Expanded polymer pellets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759096-B2
Application number	US-201515507054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Aug 26, 2014
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

The invention refers to a method for producing expanded polymer pellets, which comprises the following steps: melting a polymer comprising a polyamide; adding at least one blowing agent; expanding the melt through at least one die for producing an expanded polymer; and pelletizing the expanded polymer. The invention further concerns polymer pellets produced with the method as well as their use, e.g. for the production of cushioning elements for sports apparel, such as for producing soles or parts of soles of sports shoes. A further aspect of the invention concerns a method for the manufacture of molded components, comprising loading pellets of an expanded polymer material into a mold, and connecting the pellets by providing heat energy, wherein the expanded polymer material of the pellets or beads comprises a chain extender. The molded components may be used in broad ranges of application.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for manufacture of molded components, comprising
a. loading pellets of an expanded polymer material into a mold, wherein the expanded polymer material of the pellets comprises an additive increasing amorphous content of the expanded polymer material; and
b. connecting the pellets by heating the pellets to a temperature between a glass transition temperature and below onset of melting of the expanded polymer material;
wherein the expanded polymer material comprises a polyamide comprising, as a basis, a polyetherblockamide, and wherein the polyetherblockamide comprises following properties:
Shore D hardness in a range from 20 to 70 Shore D, as measured according to ISO 868;
tensile modulus in a range from 10 to 1100 MPa, as measured according to ISO 527-1;
a content of polyether blocks from 1 to 90% by weight, and a content of polyamide blocks from 10 to 99% by weight, in each case based on 100% by weight of the polyetherblockamide;
a density in a range from 1000 to 1030 kg/m 3 , as measured according to ISO 1183; and
a melting point/melting range from 110° C. to 200° C., as measured according to ISO 11357.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the loaded pellets are produced by a process comprising the steps of:
a. melting a polymer material wherein a melt comprises at least one polymer, at least one blowing agent and at least one selected from a chain extender and an additive increasing the amorphous content of the polymer material;
b. expanding the melt through at least one die for producing the expanded polymer material; and
c. pelletizing the expanded polymer material.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the loaded pellets are produced by
a. melting a polymer material;
b. adding at least one blowing agent;
c. expanding a melt through at least one die for producing the expanded polymer material; and
d. pelletizing the expanded polymer material.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the additive increasing amorphous content of the polymer is a chain extender and wherein the chain extender is a polymeric material containing epoxy groups.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the loaded pellets of the expanded polymer material have internally an at least partially ruptured foam structure.

6. Method according to claim 2 , wherein the expanded polymer material is pelletized in an underwater pelletizer.

7. Method according to claim 4 , wherein the chain extender is a styrene-acrylate copolymer containing reactive epoxy groups.

Assignees

• Adidas Ag

Inventors

• Smith Paul Leonard Michael
• Hill Jan
• Wardlaw Angus
• Price Daniel Stephen
• Tarrier James

Classifications

• C08J9/16 Primary

  Making expandable particles · CPC title

• A43B13/187

  Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials · CPC title

• A43B13/04

  Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre · CPC title

• C08L77/00

  Compositions of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain (of polyhydrazides C08L79/06; of polyamideimides or polyamide acids C08L79/08); Compositions of derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• C08J9/232

  by sintering expandable particles · CPC title