Abstract: A composition comprising: (i) expanded or expandable polystyrene beads or particles (ii) an intumescent, and (iii) a fire-resistant binder the weight of (i) being in the range 20-75% by weight based on the total weight of (i), (ii) and (iii) is disclosed. The fire-resistant binder is an inorganic material chosen from the list comprising metal, silicates, metal aluminates, metal amminosilicates and zeolites preferably an aqueous solution of sodium silicate. A method of preparing a fire-retardant polystyrene is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoplastic composition prepared by providing a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers containing one or more styrenic monomers, one or more waxes, one or more white oils, and a particulate solid; polymerizing the monomers in the mixture in the presence of one or more free radical catalysts to form expandable particles; incorporating a blowing agent into the expandable particles; and at least partially expanding the expandable particles to provide expanded particles. Foamed articles can be prepared by feeding pre-expanded particles of the thermoplastic composition to a mold, heating the mold and expanded particles to a temperature sufficient to further expand the particles and cause the pre-expanded particles to soften and stick together, and cooling the mold to provide a foamed article.

Abstract: Composition containing polyvinylarene polymer particles, which particles are bound to each other by a binder composition based on a silicate and an organic polymer having a weight average molecular weight of at least 500,000 g/mol, as measured in accordance with gel permeation chromatography. The invention furthermore relates to a process for the preparation of such compositions, to the binder composition per se and to a kit of parts.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of permethylated amines, particularly pentamethyldiethylenetriamine, by the reductive methylation of diethylenetriamine in the presence of hydrogen, a nickel-containing catalyst, aqueous formaldehyde and methanol, comprising feeding continuously the formalehyde to the reaction system in two phases. In the first phase, a sufficient amount of formaldehyde to mono-methylate the primary amine groups present, is fed to the reaction system at a high flow rate, and thereafter the flow rate of the formaldehyde is substantially reduced, for the reductive methylation of the secondary amine groups. By this method the production of by-products is substantially reduced and preparation times are significantly shorter in comparison to processes where the formaldehyde flow rate remains constantly high for the entirety of the reaction.