Patent ID: 9386784
Filing Date: 2016-07-12
CPC Classification: A23C,A23F,A23G,A23L,A23P,A23V

Claim Text:
1. A method of continuously manufacturing a foaming particle composition at high gas pressure, the method comprising: adding particles to a pre-pressurization zone and increasing the gas pressure to about 20 to about 3100 psi to form pressurized particles effective to create one of passageways, cracks, or pores, and a mixture thereof in the particles; transferring the pressurized particles to a heating zone, separate from the pre-pressurization zone, wherein the heating zone is operating at about 20 to about 3100 psi gas pressure and continuously advancing the pressurized particles, via an auger or continuous screw mechanism, along the heating zone at a rate and for a time effective to increase the temperature of the pressurized particles above the glass-transition temperature of the particles to form heated particles, wherein the auger or continuous screw mechanism agitates the particles while advancing the particles; continuously transitioning the heated particles from the heating zone through a transition zone operating at about 20 to about 3100 psi gas pressure; transferring the heated particles from the transition zone to a cooling zone, separate from the heating zone and the transition zone, the cooling zone operating at about 20 to about 3100 psi gas pressure and continuously advancing the heated particles through the cooling zone at a rate and for a time effective to drop the temperature of the heated particles below the glass-transition temperature of the particles to form a cooled particle; moving the cooled particles to a de-pressurization zone, separate from the cooling zone, for dropping the gas pressure from about 20 to about 3100 psi to ambient pressure to form de-pressurized and cooled particles; and releasing the de-pressurized and cooled particles from the de-pressurization zone to form the foaming particle composition having pressurized entrapped gas remaining therein, wherein the pre-pressurization zone is in gas communication with the de-pressurization zone so that gas sharing occurs therebetween where gas from the de-pressurization zone is utilized to pressurize the pre-pressurization zone such that de-pressurization is synchronized with pre-pressurization.