Microcellular polymer foams and method for their production
OwnerSeng C. Taninventor
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Abstract
An environmentally friendly, commercially practicable process for the production of microcellular polymer foams from amorphous, semi-crystalline and crystalline polymers that comprises consolidating the polymer into a polymer shape, saturating the polymer shape with an inert gas at elevated temperature, above the Tg of the polymer, and under elevated pressure, releasing the pressure and cooling, i.e. quenching, the saturated polymer polymer shape under controlled temperature and pressure conditions to produce either a closed or open celled, low to medium density microcellular foam or a closed cell, high density microcellular foam.
Claims15
A process for the production of microcellular polymer foam shape comprising:
- a) saturating a consolidated polymer shape with an inert gas at an elevated pressure above 800 psi and at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the polymer;
- b) full or partially releasing the pressure;
- and
- c) quenching the polymer shape to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the polymer at a rate sufficient to produce a polymeric microcellular crystalline foam comprised of bubbles having walls wherein the crystals are aligned within the walls of the bubbles.
A microcellular polymer foam shape produced by a process comprising:
- a) saturating a consolidated shape of a polymer to be foamed with an inert gas at an elevated pressure above 800 psi and at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of said polymer;
- b) fully or partially releasing the pressure;
- and
- c) quenching said polymer shape to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the polymer at a rate sufficient to produce a polymeric microcellular crystalline foam comprised of bubbles having walls wherein the crystals are aligned within the walls of the bubbles.
Polymeric microcellular crystalline foams comprised of bubbles having walls wherein the crystals are aligned within the walls of the bubbles.
Polymeric microcelluar foams comprised of bubbles having walls and loaded with an fibrous filler comprised of fibers wherein the fibers of the fibrous filler are aligned within the walls of the bubbles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.