Foams based on thermoplastic polyurethanes

1. A process for production of expanded thermoplastic polyurethane foam beads, comprising:

(i) melting a thermoplastic polyurethane whose Shore hardness is from A 44 to A78, together with from 0.1 to 40% by weight, based on the total weight of pellets, of a blowing agent, if appropriate with additives, in an extruder, and (ii) pelletizing the melt without devices which inhibit foaming to produce expanded thermoplastic polyurethane foam beads;

wherein

the blowing agent is a volatile organic compound having a boiling point from −25 to 150° C. at 1013 mbar selected from the group consisting of hexane, heptane, octane, an alcohol, a ketone, an ester, an ether and a carbonate,

the thermoplastic polyurethane comprises a polytetralhydrofuran of a molar mass of from 600 g/mol to 2500 g/mol, and

the thermoplastic polyurethane exhibits a melting range, measured by DSC using a heating rate of 20 K/min, that starts below 130° C., and the thermoplastic polyurethane has at most a melt flow rate of 250 g/10 min at 100° C. with an applied weight of 21.6 kg to DIN EN ISO 1133.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the Shore hardness of the thermoplastic polyurethane is from A 62 to A78.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane comprising blowing agent comprises from 5 to 80% by weight of organic and/or inorganic fillers, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic polyurethane comprising blowing agent.

4. A process for production of foam moldings, which comprises producing expanded thermoplastic polyurethane foam beads according to the process of claim 1 and fusing them in a closed mold by steam at a temperature of from 100° C. to 140° C.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane is impregnated in (i) with 1 to 30 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic polyurethane, of a C 4-10 alkane as blowing agent.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein a density of the expanded thermoplastic polyurethane foam beads is from 10 to 300 g/l.

7. The process according to claim 1 wherein a diameter of the expanded thermoplastic polyurethane foam beads is from 1 to 12 mm.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said expanded thermoplastic polyurethane foam beads have a spherical or elongated shape.