Method of fabricating a foamed, injection molded component with improved ductility and toughness

A method of fabricating a foamed, injection-molded component, comprising the steps of:

• plasticizing a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material within an injection barrel to form an injection material, the first polymeric material defining a first phase of the injection material and the second polymeric material defining a second phase of the injection material;
• injecting the injection material into a mold to fabricate the foamed, injection-molded component;
• forming microcellular voids having diameters in the injected-molded component;
• subjecting the injected-molded component to tensile loading;
• and
• forming secondary phase cavities having diameters in the injected-molded component in response to the tensile loading of the injected-molded component, the diameters of the microcellular voids being greater than the diameters of the secondary phase cavities;
• wherein the first phase and the second phase of the injection material are immiscible.

A method of fabricating a foamed, injection-molded component, comprising the steps of:

• plasticizing a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material within an injection barrel to form an injection material;
• and
• injecting the injection material into a mold to fabricate the foamed injection-molded component, the foamed injection-molded component including microcellular voids having diameters;
• wherein:
• secondary phase cavities having diameters are formed in the injected-molded component in response to tensile loading of the injection molded component;
• and
• the diameters of the microcellular voids are greater than the diameters of the secondary phase cavities.