Abstract: Disclosed are compositions of short fiber reinforced phenolic foams, methods of making and using the same. The disclosed fiber-reinforced phenolic foams have a seven-fold increase in peel resistance over the unreinforced counterpart foam. The phenolic foam has enhanced fracture toughness without sacrificing the critical fire retardant properties.

Abstract: A composition that has an ethylene/?-olefin copolymer (A), a blowing agent (B), and optionally, an organic peroxide and a crosslinking assistant. The ethylene/?-olefin copolymer (A) has an ethylene/?-olefin copolymer (A1) having a density of not less than 0.880 g/cm3 and less than 0.900 g/cm3 and MFR (190° C.) of 0.1 to 50 g/10 min and an ethylene/?-olefin copolymer (A2) having a density of 0.900 to 0.930 g/cm3, MFR (190° C.) of 0.1 to 50 g/10 min and a main melting point peak at a position of not higher than 110° C., in a specific ratio. A foamed product, obtained by heat treatment of the composition, may be further subjected to secondary compression. A laminate made of the foamed product and a layer made of a polyolefin, a polyurethane, a rubber, a leather or an artificial leather. Footwear or a footwear part made of the foamed product or the laminate.

Abstract: Compositions, apparatus and methods of the present invention concern the manufacturing parts that remain strong and dimensionally stable after exposure to e-coat painting conditions. Such manufacturing includes providing a molding compound having about 55-65% by weight polyethylene terephthalate content, about 35-45% by weight filler content, and optionally about 1% by weight blowing agent content. When an injection molding machine is provided, the molding compound can be fed into the injection molding machine to form a raw part. The raw part can then be removed from the injection mold and quenched in a quenching bath to produce a hardened part. The hardened part can then be secured to a partially assembled vehicle. The hardened part, along with the rest of the partially assembled vehicle can then be electro-coated, painted, and baked to produce a final vehicle or sub-assembly thereof.

Abstract: A novel expandable composition and method for using the same are disclosed. The disclosed method relates to using the composition, for example, as an automotive cavity sealant. The inventive composition normally is a combination of at least one base polymer, at least one expansion or blowing agents, at least one hydrocarbon resin, at least one curing agent or catalyst and optionally at least one additives such as a supplemental polymer, colorant, tackifier, processing oil, among others.

Abstract: Hydrophilic open-celled resilient foams comprising melamine-formaldehyde resins, obtainable by (a) heating and crosslinking an aqueous solution or dispersion each containing at least a melamine-formaldehyde precondensate, an emulsifier, a blowing agent and a curing agent to form a foam, (b) then conditioning the foam at from 120 to 300° C. for from 1 to 180 minutes to remove volatiles, and (c) treating the foam during the conditioning or thereafter with at least one polymer containing primary and/or secondary amino groups and having a molar mass of not less than 300, are useful in hygiene articles to acquire, distribute and immobilize body fluids.

Abstract: This disclosure describes the first viable non-enzyme protein encapsulated within an aerogel. In this, a large excess of cyt. c is added to a commercial buffered Au sot solution ( ) which results in the formation of a gold˜protein-protein superstructure in the absence of separation techniques which destroy the superstructure. The gold˜protein-protein superstructure is then nanoglued into a silica framework during the sol to gel transition. To form the gel, the Au-cyt. c superstructure in buffered medium is added to a silica sol and the composite gels are washed with acetone followed by liquid carbon dioxide and then supercritically dried to form the aerogel. The biocomposite aerogels have a multiplicity of applications particularly in the realm of sensing and energy transformation.

Abstract: A method for producing a porous material excelling in stability of preservation is produced. A method for the production of a porous material comprising a step for obtaining a porous polymer by polymerizing an HIPE containing a polymerizable monomer is disclosed, which method comprises a step for adding a compound capable of reacting with a polymerization initiator and/or a compound capable of reacting with an unsaturated double bond to said emulsion, said porous polymer and/or said porous material having a conversion of not less than 70%. According to this invention, it is made possible to produce a porous material excelling in stability in storage and to decrease the polymerization initiator and the residual monomer very simply.

Abstract: The present invention provides a foam cushion, a method of making the foam cushion, and a method of using the foam cushion. The foam cushion is formed from: (a) at least one of rubber and a resin; (b) a blowing agent; (c) a polymeric adhesion modifier; (d) a decomposition accelerating agent, and (e) a cross-linking agent.

Abstract: A method of producing silicone foam includes the step of adding a mechanical foaming agent to uncured silicone. The mechanical foaming agent is a plurality of solid bodies insoluble in the silicone. The method also includes the steps of curing the silicone and removing the mechanical foaming agent as intact solid bodies from the silicone thereby providing a silicone foam.

Abstract: A flexible polyimide foam having an apparent density of 13.5 to 900 kg/m3 and a glass transition temperature of 300° C. or higher can be prepared by mixing an aromatic tetracarboxylic acid comprising 2,3,3′,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride a portion of which is converted into its mono- or di-lower primary alcohol ester with an aromatic polyamine containing diaminodisiloxane in an amount of 0.1 to 10 mol. %, based on the amount of total amine compounds, to give a solid of polyimide precursor; heating the solid of polyimide precursor to a temperature of 300° C. to 500° C. to produce a polyimide foam; and compressing the polyimide foam.

Abstract: A foamable polyester resin composition comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of a polyester resin, (B) from 0.5 to 30 parts by weight of a (meth)acrylic ester polymer or a polymer mixture obtained by polymerizing from 0 to 50 parts by weight of a monomer mixture (b) in the presence of a polymer latex which is obtained by emulsion-polymerizing from 50 to 100 parts by weight of a monomer mixture (a) wherein, when 0.1 g of the polymer is dissolved in 100 mL of chloroform, the resulting solution has a specific viscosity of from 0.7 to 1.9 as measured at 30° C. (wherein the sum of the monomer mixtures (a) and (b) being 100 parts by weight), wherein, when 0.1 g of the (meth)acrylic ester polymer or the polymer mixture is dissolved in 100 mL of chloroform, the resulting solution has a specific viscosity of from 0.65 to 1.7 as measured at 30° C., (C) from 0.1 to 30 parts by weight of a filler, (D) a blowing agent.

Abstract: A silane-crosslinking expandable polyolefin resin composition that is flowable before foaming and composition, does not cause degassing even when foaming is carried out immediately after heat molding without the conventional crosslinking operation, and gives a crosslinked foam having superior heat resistance (heat deformation properties) after the foaming. The silane-crosslinking expandable polyolefin resin composition includes 100 parts by weight of a mixture of 5-90% by weight of a silane-grafted polyethylene resin obtained by melt mixing 100 parts by weight of LLDPE having a molecular weight distribution of 5 or less and a density of 0.87-0.945 g/cm3, 0.1-5 parts by weight of a vinyl-functional silane compound and 0.01-0.5 parts by weight of a free radical generator, and 95-10% by weight of a polyolefin resin; and 2-20 parts by weight of a specified organic blowing gas.

Abstract: Formulations of polyvinyl chloride blended with nitrile rubber are provided. These formulations have been found to be useful in floor cleaning units, and provide a cost savings benefit, while meeting the physical and chemical property demands for the floor cleaning unit parts into which they are formed.

Abstract: A susceptor-impregnated thermoplastic foam is molded by heating the susceptor-impregnated thermoplastic foam, preferably by induction; imprinting an object against the foam; and allowing the foam to cool into a hardened form conformed to the object.

Abstract: Synthetic methods for the preparation of hydrophobic organics aerogels. One method involves the sol-gel polymerization of 1,3-dimethoxybenzene or 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene with formaldehyde in non-aqueous solvents. Using a procedure analogous to the preparation of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aerogels, this approach generates wet gels that can be dried using either supercritical solvent extraction to generate the new organic aerogels or air dried to produce an xerogel. Other methods involve the sol-gel polymerization of 1,3,5 trihydroxy benzene (phloroglucinol) or 1,3 dihydroxy benzene (resorcinol) and various aldehydes in non-aqueous solvents. These methods use a procedure analogous to the one-step base and two-step base/acid catalyzed polycondensation of phloroglucinol and formaldehyde, but the base catalyst used is triethylamine. These methods can be applied to a variety of other sol-gel precursors and solvent systems.

Abstract: Hydrophilic open-celled resilient foams containing melamine-formaldehyde resins, characterized by a droplet absorption rate of less than 5 seconds and an EU standard EN ISO 14184-1 formaldehyde emission of less than 100 mg of formaldehyde/kg of foam, and obtainable by (a) heating an aqueous solution or dispersion each containing at least a melamine-formaldehyde precondensate, an emulsifier, a blowing agent and a curing agent to form a foam and crosslink the precondensate, (b) then conditioning the foam at from 120 to 300° C. for from 1 to 180 minutes to remove volatiles, and (c) treating the foam during the conditioning or thereafter with at least one hydrophilicizer and/or with ozone, a corona discharge or a plasma, are useful in hygiene articles to acquire, distribute and immobilize body fluids.

Abstract: A foam comprising a propylene copolymer material comprising at least 50 weight percent of units derived from propylene, based on the total propylene copolymer material, and units derived from ethylenically unsaturated comonomers and having a melt flow rate in the range of from 0.5 to 8 g/10 min, a melt strength of at least 5 cN, and a melt drawability of at least 20 mm/s, process for making a foam using such a propylene copolymer material, process for making a foam in the form of thermoplastic foam beads using such a propylene copolymer material, and an expandable composition comprising such a propylene copolymer material.

Abstract: A process of producing expandable styrene resin particles, wherein in suspension polymerization of styrene monomers, the concentration of oxygen in a reaction vessel is kept low at least in a late stage of the polymerization, and the resulting styrene resin particles are impregnated with an expanding agent before or after completion of the polymerization. Preferably, at a polymerization rate of 60% or higher, the concentration of oxygen in the reaction vessel is kept at 7 vol % or lower. When additional styrene monomers are added during the polymerization, they are added and adsorbed to styrene resin particles in the course of polymerization while the concentration of oxygen is kept low. By this method, the particles whose internal portion has a low molecular weight and surface portion has a high molecular weight are obtained. A foamed article produced from the particles has high strength and a good appearance.

Abstract: A method of production is provided which is capable of efficiently producing in a very short period of time a porous polymer possessing a uniform foam structure and truly excelling in absorption properties and physical properties. It is a method for the production of a porous polymer, characterized by comprising (a) an emulsifying step for forming a water-in-oil type high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) by mixing and stirring an oil phase containing a polymerizing monomer component and a surfactant as essential components, (b) a shaping step for shaping the HIPE in a specific form, and (c) a polymerizing step for polymerizing the shaped HIPE and controlling the temperatures of the emulsion at the component steps (a)-(c) so that they may not produce a change exceeding 10° C. or controlling all the component steps so that they may proceed at temperatures of not lower than 80° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides polypropylene resin pre-expanded particles having small fluctuation in cell diameter and expansion ratio compared to in the past. The pre-expanded particles are obtained by having as a base resin, a polypropylene resin composition comprising polypropylene resin (A), a compound having a triazine skeleton and molecular weight of at most 300 per triazine skeleton unit (B) and as a random component, hydrophilic polymer (C) and inorganic filler (D) and water as the foaming agent. By using the pre-expanded particles, a polypropylene resin in-mold expanded article having decreased unevenness in color and fluctuation in weight can be obtained.