Process and apparatus for continuous production of foam sheets

A process for continuously producing polymer foam sheets or planks from starting polymer foam material comprising virgin and/or postindustrial polymer foam materials that have been comminuted into particles, the process comprising the steps of:

• metering the particles, which are free of any added binder or adhesive, from a storage location onto a moving conveyor at a controlled volumetric rate so as to continuously form a layer of the particles on the conveyor;
• heating the layer of particles to a temperature sufficient to render the particles tacky such that the particles adhere to one another so as to form a substantially integral sheet;
• compressing the sheet with a compression device that applies pressure on the advancing sheet so as to compress the sheet to a smaller thickness and enhance the integrity of the sheet;
• and
• cooling the compressed sheet.