Abstract: The invention relates to essentially water-insoluble amphiphilic particles or molecules having predominantly hydrophilic and predominantly hydrophobic domains distributed anisotropically over their surface and a particle size ranging from 1 nm to 100 &mgr;m, consisting of antagonistic partial amounts of particles or molecules, which in each case have predominantly hydrophilic or predominantly hydrophobic domains, the partial amounts of the particles or molecules being agglomerated or associated over polar interactions or hydrogen bonds, as well as to a method for producing these particles or molecules and to the selective use of the particles or molecules.

Abstract: A method is described for the preparation of rigid foams, having urethane and/or isocyanurate groups and being extensively open celled, by reacting polyisocyanates with compounds having at least two groups capable of reacting with isocyanates and the equivalent weight per reactive group of which is about 9 to 800, in the presence of catalysts, surface active substances, as well as, optionally, physical blowing agents, flame retardants and other known auxiliary materials and finishing agents, wherein the reaction is carried out in the presence of liquid, higher molecular weight, unsaturated hydrocarbons, which are free of groups capable of reacting with isocyanates, in amounts of 0.01 to 3.0% by weight, based on the reaction formulation. Particularly preferred hydrocarbons are polybutadiene and polyoctenylene with an average molecular weight of 800 to 10,000 g/mole. The rigid foams, because of their open cell nature, exhibit high dimensional stability.

Abstract: A method for deodorizing polyoxyalkylene polysiloxane mixed block polymers wherein the polysiloxane blocks are linked to the polyether blocks through SiC linkages is disclosed. Hydrogen is allowed to act on the mixed block polymers in the presence of hydrogenation catalysts at temperatures of 20.degree. to 200.degree. C. and a pressure of 1 to 100 bar for a period of 0.5 to 10 hours.

Abstract: A process of preparing rigid polyurethane foams is disclosed, wherein polysiloxane polyoxyalkylene block copolymers which have at least one aminofunctional group of the general formula, ##STR1## which is linked to a silicon atom, are used in an amount of 0.2 to 5% by weight, based on the polyol or the prepolymer having isocyanate groups, to provide polyurethane foams, which otherwise contain closed cells, with at least partially open the cells.