Polyethylene blend foams having improved compressive strength

In a method of making polymer resin foams by the process of extrusion foaming wherein a normally solid thermoplastic resin is heat-plastified and mixed with at least one blowing agent to form a flowable gel which is then passed through a die opening into a zone of lower pressure to cause expansion of the extruded material which is then cooled to form a cellular resinous body, the improvement wherein the thermoplastic resin comprises a polyethylene blend comprising about 35 to about 60 weight percent of low density branched polyethylene having a density from about 0.910 to about 0.930 in admixture with from about 40 to about 65 weight percent of intermediate density linear polyethylene having a density from about 0.931 to 0.940 thereby producing polyethylene blend foams having density of from about 3.0 to about 15.0 pounds per cubic foot, substantially closed-cell structure and compressive strength at 10% deformation of from about 7 to about 170 psi.