AN EXPANDED CROSS-LINKED POLYETHYLENE PARTICLE AND METHODS TO PRODUCE MOLDED PRODUCTS THEREOF

摘要

An expansion-molded product made from expanded cross-linked polyethylene particles each of which has an outer skin and inner cellular core, said outer skin each being fused and welded together to form an interfacial membrane whose average thickness is as thick as at least three times that of a cell membrane of the inner cellular core, is prepared by charging a lot of the particles into a mold, heating the particles therein to such an extent that the space among the particles is filled and then aging thus obtained molded product. The expanded particle each has a structure having an outer skin on an inner cellular core, the outer skin being as thick as at least three times cell membrane of the inner cellular core. The expandable particles are prepared by impregnating a foaming agent into the cross-linked polyethylene particles and heating so that the expandable particles are subjected to a step in which the foaming agent existing in the surface thereof is preferentially forced to evaporate.