Foamable olefin polymer compositions stabilized with certain higher ethers, esters or anhydrides, 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 0.1 to 10 percent by weight, based on said olefin polymer of at least one compound of the formula I: wherein R 1 and R 2 represent an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 24 carbon atoms, respectively, with at least one thereof having 10 or more carbon atoms, and X represents a radical selected from the group consisting of

Claim 3

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

Claim 4

The foamable synthetic resin composition of Claim 1, wherein the compound of the formula (I) is selected from the group consisting of behenic anhydride, distearyl ether, distearyl thioether, stearyl laurate and stearyl thiolaurate.

Claim 5

The foamable synthetic resin composition of Claim 1, wherein the aliphatic olefin polymer is a low density polyethylene resin or an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.

Claim 6

An extrusion foaming process for expanding an aliphatic olefin polymer which comprises (1) heating plastifying said olefin polymer; (2) admixing said heat plastified olefin polymer under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure with a volatile organic blowing agent and with from 0.1 to 10 weight percent based upon said olefin polymer of a compound of the formula I: wherein R 1 and R 2 represent an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 24 carbon atoms, respectively, with at least one thereof having 10 or more carbon atoms, and X represents a radical selected from the group consisting of (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) heating plastifying said olefin polymer; (2) admixing said heat plastified olefin polymer under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure with a volatile organic blowing agent and with from 0.1 to 10 weight percent based upon said olefin polymer of a compound of the formula I: wherein R 1 and R 2 represent an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 24 carbon atoms, respectively, with at least one thereof having 10 or more carbon atoms, and X represents a radical selected from the group consisting of (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 or more other monomers copolymerized therewith.

Claim 9

The process of Claim 5 wherein the compound of the formula (I) is selected from the group consisting of behenic anhydride, distearyl ether, distearyl thioether, stearyl laurate and stearyl thiolaurate.

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 and R 2 represent an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 24 carbon atoms, respectively, with at least one thereof having 10 or more carbon atoms, and X represents a radical selected from the group consisting of

Claim 11

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 and R 2 represent an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 24 carbon atoms, respectively, with at least one thereof having 10 or more carbon atoms, and X represents a radical selected from the group consisting of

Claim 12

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

Claim 13

The foam article of Claim 8, wherein the compound of the formula (I) is selected from the group consisting of behenic anhydride, distearyl ether, distearyl thioether, stearyl laurate and stearyl thiolaurate.