US 12,233,579 B2
Foaming and shaping process for a thermoplastic sheet, and associated apparatus and shaped foamed thermoplastic sheet
Bruce Hou, Shanghai (CN); Chao Liu, Shanghai (CN); and Liping Zheng, Shanghai (CN)
Assigned to SHPP GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V., Bergen op Zoom (NL)
Appl. No. 18/290,420
Filed by SHPP GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V., Bergen op Zoom (NL)
PCT Filed May 27, 2022, PCT No. PCT/IB2022/055032
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 13, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/281329, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 12, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 21184715 (EP), filed on Jul. 9, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0246267 A1, Jul. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. B29C 43/00 (2006.01); B29C 44/00 (2006.01); B29C 44/34 (2006.01); B29C 44/56 (2006.01); B29K 71/00 (2006.01); B29K 79/00 (2006.01); B29K 105/00 (2006.01); B29K 105/04 (2006.01); B29L 31/34 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 43/003 (2013.01) [B29C 44/3453 (2013.01); B29C 44/5636 (2013.01); B29K 2071/12 (2013.01); B29K 2079/085 (2013.01); B29K 2105/0026 (2013.01); B29K 2105/0088 (2013.01); B29K 2105/04 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0012 (2013.01); B29L 2031/3468 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of foaming and shaping a thermoplastic sheet, comprising:
foaming a thermoplastic sheet with supercritical carbon dioxide to form a foamed thermoplastic sheet; wherein the thermoplastic sheet comprises a thermoplastic composition comprising a poly (phenylene ether), a polyetherimide, or a combination thereof; and wherein the thermoplastic composition is characterized by a glass transition temperature of 20 to 300° C. determined by differential scanning calorimetry according to ASTM D3418-15 at heating rate of 20° C./minute; and
shaping the foamed thermoplastic sheet to form a shaped foamed thermoplastic sheet; wherein the shaping comprises compressing the foamed thermoplastic sheet between a first metal plate and a second metal plate; wherein a surface of the first metal plate and a surface of the second metal plate comprise a plurality of grooves, each groove having a width of 0.1 to 1 millimeter and a depth of 0.1 to 1 millimeter, and each groove being separated from the nearest groove by a center-to-center distance of 0.5 to 5 millimeters; wherein the first metal plate and the second metal plate are connected by a flexible linkage capable of modulating a separation between the first metal plate and the second metal plate; and wherein the compressing the foamed thermoplastic sheet between a first metal plate and a second metal plate comprises controlling a minimum separation of the first metal plate and the second metal plate.