Patent ID: 8476326

Claim:
A method for generating a thermoplastic non-cellular fibrillated foam, the method comprising: melting a thermoplastic resin and dispersion stabilizing agent in a fist part of an extruder to form a polymer melt; adding water to the polymer melt to form an aqueous dispersion in a second part of the extruder; adjusting the pH of the aqueous dispersion to between 8 and 11; adding at least one froth stabilizing surfactant to the aqueous dispersion to form a mixture; adding fiber to the mixture, wherein the fiber comprises at least one of a polyethylene homopolymer, copolymer, or multiblock interpolymer, a polypropylene homopolymer, copolymer, or multiblock interpolymer, and combinations thereof; and wherein the fiber has an average length in the range from about 0.2 to about 30 mm; and wherein the fiber is present in the range from about 30 wt. % to about 60 wt. % based on a total weight of the thermoplastic resin and the fiber; frothing the mixture to create a froth, and removing at least a portion of the water in the froth to create a foam, wherein the foam generated has a non-cellular fibrillated morphology.