An electronic module that comprises a housing that receives at least one electronic component is disclosed. The housing contains a fiber-reinforced polymer composition comprising a polymer matrix that contains a thermoplastic polymer and a plurality of long reinforcing fibers that are distributed within the polymer matrix. The polymer composition exhibits a dielectric constant of about 4 or less and dissipation factor of about 0.01 or less at a frequency of 2 GHz. Further, the polymer composition exhibits a Charpy unnotched impact strength of about 20 kJ/m.sup.2 or more as determined in accordance with ISO Test No. 179-1:2010 at a temperature of about 23° C.

A fiber-reinforced resin composition includes a polyamide resin and a polyolefin resin, and when one resin between the polyamide resin and the polyolefin resin is set as a first resin, and the other resin is set as a second resin, the composition has a sea-island structure including a continuous phase C consisting of the first resin and a dispersed phase c consisting of the second resin dispersed in the continuous phase C, and in a resin phase separation cross-sectional structure, a total of cross-sectional areas of dispersed phases having a cross-sectional area equal to or smaller than an average cross-sectional area of the reinforcing fiber is 20% or less with respect to a total of cross-sectional areas of all dispersed phases.

A poly(oxyalkylene) polymer and a metal salt of a carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, or alkylsulfate, in combination are useful as a polymer processing additive synergist. Polymer processing additive compositions, homogeneously catalyzed olefin compositions, and other extrudable polymer compositions including a poly(oxyalkylene) polymer and a metal salt of a carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, or alkylsulfate are disclosed. Methods of reducing melt defects during the extrusion of a thermoplastic polymer, which may be a homogeneously catalyzed polyolefin, are also disclosed.

The present invention describes thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) and methods for forming TPVs that include addition of a masterbatch comprising antioxidant (AO) additives to improve UV weatherability of TPVs. The hindered phenol antioxidants have a melting point of 85° C. or less, and comprise an alkyl chain longer than 12 carbons. A method may comprise compounding a carbon black, carrier resin, and hindered phenol antioxidant to form a masterbatch and dynamically vulcanizing the masterbatch, a vulcanizable elastomer, a thermoplastic resin, and a process oil to yield a TPV.

It has been found that certain silica/cellulose hybrid compositions can be incorporated into rubber formulations with excellent compatibility between the filler and the rubber being attained. These rubber formulations also offer excellent rubber performance characteristics for utilization in tires and other rubber products. These silica/cellulose compositions are made by (1) dispersing sodium silicate or an alkoxy silane into an aqueous cellulose slurry to make an aqueous cellulose dispersion; (2) maintaining the aqueous cellulose dispersion under agitation for a time which is sufficient to allow the sodium silicate or the alkoxy silane to react with the cellulose; (3) adding an acid to the cellulose dispersion in an amount which is sufficient to reduce the pH of the cellulose dispersion to no more than about 8 to produce the silica/cellulose hybrid; and (4) recovering the silica/cellulose hybrid from the water.

The present disclosure provides formulation. The formulation contains a high density polyethylene composition containing (i) a high molecular weight component including an ethylene/a-olefin copolymer, the high molecular weight component having a density from 0.924 to 0.930 g/cc and a high load melt index (121) from 0.3 to 0.9 g/10 min; and (ii) a low molecular weight component including an ethylene-based polymer selected from the group consisting of an ethylene homopolymer and an ethylene/a-olefin copolymer. The high density polyethylene composition has (a) a density from 0.950 to 0.956 g/cc; (b) a high load melt index (121) from 15 to 28 g/10 min; (c) an 121/12 of at least 85; (d) a notched constant tensile load failure time at 35% yield stress of greater than 90 hours; and (e) an environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR) F0 value, according to ASTM D1693—condition B (100% IGEPAL), of greater than 2,000 hours.

A propylene copolymer resin composition capable of improving softness while maintaining excellent strength properties when preparing nonwoven fabrics, and a method for preparing the same are provided. The propylene copolymer resin composition includes a propylene-ethylene copolymer having an ethylene content of 12 to 18 wt % in the propylene-ethylene copolymer and a propylene-1-butene random copolymer satisfying the following conditions (i) to (iv), wherein (i) 1-butene content of 1 to 5 wt % in the propylene-1-butene random copolymer, (ii) molecular weight distribution of 2.4 or less, (iii) storage modulus of 1200 MPa or less at 25° C., and (iv) phase angle of 5.5° to 8° at a glass transition temperature, and wherein a weight ratio of the propylene-1-butene random copolymer to the propylene-ethylene copolymer is 80:20 to 99:1.

A polymer composition including a crosslinkable thermoplastic matrix, a crosslinking agent, a blowing agent, and at least one cell opener is provided. A method of producing an open cell polymer foam from the polymer composition is also provided. The method includes heating a foamable precursor under positive pressure to a temperature greater than a decomposition temperature of the crosslinking agent and below a decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent to produce a primary foam. Then, the method includes heating the primary foam to a temperature greater than the decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent and then allowing the primary foam to cool to a temperature below a softening temperature of the crosslinkable thermoplastic polymer to form the open cell polymer foam. The produced open cell polymer foam has an open cell content of at least 80% immediately following the step of allowing the primary foam to cool.

Articles made from a moisture-curable, polymeric composition comprising in weight percent based on the weight of the composition: (A) 2 to less than 80 weight percent (wt %) of an ethylenic polymer with (1) a crystallinity at room temperature of 34% to 55%, or 65% to 80%, and (2) a melt index (I.sub.2) of 0.1 to 50 decigrams per minute (dg/min); (B) 3 to 30 wt % of a halogenated flame retardant; (C) 3 to 30 wt % an inorganic antimony flame retardant; and (D) 0 to 10 wt % of at least one of an inorganic flame retardant other than the inorganic antimony flame retardant, e.g., zinc oxide
exhibit enhanced ACBD properties in comparison to articles alike in all respects except made from a composition comprising an ethylenic polymer without the requisite crystallinity at room temperature.

A masterbatch is disclosed, along with associated methods, and biodegradable filaments, fibers, yarns and fabrics. The masterbatch includes 0.2 to 5 mass % CaCO.sub.3, an aliphatic polyester with a repeat unit having from two to six carbons in the chain between ester groups, with the proviso that the 2 to 6 carbons in the chain do not include side chain carbons, and a carrier polymer selected from the group consisting of PET, nylon, other thermoplastic polymers, and combinations thereof.