Particle foam component having a textured surface and method and mold for the manufacture thereof
An element molded from a particle foam, including for example expanded polypropylene foam, includes at least one visible exterior surface defined by the particle foam. The visible exterior surface is textured having a roughness depth of less than or equal to 1.00 mm and a plurality of vent interfaces each having a maximum width of less than or equal to 0.4 mm. Methods of molding the element, together with a mold and a method of making the mold, are also provided.
1. A molded component comprising:
an element molded from a particle foam, said element comprising at least one visible exterior surface defined by said particle foam, wherein said visible exterior surface includes a class-A surface texture having a roughness depth of less than or equal to 1.0 mm and a plurality of vent interfaces each having a maximum width of less than or equal to 0.4 mm.
2. The molded component of claim 1 wherein said particle foam comprises an expanded polypropylene foam.
3. The molded component of claim 2 wherein said roughness depth is less than or equal to about 0.5 mm.
4. The molded component of claim 2 wherein said plurality of vent interfaces are distributed with a density of one vent interface per 100 mm 2 of surface area or less.
5. The molded component of claim 2 wherein said expanded polypropylene foam is formed from polypropylene beads having a pearl size of less than or equal to 5.0 mm.
6. The molded component of claim 2 wherein said at least one visible exterior surface comprises a pair of opposite visible side exterior surfaces.
7. The molded component of claim 6 wherein said at least one visible exterior surface further comprises an upper and lower visible exterior surface.
8. The molded component of claim 2 wherein said element comprises a partition wall.
9. The molded component of claim 8 wherein said partition wall comprises an in-molded accessory interface.
10. The molded component of claim 2 wherein said roughness depth is less than or equal to 0.4 mm.
11. The molded component of claim 2 wherein said expanded polypropylene foam is formed from polypropylene beads having a bulk density of less than or equal to 90 g/l.
12. The molded component of claim 2 wherein said vent interfaces are circular and have a diameter of less than or equal to 0.4 mm.
13. A partition system comprising:
a wall element molded from a particle foam comprising at least one visible exterior surface defined by said particle foam, wherein said visible exterior surface includes a class-A texture having a roughness depth of less than or equal to 1.0 mm and a plurality of vent interfaces each having a maximum width of less than or equal to 0.4 mm.
14. The partition system of claim 13 , wherein said class-A texture includes a crepe texture.
15. The partition system of claim 13 , wherein said wall element is curved.
16. The partition system of claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of additional wall elements connected together.
17. A partition system comprising:
a wall element molded from a particle foam comprising at least one visible exterior class-A surface defined by said particle foam, wherein said visible exterior surface includes a plurality of vent interfaces having a maximum width of less than or equal to 0.4 mm and distributed with a density of at least one vent interface per 100 mm 2 of surface area or less.
18. The partition system of claim 17 , wherein said visible exterior class-A surface includes vent interfaces distributed with a density of three vent interfaces per 100 mm 2 of surface area or less.
19. The partition system of claim 17 , wherein said visible exterior class-A surface is textured having a roughness depth of less than or equal to 1.0 mm.
20. The partition system of claim 17 , wherein said particle foam comprises an expanded polypropylene foam formed from polypropylene beads having a pearl size of less than or equal to 5.0 mm.