The present invention provides a thermally expandable microcapsule that has excellent heat resistance and compression resistance and that enables the production of a foam molded article that is less likely to undergo deterioration or appearance defects over a long period of time, as well as a foamable masterbatch and a foam molded article each produced using the thermally expandable microcapsule. Provided is a thermally expandable microcapsule including a shell and a volatile expansion agent as a core agent encapsulated by the shell, the shell containing a black material and a polymer compound.

A foam comprising starch and urea is described. A composition of the foam, by weight percent, includes a starch weight percent representative of the starch included in the foam and a urea weight percent representative of the urea included in the foam. The starch weight percent is greater than the urea weight percent.

Disclosed are methods of forming foam comprising: (a) providing a foamable composition comprising an isocyanate, a polyol and a physical blowing agent comprising at least about 50% by weight of hydrohaloolefin, including trans1233zd, and wherein the polyol comprises a polyol or mixture of polyols such that the hydrohaloolefin, including trans1233zd, has a solubility in said polyol of less than about 30%; and (b) forming a foam from said foamable composition.

A charging member for an image forming apparatus may include a conductive support and a surface layer on the conductive support and not in contact with a photosensitive member. The surface layer may comprise a urethane foam including foam cells and having a foam structure based on the foam cells, the foam cells including open cells.

A charging member for an image forming apparatus may include a conductive support and a surface layer on the conductive support and not in contact with a photosensitive member. The surface layer may comprise a urethane foam including foam cells and having a foam structure based on the foam cells, the foam cells including open cells.

The invention disclosed herein is an automotive acoustic panel including a porous sound-absorption material made from a polymer and an expanded perlite. One or more silane compounds may be coupled or coated onto the expanded perlite while a coupling agent and a chemical foaming agent may additionally be added to the automotive acoustic panel.

The process for forming closed cell expanded low density polyethylene foam includes the steps of: providing a mixture including low density polyethylene pellets and an effective amount of hydrocarbon scavenger additives or degassing agents, such as glycerides; adding a primary blowing agent comprising one of liquid propane, liquid butane, and combinations thereof, to the mixture and gasifying the blowing agent to expand the low density polyethylene; forming the expanded low density polyethylene into sheets, curing the expanded low density polyethylene until 80%, generally at least 99%, of the primary blowing agent is dissipated from cells within the expanded low density polyethylene forming evacuated closed cell low density polyethylene sheets.

A method of forming foam material is provided, which includes mixing 100 parts by weight of a compound having cyclic carbonate groups and a foaming agent to form a foaming composition, wherein the foaming agent includes 3 to 13 parts by weight of carbamate salt and 15 to 65 parts by weight of amino compound. The foaming composition is heated to 100° C. to 170° C. for decomposing the carbamate salt into CO.sub.2 and amino compound, and the amino compound is reacted with the compound having cyclic carbonate groups to form the foam material.

A polymer composition may include a polymer produced from ethylene, one or more branched vinyl ester monomers, optionally vinyl acetate (VA), and a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). A method of preparing a polymer composition may include blending a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and an ethylene based polymer produced from ethylene, one or more branched vinyl ester monomers, and optionally vinyl acetate (VA); and to form a blended mixture; and extruding the blended mixture to form the polymer composition

By constructing packaging or cushioning components with a cellulose-fiber foam and uniquely blending relatively longer fibers serving as mechanical structure with refined chemical fibers serving as a bonding mechanism for the relatively longer fibers together, a lower density, energy absorbing, and resilient cellulose-fiber foam is disclosed. Some cellulose-fiber foam components additional do not require stand-alone foaming agent or surfactant.