Lamination of microcellular articles

Abstract

Articles including material laminated to a surface of a microcellular substrate are disclosed, as well as methods of making these articles. Microcellular polymeric material in sheet form can be extruded and continuously fed from the extruded to a lamination system, or microcellular sheet can be produced and stored, and then fed into a lamination system.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method comprising laminating a material to a surface of a microcellular article.  
     
     
         2 . A method as in    claim 1   , comprising laminating a film of material to a surface of a microcellular article.  
     
     
         3 . A method as in    claim 2   , wherein the film is paper-based.  
     
     
         4 . A method as in    claim 1   , comprising continuously extruding a microcellular article as an extrudate and continuously laminating the material to the continuously-extruded extrudate.  
     
     
         5 . A method as in    claim 4   , establishing a first stream of a fluid, single-phase solution of a precursor of foamed polymeric material and a blowing agent; 
 continuously nucleating the blowing agent admixed with the precursor by dividing the stream into separate portions and separately nucleating each of the separate portions; and    passing the stream through a die to form a sheet microcellular article upon which the material is laminated.    
     
     
         6 . A method as in    claim 5   , comprising providing a stream of a single-phase solution of the polymeric material and a blowing agent, diverging the stream into at least two streams, creating sites of nucleation of the blowing agent in the at least two streams, and recombining the at least two streams to form a recombined stream, and passing the recombined stream to the die.  
     
     
         7 . A method as in    claim 5   , involving creating sites of nucleation by subjecting each of the at least two streams to a pressure drop at a pressure drop rate sufficient to create sites of nucleation.  
     
     
         8 . A method as in    claim 7   , involving subjecting the streams to a pressure drop at a pressure drop rate sufficient to create sites of nucleation at a density of at least about 10 8  sites/cm 3 .  
     
     
         9 . A method as in    claim 1   , comprising laminating a laminate material to a surface of a microcellular article that has not been treated by corona discharge and in the absence of auxiliary adhesive, the material being adhered to the microcellular article surface and not removable therefrom without at least partial destruction of at least one of the laminate material or the microcellular article.  
     
     
         10 . A method as in    claim 4   , comprising continuously extruding a microcellular article using a blowing agent consisting essentially of carbon dioxide.  
     
     
         11 . A method as in    claim 10   , comprising continuously extruding the microcellular article using a blowing agent consisting of carbon dioxide.  
     
     
         12 . A method comprising laminating a film onto a surface of a foam article less than three days after foaming of the foam article.  
     
     
         13 . A method as in    claim 12   , comprising laminating the film onto the surface less than one day after foaming of the foam article.  
     
     
         14 . A method as in    claim 12   , comprising laminating the film onto the surface of the film article less than two days after filming of the film article.  
     
     
         15 . A method as in    claim 12   , comprising laminating the film onto the surface of the film article less than one day after filming of the film article.  
     
     
         16 . A method as in    claim 12   , comprising laminating the film onto the surface of the foam article less than 1 hour after foaming of the foam article.  
     
     
         17 . A method as in    claim 12   , comprising laminating the film onto the surface of the foam article less than 1 minute after foaming of the foam article.  
     
     
         18 . A method as in    claim 12   , comprising laminating the film onto the surface of the foam article less than 20 seconds minute after foaming of the foam article.  
     
     
         19 . A method as in    claim 12   , comprising laminating a laminate material to a surface of a microcellular article that has not been treated by corona discharge and in the absence of auxiliary adhesive, the material being adhered to the microcellular article surface and not removable therefrom without at least partial destruction of at least one of the laminate material or the microcellular article.  
     
     
         20 . A method comprising laminating a film of material to a surface of a polymer article having a thickness of less than 0.150 inch.  
     
     
         21 . A method comprising laminating a laminate material to a surface of a microcellular article that has not been treated by corona discharge and in the absence of auxiliary adhesive, the material being adhered to the microcellular article surface and not removable therefrom without at least partial destruction of at least one of the laminate material or the microcellular article.  
     
     
         22 . A system comprising: 
 a source of microcellular material;    a source of a second material; and    lamination apparatus including a pre-laminated material receiving end fed by the source of microcellular material and the source of second material.    
     
     
         23 . A system as in    claim 22   , wherein the source of microcellular material is a continuous microcellular extrusion apparatus and the microcellular material passes from an exit of the extrusion apparatus to the pre-laminate material receiving end of the lamination apparatus.