W. R. Grace Co.

Arvid Honkanen

Michael D Esakov

Paul Joonase

Foam styrene polymer sheet is expanded to form foam products having lower density by a process which includes (a) contacting the foam styrene polymer sheet with an aqueous composition, (b) maintaining the aqueous composition in contact with the sheet to effect impregnation of the sheet by the aqueous composition, and thereafter (c) heating the impregnated sheet to expand the sheet. The expanded products are useful as thermal insulation and packaging material.

Process for expanding

An apparatus and process for laminating a flexible sheet of covering material to a foamed thermoplastic sheet wherein the process includes the steps of expanding aged or directly extruded thermoplastic foam sheet by heat until the foam has reached its softening point; heating the covering material to above the melting point of the foam; and, applying the heated covering material to the softened foam sheet to bond the sheet to the foam thereby forming a laminated product.

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Spartanburg, SC, United States of America

Arvid Honkanen