The invention relates to a curable volume expandable polymer composition comprising an organic acid component, wherein the organic acid component comprises a first organic acid, a second organic acid, and optionally one or more additional organic acids; wherein said polymer composition, when being heated to an activation of expansion temperature above room temperature, undergoes volume expansion. When the organic acid component is heated to the activation of expansion temperature, the first organic acid and/or the second organic acid and/or the optionally present one or more additional organic acids decarboxylate and thus release carbon dioxide. The polymer composition traps the thus released carbon dioxide thereby causing the polymer composition to undergo volume expansion.

Provided are: porous pellets of an EVOH; and a method for producing the same, which can be accompanied by not only washing out of saponification residues in a shorter period of time, but also inhibiting conglutination of the pellets with one another during washing at a high temperature. Porous pellets of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer having pores, wherein in the porous pellets, a proportion (V2/V1?100) of a total value (V2) of pore volumes of pores having pore diameters of 0.5 to 100 ?m with respect to a total value (V1) of pore volumes of pores having pore diameters of 0.005 to 100 ?m is 25 to 40% by volume, and a pore surface area of pores having pore diameters of 0.005 to 100 ?m is 25 to 45 m.sup.2/g.

This invention relates to thermoset, thermal insulating panel, pour-in-place and pour-in-place foams having desirable and unexpectedly low thermal conductivity, and to compositions, method and systems which use and/or are used to make such foams comprising: (a) providing thermosetting foam forming component and a blowing agent for forming predominantly closed cells in the foam, wherein the blowing agent comprises: (i) cis-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (HFO-1336mzzm(Z)) and cyclopentane, with the HFO-1336mzzm(Z) and cyclopentane in the blowing agent together comprising at least about 50% by weight of the total of all components in the blowing agent and (ii) the weight ratio of HFO-1336mzzm(Z) to cyclopentane in the blowing agent is from about 45:55 to less than 68:32 and (b) forming foam from said provided foamable composition.

A sheathing system that envelops a building structure is provided, combining lightweight structural layers and a high R-value insulation layer. The insulation layer includes a coated insulation product with a reduced fluorinated blowing agent concentration, while maintaining acceptable thermal properties. The coated insulation product includes a foam product that is coated with a barrier coating. The barrier coating includes a polymer having a minimum degree of crystallinity and at least one additive. The collective layers of the sheathing system offer the benefits of decreased thickness, reduced weight, improved thermal insulation, improved structural strength, improved nailability, improved fire performance, and enhanced energy efficiency.

The present invention provides materials and methods for forming an interface between an appliance and living tissue using a foamed elastomeric material which contacts the tissue or similar surfaces. The elastomeric material is in the form of a durable and washable material that when applied to living tissue or similar surfaces displaces and flows in to non-conforming areas creating an air and/or water tight seal that substantially returns to an original shape when removed from the contact surface. The appliance may also include structural elements designed to optimize comfort, compliance and seal achieved through minimizing the pressure variation along the contact surface of the therapy device.

Inorganic infrared attenuation agent blends have been developed to improve the thermal insulation properties of polymeric foams such as polystyrene low density foams. The inorganic infrared attenuation agent blends can include two or more metal oxides such as silicon dioxide, manganese (IV) oxide, iron (III) oxide, magnesium oxide, bismuth (III) oxide, cobalt oxide, zirconium (IV) oxide, molybdenum (III) oxide, titanium oxide, and calcium oxide. In some preferred embodiments, the inorganic infrared attenuation agent blends can include four or more of these metal oxides.

Disclosed are methods, systems and computer program products for producing and applying a spray foam producing mixture onto a surface, and imaging a spray cone, or the applied surface, using an infrared or an optical imaging device to capture an image, and then determining, based on the captured image, if a defect that requires correction exists in the spray cone or in the applied surface; and optionally, in response to determining that a defect requiring correction exists, modifying a process parameter in producing or applying spray foam.

A polymer-based sensor for detecting agricultural analytes is disclosed, including stable polymer-based sensing films such as molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) that can be incorporated in sensors for detecting herbicides and pesticides, as well as methods of making the sensing films.

An extruded polystyrene foam is produced by performing extrusion-foaming with a styrenic resin, a flame retardant composition, and a foaming agent. The flame retardant composition includes a brominated styrene-butadiene polymer, a stabilizer, and a styrenic resin; the brominated styrene-butadiene polymer is contained in an amount of 30 to 80 wt % where the total weight of the flame retardant composition is 100 wt %; and the flame retardant composition has a TGA 5 wt % reduction temperature of 255 to 270 C. The extruded polystyrene foam has excellent thermal stability, excellent flame retardancy, and an excellent appearance.

Provided is a material having an excellent sound-absorbing performance which can be easily applied to the desired area at the operation site and which can effectively prevent sound leakage

The material includes a 2-part reactive urethane resin composition prepared from a polyisocyanate component and a polyol-containing component, wherein the polyol-containing component comprises a polyol component (a), catalysts (b), a foam stabilizer (c), an amine compound having primary or secondary amino groups (d), and carbon dioxide (e).

The 2-part reactive urethane resin composition, when cured, is an open-cell soft polyurethane foam, wherein the average sound absorption coefficient of said polyurethane foam is 30% or more, measured in accordance with JIS A 1405-2:2007 for 63 hertz to 5000 hertz.