Patent · US Expired

Polystyrene bead expansion process

US4765934A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
4References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 19, 1987
Grant dateAug 23, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 19, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S521/915
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

Polystyrene beads or beads of other thermoplastic material are expanded to a consolidated foam structure in a hollow cavity of a marine float or other structure by providing the beads with a uniform coating of a saturated brine solution or other aqueous solution of water-soluble salt and exposing the solution to microwave energy to boil the solutioln and thereby heat the beads to cause expansion and fusion to a foam structure.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.