Patent ID: 7358280

Claim:
A process for processing polymer particles which optionally contain a blowing agent, the steps consisting of: a) in a pressurization unit, over-pressurizing said polymer particles with a high pressurized gas to create a high gas pressure inside said particles; b) immediately transferring said particles to a pre-expander and pre-expanding said particles with a heating medium to form pre-expanded particles, and directing a flow of hot dry air onto said pre-expanded particles to dry said pre-expanded particles in the pre-expander while maintaining sufficient positive pressure in said pre-expanded particles which pressure is above atmospheric pressure and below the gas pressure in said particles as a result of step a); c) without maturing said pre-expanded particles, immediately injecting said pre-expanded particles into a molding machine and molding said pre-expanded particles into a foam article using at least the residual gas pressure in said particles; and after step b) and prior to step c), optionally transferring said pre-expanded particles of step b) directly from said pre-expander to a pressure silo to maintain the pressure in said pre-expanded particles.