Foamable olefin polymer compositions stabilized with N-alkyl substituted amides, foaming process using them and foam article produced

Claim 2

A foamable synthetic resin composition to be used with an organic blowing agent comprising a normally solid aliphatic olefin polymer and from 0.1 to 10 percent by weight, based on said olefin polymer of at least one compound of formula I: wherein R 1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms; R 2 is a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, or oxyalkylene or polyoxyalkylene group represented by (̵R 4 - O)̵ n A wherein R 4 is a residual group of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, A is a hydrogen atom or a residual group of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having 1 to 24 carbon atoms and n is an integer ranging from 1 to 20; and R 3 is a hydrogen atom or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms.

Claim 3

The foamable synthetic resin composition according to Claim 1, wherein the aliphatic olefin polymer comprises polyethylene or an ethylene copolymer composed of a major proportion of ethylene and a minor proportion of one or more other monomers compolymerizable therewith.

Claim 4

The foamable synthetic resin composition of Claim 1 wherein the compound of the formula I is N-stearyl acetamide.

Claim 5

The foamable synthetic resin composition of Claim 1, wherein the compound of the formula I is N-stearyl caprylamide.

Claim 6

An extrusion foaming process for expanding an aliphatic olefin polymer which comprises (1) heat plastifying said olefin polymer; (2) admixing with said heat plastified olefin polymer under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure a volatile organic blowing agent and from 0.1 to 10 weight percent based upon said olefin polymer of a compound of the formula I: wherein R 1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms; R 2 is a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, or oxyalkylene or polyosyalkylene group represented by fR 4 - O)̵ n A wherein R 4 is a residual group of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, A is a hydrogen atom or a residual group of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having 1 to 24 carbon atoms and n is an integer ranging from 1 to 20; and R 3 is a hydrogen atom or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms; and (3) extruding the resultant heat plastified mixture into a zone of lower pressure to thereby produce an aliphatic olefin polymer foam product.

Claim 7

An extrusion foaming process for expanding an aliphatic olefin polymer which comprises (1) heat plastifying said olefin polymer; (2) admixing with said heat plastified olefin polymer under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure a volatile organic blowing agent and from 0.1 to 10 weight percent based upon said olefin polymer of a compound of the formula I: wherein R 1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms; R 2 is a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, or oxyalkylene or polyosyalkylene group represented by fR 4 - O)̵ n A wherein R 4 is a residual group of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, A is a hydrogen atom or a residual group of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having 1 to 24 carbon atoms and n is an integer ranging from 1 to 20; and R 3 is a hydrogen atom or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms; and (3) extruding the resultant heat plastified mixture into a zone of lower pressure to thereby produce an aliphatic olefin polymer foam product.

Claim 8

The process of Claim 5, wherein the aliphatic olefin polymer is polyethylene or an ethylene copolymer derived from a major proportion of ethylene with a minor proportion of one o more other monomers copolymerized therewith.

Claim 9

A substantially closed-cell foam article composed predominantly of an aliphatic olefin polymer composition having incorporated therein from 0.1 to 10 weight percent based upon such olefin polymer of a compound of the formula I: wherein R 1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms; R 2 is a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, or oxyalkylene or polyoxyalkylene group represented by (̵R 4 - O)̵ n A wherein R 4 is a residual group of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, A is a hydrogen atom or a residual group of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having 1 to 24 carbon atoms and n is an integer ranging from 1 to 20; and R 3 is a hydrogen atom or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms.

Claim 10

A substantially closed-cell foam article composed predominantly of an aliphatic olefin polymer composition having incorporated therein from 0.1 to 10 weight percent based upon such olefin polymer of a compound of the formula I: wherein R 1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms; R 2 is a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, or oxyalkylene or polyoxyalkylene group represented by (̵R 4 - O)̵ n A wherein R 4 is a residual group of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, A is a hydrogen atom or a residual group of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having 1 to 24 carbon atoms and n is an integer ranging from 1 to 20; and R 3 is a hydrogen atom or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms.

Claim 11

The foam article of Claim 8, wherein the aliphatic olefin polymer is polyethylene or an ethylene copolymer derived from a major proportion of ethylene with a minor proportion of one or more other monomers copolymerizable therewith.