Method for producing skin-covered foamed molded article and resulting product

1. A method for producing a skin-covered foamed molded article, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a parison that is in a molten or softened state, the parison being formed of a polystyrene resin composition;

(b) blow molding the parison into a skin defining a hollow interior space;

(c) filling expanded polystyrene beads in the hollow interior space; and

(d) heating the expanded polystyrene beads filled in the hollow interior space to fuse-bond the expanded polystyrene beads to each other and to form a foam layer fuse-bonded to the skin,

wherein step (a) comprises:

melting and kneading a mixture of 30 to 70 parts by weight of a polystyrene resin (A) having a branching degree defined as Mw A (abs)/Mw A (r) of at least 1.4, where Mw A (abs) and Mw A (r) represent a weight average absolute molecular weight and a linear polystyrene equivalent weight average molecular weight, respectively, of the polystyrene resin (A), and 30 to 70 parts by weight of an impact resistant polystyrene resin (B) containing a rubber component to obtain the polystyrene resin composition, and extruding the polystyrene resin composition into the parison, wherein the total of the polystyrene resin (A) and impact resistant polystyrene resin (B) is 100 parts by weight,

wherein the polystyrene resin composition meets the following requirements (1) to (3):

(1) the polystyrene resin composition has a Charpy impact strength at 23° C. according to ISO179/1eA of at least 5 kJ/m 2 ;

(2) the polystyrene resin composition has a melt mass flow rate at a temperature of 200° C. and a load of 5 kg of 1.5 to 3.0 g/10 min;

(3) the polystyrene resin composition has a branching degree defined as Mw S (abs)/Mw S (r) of at least 1.4 where Mw S (abs) and Mw S (r) represent a weight average absolute molecular weight and a linear polystyrene equivalent weight average molecular weight, respectively, of the polystyrene resin composition, and

wherein the polystyrene resin (A) comprises a copolymer of a styrenic monomer with a multibranched macromonomer having a plurality of polymerizable double bonds.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the skin-covered foamed molded article has a length of 1 to 5 m.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the skin has an average thickness of 1 to 3 mm.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of depressurizing a space between an outer surface of the parison and the hollow interior space.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the step of depressurizing comprises evacuating air through at least one vent provided in a mold forming the hollow interior space.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the impact resistant polystyrene resin (B) has a melt mass flow rate of 1.0 to 5.0 g/10 min.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the impact resistant polystyrene resin (B) has a melt mass flow rate of 1.5 to 3.5 g/10 min.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of polystyrene resin (A) is from 40 to 70 parts by weight and the amount of impact resistant polystyrene resin (B) is from 30 to 60 parts by weight, with the total of the polystyrene resin (A) and impact resistant polystyrene resin (B) being 100 parts by weight.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the branching degree defined as Mw A (abs)/Mw A (r) is at least 1.8.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the Charpy impact strength at 23° C. according to ISO179/1eA is from 7 kJ/m 2 to 20 kJ/m 2 .

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the Charpy impact strength at 23° C. according to ISO179/1eA is from 15 kJ/m 2 to 20 kJ/m 2 .

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the polystyrene resin composition has a melt mass flow rate at a temperature of 200° C. and a load of 5 kg of 1.6 to 2.8 g/10 min.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the branching degree defined as Mw S (abs)/Mw S (r) is from 1.4 to 2.1.