Disclosed herein is a foam composition comprising an olefin copolymer that comprises ethylene and an α-olefin or propylene and an α-olefin; an ionomer that comprises copolymer of ethylene and a carboxylic acid; where the ionomer is neutralized with a metal ion; a crosslinking agent; and a blowing agent. Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a foam composition comprising blending together an olefin copolymer that comprises ethylene and an α-olefin or propylene and an α-olefin; an ionomer that comprises copolymer of ethylene and a carboxylic acid; where the ionomer is neutralized with a metal ion; a crosslinking agent; and a blowing agent to form the foam composition; heating the composition to activate the blowing agent; and crosslinking the composition.

The present invention is concerned with expanded beads that are olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer expanded beads containing a coloring agent, wherein an apparent density of the expanded beads is 40 to 300 g/L, and an average surface layer membrane thickness (a) is 3 to 25 μm, and a molded article thereof, and is able to provide expanded beads capable of producing an expanded beads molded article which is excellent in in-mold moldability and excellent in tensile characteristics and an expanded beads molded article using the expanded beads.

A sheet molding compound according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: a thickened product of a resin composition comprising a vinyl ester resin, a thickener, a polymerization initiator, a polymerization inhibitor and isobornyl methacrylate; and a reinforcing fiber.

Microporous polyolefin and microporous polydicyclopentadiene (polyDCPD) based aerogels and methods for preparing and using the same are provided. The aerogels are produced by forming a polymer gel structure within a solvent from a olefin or dicyclopentadiene monomer via Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) reactions, followed by supercritical drying to remove the solvent from the aerogel. Other aerogels are prepared by sequentially (1) mixing at least one dicyclopentadiene monomer, at least one solvent at least one catalyst and at least one inorganic and/or organic reinforcing material, (2) gelling the mixture, (3) aging, and (4) supercritical drying. Aerogels provided herein are inexpensive to prepare, possess desirable thermal, mechanical, acoustic, chemical, and physical properties and are hydrophobic. The aerogels provided herein are suitable for use in various applications, including but not limited to thermal and acoustic insulation, radiation shielding, and vibrational damping applications.

A composition for dispersing multilayer polymers has an oligomer prepared from at least one alkyl (meth)acrylate monomer in the presence of a chain transfer agent. The oligomer has a number average molecular weight of less than 10,000 g/mol and a glass transition temperature, T.sub.g, as measured by DSC, less than a coagulation temperature of a composition comprising the oligomer and a multilayer polymer, wherein the coagulation temperature is based on an average particle diameter of 200 microns. A composition containing the oligomer and a multilayer polymer, such as an acrylic core-shell polymer or methacrylate butadiene styrene core-shell polymer, and a resin composition are also disclosed.

Pellets of an acrylic block copolymer are provided which are imparted with sufficient antiblocking properties without deterioration in the outstanding performance of the acrylic block copolymer such as transparency. A method for producing pellets (D) including an acrylic block copolymer (A) includes bringing raw pellets of an acrylic block copolymer (A) into contact with an aqueous dispersion (C) containing acrylic resin particles (B) and no surfactants, the acrylic block copolymer (A) including at least one polymer block (a1) including acrylic acid alkyl ester units and at least one polymer block (a2) including methacrylic acid alkyl ester units, and removing water attached to the pellets.

The present disclosure provides a foam bead. The foam bead is formed from a composition containing (A) a silane-functionalized ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer. The present disclosure also provides a sintered foam structure. The sintered foam structure is formed from foam beads that are formed from a composition containing (A) a silane-functionalized ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer.

The present disclosure provides a foam bead. The foam bead is formed from a composition containing (A) a silane-functionalized ethylene/-olefin multi-block interpolymer. The present disclosure also provides a sintered foam structure. The sintered foam structure is formed from foam beads that are formed from a composition containing (A) a silane-functionalized ethylene/-olefin multi-block interpolymer.

A non-humidified proton-conductive membrane according to the present invention includes a polymer and a proton-conductive substance. The polymer includes a glassy or crystalline first site having a glass-transition temperature or melting temperature higher than the service temperature of the proton-conductive membrane and a second site capable of forming a noncovalent bond. The proton-conductive substance includes a proton-releasing/binding site capable of noncovalently binding to the second site of the polymer and a proton coordination site capable of coordinating to protons, the proton-releasing/binding site and the proton coordination site being included in different molecules that interact with each other or being included in the same molecule. A proton-conductive mixed phase that includes the second site to which the proton-releasing/binding site of the proton-conductive substance is bound and the proton-conductive substance is lower than the service temperature of the proton-conductive membrane. The amount of the proton-releasing/binding site is excessively large compared with the amount of the second site of the polymer.

A sheet molding compound according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: a thickened product of a resin composition comprising a vinyl ester resin, a thickener, a polymerization initiator, a polymerization inhibitor and isobornyl methacrylate; and a reinforcing fiber.