IMPROVED FOAMED MATERIALS FOR ABSORBING ENERGY OF VEHICLE Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC C08J9/00 C08J9/228 B29C44/04 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to polymer foamed materials which absorb energy when a vehicle collides with obstacles, such as other vehicles. In particular, the invention pertains to an energy absorbing structural component which contains an amorphous thermoplastic cellular polymer which is a polystyrene polymer or a polystyrene copolymer which is in contact with the structural component, in which at least approximately 50% of the cells of the amorphous cellular polymer are closed and have average gas pressure between approximately 0.5 atm and approximately 1.4 atm at ambient temperature. The invention also relates to a method of making the energy absorbing structural component, involving: (a) mixing the amorphous thermoplastic polymer, which is a polystyrene polymer or polystyrene copolymer, and a foaming agent, (b) preparation of moulded polymer foamed material from the mixture of the polymer, which is a polystyrene polymer or polystyrene copolymer, and the foaming agent, in which the foamed material has at least approximately 50% closed cells, (c) processing the moulded foamed material such that closed cells have gas pressure between approximately 0.5 atm and approximately 1.4 atm in order to obtain processed moulded foamed material, and (d) attaching the processed moulded foamed material to the structural component to obtain an energy absorbing structural component.

EFFECT: obtaining foamed materials which absorb energy of a vehicle, which are cheap, are lightweight, have high energy absorption and can withstand the internal medium of an automobile.

43 cl, 5 ex, 1 tbl, 2 dwg