Abstract: The invention pertains to a process for producing a glycerol tri-carboxylic acid polyester foam which comprises the steps of combining glycerol and a tri-carboxylic acid in the liquid phase to provide a reaction mixture, and keeping the reaction mixture at a temperature of between 80° C. and 130° C. from the start of the reaction until a conversion of at least 90% is obtained. The foamed polyester of the present invention is “green”, biodegradable, and non-toxic, and can be cleanly combusted. It finds application in, int. al., packaging materials, insulation materials, and materials with a short life cycle.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of expandable polystyrene (EPS) containing particles of carbon black and/or graphite is disclosed, comprising: (a) forming a masterbatch by adding carbon black and/or graphite to styrene polymer, (b) adding said masterbatch to an organic phase comprising styrene and optional comonomers, and heating the organic phase to a temperature between 30 and 90° C., (c) mixing the organic phase with an aqueous phase comprising water and suspending agents preheated to a temperature between 80 and 120° C. which is higher than the temperature of the organic phase, and (d) polymerizing in a suspension polymerization reaction the styrene and optional comonomers contained in the mixed aqueous and organic phases, with an expanding agent being added before, during or after the polymerization, wherein the styrene polymer in the masterbatch contains at least 1 000 ppm of dimers. The process gives an improved product.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of beads of expandable vinyl aromatic polymers by means of polymerization in aqueous suspension, which comprises polymerizing at least one vinyl aromatic monomer in aqueous suspension in the presence of a peroxide initiator system, active at a temperature higher than 800 C, an expanding agent, and in the presence of: —an amide having the general formula R1CONHCH2—CH2NHCOR2 (I) a flame retardant system comprising a brominated additive with a bromine content higher than 30% by weight.

Abstract: A thermally expandable microcapsule, which shows excellent heat resistance and a high expansion ratio and thereby can be suitably used for molding processes involving high shearing force, such as kneading molding, calender molding, extrusion molding, and injection molding. The thermally expandable microcapsule also provides a foamed product using the thermally expandable microcapsule. The thermally expandable microcapsule contains a shell made of a polymer; and a volatile expansion agent as a core agent encapsulated in the shell, the storage elastic modulus (E?) of the shell at a temperature of 200° C. and a frequency of 10 Hz being 1×105 N/m2 or more, the storage elastic modulus (E?) of the shell at a temperature of 250° C. and a frequency of 10 Hz being 1×105 N/m2 or more, and a maximum displacement amount measured by thermomechanical analysis being 300 ?m or more.

Abstract: A new additive for plastics (for example, polyethylene) is prepared by reacting a fatty acid ester of glycerol (such as glycerol monostearate) with a source of a reactive divalent metal selected from zinc, calcium, and magnesium. In an embodiment, Zinc oxide is the reactive divalent metal and the reaction is conducted in the presence of an acid such as zinc acetate. In one embodiment, a molar excess of zinc oxide (compared to the fatty acid ester) is used. The additive is suitable for use in the preparation of injection molded parts, rotomolded parts, and films.

Abstract: Disclosed are a polylactide stereocomplex with improved thermal stability and thus improved processability and a method for preparing the same. In order to confer flexibility to polymer chains, D-type polylactide polymer containing a small amount of caprolactone (poly D-lactide-caprolactone copolymer) is synthesized and it is uniformly mixed with L-type single-phase polylactide to prepare a flexible polylactide stereocomplex. Since the polylactide stereocomplex having flexible polymer chains has superior heat resistance and mechanical stability and experiences little decrease of the degree of stereocomplex formation even after thermal processing, the polylactide stereocomplex having improved thermal stability can be advantageously used for engineering plastics requiring high strength and good thermal stability, alternative materials for general-use plastics, high-performance medical materials, or the like because of its remarkably improved processability.

Abstract: A foam molding method, a foamed plastic formed by the method, and a foaming agent used in the foam molding method are provided. The foam molding method may include rotating a screw provided in a barrel, feeding a granular or powdered raw material and a foaming agent into the barrel, the foaming agent producing foam through a chemical reaction, melting the fed raw material and producing a gas from the foaming agent, and phase-changing the produced gas to a supercritical state and mixing the gas with the melted raw material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to chelating resins containing methyleneaminoethylsulfonic acid groups, a process for producing them and also their use for removing heavy metals or metals of value from aqueous solutions having a pH of <4, preferably from process water in or from the electronics industry, the electroplating industry or the mining industry.

Abstract: Enhanced heat transfer by kinetic movement of boundary layer film by introducing particles with specialized surfaces. A boundary layer is stagnant, reducing heat transfer into a flowing fluid. Boundary layer heat transfer is primarily conduction. The introduction of specialized particles into fluid promotes boundary layer mixing, thereby converting conduction to convection through the film. Particles of the invention tumble while mixing the boundary layer, which provides low surface area energy sites around the particles. Kinetic movement increases nucleation formation for gas phase transfer during boiling. Metal and ceramic nanoparticles in fluids increase fluid thermal conductivity. By modifying surface characteristics of such nanoparticles to promote boundary layer mixing, fluid heat transfer and thermal conductivity will increase.

Abstract: There are provided a composition for silicone rubber foam, a manufacturing method of a silicone rubber foam, and a silicone rubber foam in which it is possible to control the foaming states. The composition for silicone rubber foam contains: (A) 100 parts by mass of polyorganosiloxane having a degree of polymerization of 4,000 to 10,000 and having two or more alkenyl groups at a content of 0.001 mmol/g or more and less than 0.3 mmol/g; an amount of polyorganohydrogensiloxane having an average of two or more Si-atom-bonded hydrogen atoms so that a molar ratio of the hydrogen atoms to the alkenyl groups in the (A) component is 0.001 to 5; 0.1 to 10 parts by mass of an organic foaming agent with a decomposition temperature of 50 to 250° C.; 5 to 200 parts by mass of silica powder; and a catalyst amount of a platinum-based metal catalyst activated with ultraviolet rays.

Abstract: A method for producing thin films, particularly for coating surfaces includes a) adding surface-active substances to flowable compositions comprising nanoscale inorganic particulate solids having polymerizable and/or polycondensable organic surface groups; b) forming one or more thin films stabilized by the accumulation of the surface-active substances at the interface(s), the forming of one or more thin films taking place through the generation of bubbles, foam, through the formation of minimal surfaces and/or through the wetting of surfaces; and c) solidifying the films by polymerization and/or polycondensation.

Abstract: A thermoplastic composition that contains a rigid renewable polyester and has a voided structure and low density is provided. To achieve such a structure, the renewable polyester is blended with a polymeric toughening additive to form a precursor material in which the toughening additive can be dispersed as discrete physical domains within a continuous matrix of the renewable polyester. The precursor material is thereafter stretched or drawn at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the polyester (i.e., “cold drawn”). This creates a network of voids located adjacent to the discrete domains, which as a result of their proximal location, can form a bridge between the boundaries of the voids and act as internal structural “hinges” that help stabilize the network and increase its ability to dissipate energy. The present inventors have also discovered that the voids can be distributed in a substantially homogeneous fashion throughout the composition.

Abstract: Biocomposite compositions and compositions, which include dried distillers solubles, and which can be used in making biocomposite compositions are described. Methods for preparing the compositions are also described.

Abstract: Porous particles can be prepared using an evaporative limited coalescence process in which one or more discrete cavities are stabilized within the continuous polymeric solid phase of the porous particles. The one or more discrete cavities have inner walls and are dispersed within the continuous polymeric solid phase. The porous particles further comprise a cavity stabilizing hydrocolloid on the inner walls of the one or more discrete cavities, and an amphiphilic (low HLB) block copolymer that is disposed at the interface of the discrete cavities and the continuous polymeric solid phase.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing an electrical insulation paper having a particle composite. The method involves mixing a dispersion of particles in platelet form, a carrier fluid and a functionalizing agent which is distributed in the carrier fluid and has a proportion by mass in the dispersion corresponding to a predetermined mass ratio based on the proportion by mass of the particles. The dispersion is sedimented, such that the particles in platelet form are arranged in essentially plane-parallel layers in the sediment. The carrier fluid is removed from the sediment. Energy is introduced into the sediment to overcome the activation energy of that chemical reaction of the functionalizing agent with the particles which forms the particle composite from the sediment with coupling of the particles via the functionalizing agent. The mass ratio is predetermined such that the particle composite has a porous structure. The insulation paper is thereby produced.

Abstract: Provided is expandable starch beads including a starch-monomer copolymer and a foaming agent impregnated in the starch-monomer copolymer, in which the starch-monomer copolymer is prepared by bonding at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene, ?-methylstyrene, lactide, lactic acid, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylic ester, methacrylic ester, acrylonitrile, acrylamide, and caprolactone to starch, and the foaming agent includes at least one selected from the group consisting of C2 to C7 aliphatic hydrocarbon, C2 to C7 halogenated hydrocarbon, and carbon dioxide. Since the expandable starch beads have the similar properties to expandable polystyrene beads, and thereby can be foam-molded by equipment for foaming the expandable polystyrene beads, it is possible to produce foams with various sizes and various shapes.

Abstract: Disclosed is expandable modified resin beads (1), comprising a modified resin as a base resin in which a dispersion phase (3) containing a styrene resin as a major component is dispersed in a continuous phase (2) containing an olefin resin as a major component, and a physical blowing agent. Further disclosed are expanded modified resin beads obtained by expanding the expandable modified resin beads (1), and a foamed molded article formed from the expanded modified resin beads obtained by molding the expanded modified resin beads in a mold. A volume average diameter of the dispersion phase (3) dispersed in the continuous phase (2) is 0.55 ?m or more. The expandable modified resin beads (1) have, as a base resin, the modified resin contains 80 to 50 parts by mass of the styrene resin with respect to 20 to 50 parts by mass parts of the olefin resins.

Abstract: The present invention relates to poured-in place polyurethane foams and polyol premixes comprising 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HFCO-1233zd) and one or more additional co-blowing agents.

Abstract: [Objects] It is an object to provide a foam having a low specific gravity and a small compression set, more preferably a foam having a low specific gravity, a small compression set and uniform quality, a foaming composition, and applications of the foam. [Means for Solution] The foam is obtained by foaming an olefin polymer, wherein the foam has a specific gravity (d) in the range of 0.03 to 0.30, and a compression set (CS, %) and the specific gravity (d) satisfy the formula of CS??279×(d)+95. The foam is preferably obtained from a foaming composition that includes an ethylene polymer (A) including a specific ethylene/?-olefin copolymer (A1) and an ethylene/polar monomer copolymer (A2) in a specific mass ratio, and a specific ethylene/C3-20 ?-olefin/non-conjugated polyene copolymer (B).

Abstract: A film that is formed from a thermoplastic composition is provided. The thermoplastic composition contains a rigid renewable polyester and a polymeric toughening additive. The toughening additive can be dispersed as discrete physical domains within a continuous matrix of the renewable polyester. An increase in deformation force and elongational strain causes debonding to occur in the renewable polyester matrix at those areas located adjacent to the discrete domains. This can result in the formation of a plurality of voids adjacent to the discrete domains that can help to dissipate energy under load and increase tensile elongation. To even further increase the ability of the film to dissipate energy in this manner, the present inventors have discovered that an interphase modifier may be employed that reduces the degree of friction between the toughening additive and renewable polyester and thus reduces the stiffness (tensile modulus) of the film.