets according to claim 2, wherein the polyetherblockamide has a melting point/melting range in the range from 110° C. to 200° C.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The pellets according to claim 2, wherein the polyetherblockamide has a density in the range from 1000 to 1030 g/m3.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The pellets according to claim 2, wherein the polyetherblockamide has a tensile modulus in the range from 10 to 1100 MPa.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The pellets according to claim 2, wherein the polyetherblockamide has a Shore D hardness in the range from 20 to 70 Shore D.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The pellets according to claim 1, wherein the polyamide comprises polyamide-6, polyamide-6,6, polyamide-6-10, polyamide-11, polyamide-12, polyamide-10,12, polyamide-10, 10, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The pellets according to claim 1, wherein the pellet has a size in the range from 2 to 10 mm when measured according to ISO 9276.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The pellets according to claim 1, wherein the pellet has a particle density in the range from 20 to 400 kg/m3.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The pellets according to claim 1, wherein the pellet has a mean cell diameter in the range from 10 to 350 μm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The pellets according to claim 1, wherein the expanded polymer material further comprises thermoplastic polyurethane, polyphenylene ether, styrene-acrylonitrile, and/or rubber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The pellets according to claim 11, wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane, polyphenylene ether, styrene-acrylonitrile, and/or rubber is present in an amount of less than 50% by weight, based on 100% by weight of the expanded polymer material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The pellets according to claim 1, wherein the pellets comprise a chain extender.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The pellets according to claim 1, wherein the pellets comprise a blowing agent.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A molded component comprising the pellets according to claim 1.