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US 12,674,036 B2Granted
Recyclable, biodegradable, and industrially compostable extruded foams, and methods of manufacturing the same
AssigneeO2 Partners, LLC
InventorRobert Falken
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for producing a flexible foam includes introducing a masterbatch material into an extruder, the masterbatch material consisting essentially of one or more thermoplastic polymers that are recycled, recyclable, biodegradable, and/or compostable, mixing an inert gas with the masterbatch material, extruding the masterbatch material through the extruder to form a polymer melt, passing the polymer melt through a die to form an extrudate, and allowing the extrudate to expand into a foam.
Claims20
A process for producing a flexible foam, the process comprising:
- introducing a masterbatch material into a first extruder, the masterbatch material comprises one or more thermoplastic polymers that are recycled, recyclable, biodegradable, and/or compostable;
- melting the masterbatch material in the first extruder to form a polymer melt;
- mixing an inert gas with the polymer melt in the first extruder;
- extruding the polymer melt mixed with inert gas from the first extruder into a second extruder;
- passing the polymer melt mixed with inert gas from the second extruder through a die to form an extrudate, wherein the polymer melt mixed with inert gas is pumped from the second extruder through the die via a melt pump disposed between the second extruder and the die;
- and
- allowing the extrudate to expand into a foam.
4 more elements
A process for producing a flexible foam, the process comprising:
- introducing a masterbatch material into a first extruder, the masterbatch material consisting essentially of one or more thermoplastic polymers that are recycled, recyclable, biodegradable, and/or compostable, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polymers consists of PBAT;
- melting the masterbatch material in the first extruder to form a polymer melt;
- mixing an inert gas with the polymer melt in the first extruder;
- extruding the polymer melt mixed with inert gas from the first extruder into a second extruder;
- passing the polymer melt mixed with inert gas from the second extruder through a die to form an extrudate;
- and
- allowing the extrudate to expand into a foam.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.