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.
Claims28
A process for producing a flexible foam, the process comprising:
- 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.
18-22. (canceled)
A process for producing a flexible foam, the process comprising:
- providing a plurality of pellets comprising one or more thermoplastic polymers that are recyclable, biodegradable, and/or industrially compostable;
- expanding the pellets of the one or more thermoplastic polymers by infusing an inert gas into the pellets;
- introducing the expanded pellets into an extruder;
- fusing the expanded pellets in the extruder;
- and
- extruding the fused expanded pellets through a die using the extruder.
32-35. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.