A monolithic thermocasting system for thermocasting polymer and solid material and method of use having an internal frame system; an external frame system disposed external to the internal frame system; a mold cavity formed between the internal frame system and the external frame system, the mold cavity sized to receive the polymer and solid material and shaped to form an architectural member; a duct; and a heater element disposed in the duct for outputting thermal energy to the mold cavity to heat the polymer and solid material, the thermal energy being sufficient to thermocast the polymer and solid material to a combined building material.

An expanded bead having a through hole and including a foamed core layer which defines the through hole therein and which is constituted of a resin composition containing two kinds of polypropylene-based resins having different melting points, and a cover layer covering the foamed core layer and constituted of a polyolefin-based resin. The expanded bead gives a DSC curve in which an endothermic peak intrinsic to the resin composition and another endothermic peak on a higher temperature side thereof appear in a specific heat of fusion ratio. Molded articles include a multiplicity of the expanded beads.

An encapsulant sheet suitable for encapsulating a light-emitting element in a self-luminous display, etc. A resin sheet having a polyolefin as a base resin, wherein the resin sheet is created as an encapsulant sheet for a self-luminous display or for a direct backlight, the melt viscosity of the encapsulant sheet, at a shear velocity of 2.43×10 sec.sup.−1 and measured at a temperature of 120° C., being 5.0×10.sup.3 poise to 1.0×10.sup.5 poise inclusive.

Provided are films made from polymer blends including post-consumer resin (PCR). The films are formed from a polymer blend that includes a PCR, a low density polyethylene and/or ethylene/carbon monoxide copolymer (ECO copolymer), and a modification agent. The films, which include a PCR, contribute to improved sustainability and in aspects maintain or minimize the reduction of desirable properties, such as elastic recovery.

A thermoplastic olefinic elastomer expanded bead, which is an expanded bead including a thermoplastic olefinic elastomer as a main component, wherein the expanded bead has an average particle diameter of 0.5 to 5 mm, the expanded bead has a heat of fusion of 60 to 80 J/g, and a difference [Tm−Tc] between a melting point (Tm) and a crystallization temperature (Tc) of the expanded bead is 20° C. or lower.

A polyolefin resin foam sheet includes a resin mixture as a base resin, the resin mixture including 0% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less of polyethylene resin, 30% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less of polypropylene resin, and 20% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less of a polyolefin elastomer, the polyolefin resin foam sheet fulfilling a range of −35% or more and 0% or less for dimensional changes in machine and transverse directions under heating for 10 minutes at a temperature 20° C. higher than a maximum melting point that is a highest melting peak in a differential scanning calorimetry.

Provided is a method for dyeing a polymer material with an aqueous pigment composition containing at least one pigment dispersed therein, wherein the polymer material is a blend including a first polymer composition and a second polymer composition which is compatible with the first polymer composition, which second polymer composition includes a binding agent for the at least one pigment. The method includes the steps of heating the polymer material to an activation temperature below the softening temperature of the polymer material, contacting the polymer material with the aqueous pigment composition at a contact temperature for a period of time sufficient to form a pigmented polymer material, subjecting the pigmented polymer material to a fixation step to fixate the at least one pigment therein by cooling the pigmented polymer material to a fixation temperature which is lower than the temperature at which contacting of the polymer material with the aqueous pigment composition is carried out.

Embodiments relate to polyolefin compositions containing one or more high-density polyethylenes (HDPEs) and linear low-density polyethylenes (LLDPEs) and methods for forming the same. The polyolefin composition contains about 40 wt % to about 60 wt % of HDPE and about 40 wt % to about 60 wt % of LLDPE, by weight of the polyolefin composition. The HDPE has a density of greater than 0.93 g/cm.sup.3 and a melt index of about 0.2 dg/min to about 10 dg/min. The LLDPE has a density of less than 0.915 g/cm.sup.3 and a melt index of about 0.2 dg/min to about 10 dg/min. The polyolefin composition has a density of about 0.91 g/cm.sup.3 or greater, a melt index of about 0.5 dg/min to about 6 dg/min, and a T.sub.w1−T.sub.w2 value of about −25° C. or less.

Expanded polypropylene resin particles include a polypropylene resin as a base material resin, wherein the polypropylene resin has a flexural modulus of 750 MPa to 1100 MPa. The flexural modulus and a melting point of the expanded polypropylene resin particles satisfy Expression (1): [Flexural modulus (MPa)]<31.19×[Melting point (° C.)]−3500, wherein the melting point of the expanded polypropylene resin particles is a melting point of 141.5° C. to 150.0° C. in a second differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curve of a second temperature increase, the second DSC curve being obtained when the expanded polypropylene resin particles are heated from 40° C. to 220° C. at a temperature increase rate of 10° C./min in a first temperature increase, then cooled from 220° C. to 40° C. at a temperature decrease rate of 10° C./min, and heated again from 40° C. to 220° C. at a temperature increase rate of 10° C./min in the second temperature increase.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus (10) for remediation of a site contaminated by an oil spill. The apparatus (10) comprises a porous capsule (12) encapsulating material (14) for sorbing oil. The material (14) comprises granules of an at least semi-open cell polymeric foam, the granules being less than 10cm3 in size. Ingredients from which the polymeric foam is formed comprise acrylonitrile butadiene rubber as a major constituent thereof by weight.