A thermally expandable composition, including at least one epoxy-functional polymer, at least one thermoplastic polymer, at least one chemical blowing agent, and at least one activator, wherein the epoxy-functional polymer is present in the composition before expansion with an amount of between 30 and 75 wt.-%, based on the total composition, and the epoxy-functional polymer includes at least 300 mmol epoxy groups per kg polymer, and wherein the chemical blowing agent is able to form at least one reaction product with at least two amino groups upon thermal decomposition, and the chemical blowing agent is in the composition before expansion with an amount of between 5 and 30 wt.-%, based on the total composition.

The present invention relates to a PVC resin composition for preparing foamed polymer products, to a foamed polymer product prepared from the composition, to a method for preparing a foamed polymer product, to an article comprising the foamed polymer product as well as to the use of a surface-reacted calcium carbonate, hydromagnesite and mixtures thereof for reducing the density of the obtained foamed PVC product.

Foam compositions are provided including a polylactic acid polymer; second (e.g., polyvinyl acetate) polymer having a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) of at least 25° C.; and plasticizer. Also described are articles comprising the foam compositions, such as a sheet or hearing protection article. Methods of making and using the foam compositions are further described herein.

The present invention is a manufacturing method for obtaining a molded article having foam layer inside for providing a foaming agent, a device, a mold, a molding machine, a means for increasing the foaming ratio and a means for increasing coating appropriateness used for manufacturing resin having foaming properties. When the resin having compatibility (miscibility) with the resin to be blended is used as a carrier resin used for manufacturing a masterbatch of the foaming agent, the molded article having an excellent outer appearance can be obtained. When the sodium bicarbonate which is an inorganic foaming agent is used for the foaming agent, a sodium carbonate, which is a foam residue remaining in the molded article after the foaming agent is decomposed to generate the foaming gas, reduces the adherability of the coating film. Thus, when the acid cleaning is preliminarily performed to remove the sodium carbonate, the coating appropriateness is satisfied. When performing the GCP, the thickness of the skin layer located at the surface varies depending on the surface temperature of the mold. In general, the means using the heated steam is generally used for increasing the temperature of the mold. In the present invention, the means for heating the magnetic fluid (liquid) by high frequency induction heating is used. Thus, the temperature of the mold can be safely increased at low cost with heating efficiency. When a mold-back or a core-back is performed for obtaining the molded article having high foaming ratio, the resin is separated from the fixed side. The present invention provides the means for solving the above described problem of the separation by using the gas.

A novel disc brake shim and disc brake that can effectively suppress vibration and squeal are provided. The disc brake shim includes a base material layer formed of a metal sheet, and a foamed rubber layer that is laminated on at least a part of a main surface on one side of the base material layer, the foamed rubber layer being an outermost layer once arranged, and the disc brake includes pad materials on both sides in an axial direction of a disc rotor, and shims on opposite sides from the disc rotor, of the pad materials adjacently, wherein each of the shims is the disc brake shim of the present invention.

A polyolefin foam having improved light-transmittance comprises an average cell size of about 70 microns to about 500 microns; a total cell wall thickness to gauge ratio of between about 0.15 to about 0.55; a basis weight of about 0.00005 lb/in.sup.2 to about 0.00050 lb/in.sup.2; an L color solid value of about 95 to about 45; and a light transmittance of about 10% to about 50% according to JIS K 7361-1. A process for producing a polyolefin foam having improved light-transmittance comprises extruding a foamable sheet at a pressure from about 1 psi to about 55 psi, and foaming the foamable sheet with a foaming agent having an average diameter of about 10 to about 25 microns to produce a foam having a light transmittance of about 10% to about 50% according to JIS K 7361-1.

A method may include processing a crosslinked polymer and a catalyst to form a vitrimer during a melt processing operation, the crosslinked polymer comprising at least one monomer selected from a vinyl ester, a C2-C12 olefin, and combinations thereof. A method may include mixing a crosslinked polymer, a catalyst, and a non-crosslinked polymer at a temperature higher than a processing temperature of the non-crosslinked polymer to form a polymer composition; wherein each of the crosslinked polymer and the non-crosslinked polymer comprise at least one monomer selected from a vinyl ester, a C2-C12 olefin, and combinations thereof, and wherein the crosslinked polymer is present in an amount that is at least 15 wt %, relative to the combined total of crosslinked polymer and non-crosslinked polymer.

The present invention aims to provide a flexible resin foam having excellent shapeability and a resin foam sheet, an adhesive tape, a member for a vehicle, and a member for a building each including the resin foam. Provided is a resin foam having a multitude of cells, the resin foam including: a polyvinyl acetal; and a plasticizer, the resin foam having an elongation strain of 300% or more and a 50% compression stress of 70 kPa or less.

Polymer films having a surface with increased hydrophobicity or enhanced hydrophobicity or improved hydrophobicity or super-hydrophobicity; composite structures such as multilayer polymer sheets comprising the polymer films; methods and systems of making such polymer films; polymer blends from which to make such polymer films; masterbatches or masterbatch compositions useful for making such polymer blends; as well as methods and systems for making such polymer blends and such masterbatches or masterbatch compositions.

The foamed sheet of the present invention is a foamed sheet obtained by crosslinking and foaming a polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin composition comprising a polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin, wherein the polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin comprises a vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymer, a density of the foamed sheet is not more than 180 kg/cm.sup.3, and an average cell diameter of the foamed sheet is not less than 100 μm and not more than 500 μm. According to the present invention, a crosslinked polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin foamed sheet having both good flame retardance and good flexibility and a process for producing the foamed sheet are provided.