The present invention relates to mixtures of 1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobutene (1336mzzm) and 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (1233zd). The blends are useful as blowing agents for polymer foam, solvents, aerosol propellants and heat transfer media.

Disclosed are low-viscosity foamable polyurethane-forming compositions containing a polyol composition having monomeric and higher polyol components and optionally a polyhydroxylated aromatic compound; a polyisocyanate or latent polyisocyanate component or a combination thereof; a blowing agent; and optionally a cyclic carbonate having one or more hydroxyl groups. The monomeric and higher polyols each contain three or more hydroxyl groups, the higher polyol containing residues of the monomeric polyol and optionally residues of the polyhydroxylated aromatic compound, the residues being linked by one or more carbonate and/or ether groups. The Disclosed foamable polyurethane-forming compositions may contain the polyol compositions disclosed; an isocyanate functional component; and a blowing agent. The foamable compositions afford high strength, heat-resistant, low to moderate density foamed-polyurethane compositions useful in a variety of applications including construction, vehicle and packaging applications.

A thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) foam product with high flatness, and a preparation method and a use thereof are provided. The TPU foam product is prepared by processing aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane (ATPU) beads with a melting range of 20° C. to 50° C. and a melting point of 90° C. to 160° C. by a physical gas foaming process to obtain foamed ATPU beads and heating the foamed ATPU beads with a heat source to make the foamed ATPU beads fused. The TPU foam product with high flatness has a density of 0.08 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.8 g/cm.sup.3 and a flatness value of less than 2 mm, and the flatness value is determined by a fixed-length ruler. The TPU foam product not only has high flatness such that diversified designs are allowed for a surface of the product, but also has high resilience.

A method of making chlorofluorohydrocarbons including, contacting, a fluorinated hydrocarbon reagent in the vapor phase, with hydrogen chloride (HCl). The reaction is conducted in the presence of an effective amount of a catalyst, at an elevated temperature sufficient to effect hydrochlorination to form a reaction mixture including a chlorofluorohydrocarbon.

A flexible discontinuous process produces a series of at least two articles containing thermally insulating polyurethane foam from at least three streams (A), (B) and (C). The process involves mixing the at least three streams with different mixing ratios and injecting the mixture into cavities of the articles. A production unit can be used for performing this process.

The present invention relates to a method for polymerising an aqueous suspension of styrene using at least one organic hemiperoxyacetal peroxide, the method comprising a step a) of keeping the aqueous suspension of styrene comprising the organic hemiperoxyacetal peroxide at a temperature below the 1-hour half-life temperature of the organic hemiperoxyacetal peroxide, preferably at 5 to 25° C. below the 1-hour half-life temperature of the organic peroxide, for at least 30 minutes.

A process for the production of a geopolymer composite. The disclosure further relates to a geopolymer composite, and the use of a geopolymer, a geopolymer in combination with an athermanous additive, or the geopolymer composite in expanded vinyl polymer, preferably vinyl aromatic polymer. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a process for the production of expandable vinyl aromatic polymer granulate, and expandable vinyl aromatic polymer granulate. Finally, the disclosure relates to expanded vinyl foam, preferably vinyl aromatic polymer, and to a masterbatch comprising vinyl polymer and a), b), or c).

Modified lignin products, processes for making them, and their use to produce rigid polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foams are disclosed. The processes comprise heating a lignin source with a nitrogen source and a starved concentration of a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 aldehyde to give a reaction mixture comprising a Mannich condensation product, neutralizing the reaction mixture, and isolating the modified lignin product. The process is performed at a mass ratio of lignin source to nitrogen source within the range of 1:1 to 1:5 and at a molar ratio of nitrogen source to C.sub.1-C.sub.5 aldehyde within the range of 3.5:1 to 1:1. Polyol blends and performance additives that contain the modified lignin products are described. Rigid foams that process well and incorporate up to 60 wt.%, based on the amount of polyol component, of the modified lignin contribute to excellent flame retardancy and low-temperature R-value performance.

A method for cleaning medical equipment by scrubbing the equipment with an open-cell melamine-formaldehyde foam comprising an antibacterial active composition, and wherein the open-cell melamine-formaldehyde foam is prepared from a melamine-formaldehyde precondensate, wherein the molar ratio melamine to formaldehyde of the melamine-formaldehyde precondensate is smaller than 0.5.

The invention relates to a process for producing small-cell foams from a styrene-polymer component (S) and an additive of formula (I), wherein Z represents a C.sub.1-C.sub.5-alkylene group or an oxygen or sulfur atom, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 represent, e.g., a C.sub.3-C.sub.12-alkyl residue, C.sub.3-C.sub.12-cycloalkyl residue or benzyl residue; and R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 represent hydrogen or a C.sub.1-C.sub.6-alkyl residue, comprising the steps of: —heating at least a styrene-polymer component (S) to obtain a molten, polymeric molding compound, —introducing a propellant (T) into the molten molding compound to form a foamable composition (Z), and—foaming the foamable composition to obtain a foamed molding, the molten polymeric molding compound containing at least one carboxylic acid derivative of the general formula (I).

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