Foam structure of coalesced foam strands of profiles

摘要

Improved closed cell foams, particularly suitable for use in packaging applications, comprise a plurality of coalesced parallel strands or profiles of thermoplastic resin. When the resin is a non-aromatic olefin, the heat seal strength of a film thereof is at least 30 Newtons/inch (2.5 cm) width. Preferably, the resin is a mixture of an olefin polymer resin and a copolymer of ethylene with one or more copolymerizable comonomers having a lower melting point than the olefin polymer resin. The cross-section of the strands or profiles and/or their spacial arrangement advantageously are such that they are joined at their extremities to form a network defining voids. The resin may contain up to 50 weight percent of a nucleating agent, preferably carbon black. The strands and profiles suitably are extruded through a multi-orificed die in which some orifices are temporarily blocked off to produced the desired structural shape.