Abstract: An improved process for preparing foamed articles of thermoplastic resin having a hard, mar-resistant surface that is flat and smooth and resembles natural wood, and an extrusion die therefor. In the process a softened thermoplastic is extruded through apertures of the extrusion die of the invention which is a fiered die having a resin discharge plate having a peripheral recessing portion and a protruding interior portion which are formed on the resin discharge plate by one or more step-ups. Each of the peripheral and interior portions of the resin discharge plate is provided with a plurality of apertures, the aperture density of the peripheral portion being greater than that of the interior portion. A longitudinally extending cooling frame is mounted adjacent the resin discharge plate and extends in the direction of extrusion to at least the forward face of the interior portion of the plate.

Abstract: An improvement in a process for preparing a foamed thermoplastic article in which a foamable thermoplastic resin is passed through an orifice of a die and is permitted to expand after passing through said orifice. The improvement includesA. passing the foamable thermoplastic resin through an orifice, the outer periphery of which contains a plurality of recesses,B. allowing the resin to expand to form a soft-surfaced porous shaped article having peaks and valleys corresponding to the recesses of the orifice, andC. pressing the surface of said article so as to level the peaks.A smooth-surfaced shaped article is produced having a surface structure characterized by high density portions corresponding to the peaks and low density portions corresponding to the valleys and resembling natural wood.