Process for preparing cellular bodies from mixes containing amorphous polypropylene and expanded materials obtained therefrom

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PREPARING A VULCANIZED EXPANDED MATERIAL CONTAINING VERY SMALL UNIFORM DISCRETE NON-COMMUNICATING CELLS, THIS METHOD COMPRISING HOMOGENEOUSLY MIXING AMORPHOUS POLYPROPYLENE, SAID POLYPROPYLENE HAVING AN INTRINSIC VISCOSITY, AS DETERMINED IN TETRAHYDRONAPHTHALENE AT 135*C., OF LESS THAN 1, WITH AN ELASTOMERIC VULCANIZABLE COPOLYMER OF ETHYLENE WITH AN ALPHA-OLEFIN, ALONG WITH A VULCANIZING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ORGANIC PEROXIDES, ORGANIC HYDROPEROXIDES AND DIMALEIMIDE, AND A BLOWING AGENT, THE AMOUNT OF SAID COPOLYMER IN SAID MIXTURE BEING FROM ABOUT 10 TO 80 PARTS BY WEIGHT PER 100 PARTS OF SAID POLYPROYLENE, HEATING SAID MIXTURE UNDER PRESSURE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 100 TO 200*C. TO EXPAND SAID MIXTURE, AND THEREAFTER HEATING SAID EXPANDED MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN SAID EXPANDING TEMPERATURE TO THEREBY VULCANIZE SAID EXPANDED MIXTURE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PREPARING A VULCANIZED EXPANDED MATERIAL CONTAINING VERY SMALL UNIFORM DISCRETE NON-COMMUNICATING CELLS, THIS METHOD COMPRISING HOMOGENEOUSLY MIXING AMORPHOUS POLYPROPYLENE, SAID POLYPROPYLENE HAVING AN INTRINSIC VISCOSITY, AS DETERMINED IN TETRAHYDRONAPHTHALENE AT 135*C., OF LESS THAN 1, WITH AN ELASTOMERIC VULCANIZABLE COPOLYMER OF ETHYLENE WITH AN ALPHA-OLEFIN, ALONG WITH A VULCANIZING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ORGANIC PEROXIDES, ORGANIC HYDROPEROXIDES AND DIMALEIMIDE, AND A BLOWING AGENT, THE AMOUNT OF SAID COPOLYMER IN SAID MIXTURE BEING FROM ABOUT 10 TO 80 PARTS BY WEIGHT PER 100 PARTS OF SAID POLYPROYLENE, HEATING SAID MIXTURE UNDER PRESSURE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 100 TO 200*C. TO EXPAND SAID MIXTURE, AND THEREAFTER HEATING SAID EXPANDED MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN SAID EXPANDING TEMPERATURE TO THEREBY VULCANIZE SAID EXPANDED MIXTURE.