Fire retardant compositions including a base polymer, a fire retardant filler, and a fire retardant synergist are disclosed. The fire retardant compositions are halogen-free and heavy metal-free and can be crosslinked to form a cable insulation layer or a cable jacket. The cables can pass the UL VW-1 flame test. Cables having coverings formed from such fire retardant compositions are also described herein.

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball exhibiting an excellent shot feeling and resilience, and a constituent material thereof. The present invention provides a golf ball resin composition having a bending stiffness (M.sub.3-12) ranging from 300 kgf/cm.sup.2 to 24,000 kgf/cm.sup.2 at a bending angle from 3 to 12, a ratio (M.sub.3-12/M.sub.24-30) of the bending stiffness (M.sub.3-12) at the bending angle from 3 to 12 to a bending stiffness (M.sub.24-30) at a bending angle from 24 to 30 ranging from 0.20 to 2.00, and a slab hardness ranging from 30 to 65 in Shore D hardness.

A production method comprising: (a) a step of melt-mixing a base resin containing a chlorinated polyethylene; an organic peroxide, an inorganic filler, and a silane coupling agent, in specific ratios, at a temperature equal to or higher than a decomposition temperature of the organic peroxide, to prepare a silane master batch; (b) a step of mixing the silane master batch obtained in the step (a) with a silanol condensation catalyst, and then forming the resultant mixture; and conducting at least one of the melt-mixing in the step (a) and the mixing in the step (b) is performed in the coexistence of a chloroprene rubber or a polyvinyl chloride; a heat-resistant chlorine-containing crosslinked resin formed body produced by the method, a silane master batch, a mixture and formed body thereof, and a heat-resistant product.

A method that has a step (a) of melt-kneading 0.003 to 0.3 part by mass of an organic peroxide, 0.5 to 400 parts by mass of an inorganic filler, and more than 2 parts by mass and 15.0 parts by mass or less of a silane coupling agent, with respect to 100 parts by mass of a resin containing a halogen-containing resin, at a temperature equal to or higher than a decomposition temperature of the organic peroxide, to prepare a silane master batch; a heat-resistant crosslinked resin formed body obtained by the method, a silane master batch, a mixture and a formed body thereof, and a heat-resistant product.

The present invention relates to a process for modifying a layered double hydroxide (LDH), the process comprising, a. providing a material comprising a layered double hydroxide of formula: [M.sup.z+.sub.1-xM.sup.y+.sub.x(OH).sub.2].sup.q+(X.sup.n).sub.q/n.bH.sub.2O wherein M and M are metal cations, z is 1 or 2, x is 0.1 to 1, b is 0 to 5, y is 3 or 4, X is an anion, n is 1 to 3 and q is determined by x, y and z, b. optionally washing the material at least once with a mixture of water and a mixing solvent miscible with water, and c. washing the material obtained in step a or b at least once with at least one first solvent, the first solvent being miscible with water and having a solvent polarity P.

Copolymers and latex paint compositions using such copolymers that are heat-age stable and provide good adhesion, block resistance, and hiding all while using lower amounts of titanium dioxide are described herein. In one aspect, the heat-age stable compositions include an acrylic, styrene acrylic, vinyl acrylic copolymer or blends thereof including, as additional polymerizable units, at least one polymerizable phosphate surfactant and at least one linear or branched hydrophobic monomer that are both polymerized into the acrylic, styrene acrylic, vinyl acrylic copolymer backbone.

Provided is a LAN cable that includes a sheath; an electrical wire accommodated in the sheath and including a conductor and an insulating body covering the conductor; and an intermediate layer having a mass reduction rate at 500? C. of less than or equal to 10% by mass and a mass reduction rate at 600? C. of less than or equal to 50% by mass, and located between the sheath and the electrical wire. The insulating body includes polyethylene having a dielectric constant of smaller than or equal to 2.5. The sheath includes a polyolefin-based polymer and a flame retardant, and a content of the flame retardant in the sheath is greater than or equal to 150 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the polyolefin-based polymer.

A novel thermoplastic material including polylactic acid (PLA) and calcium hydroxide is provided, the material having an elevated glass transition temperature (T.sub.g). Methods of making this novel material, and articles of manufacture made from it are also provided.

A production method, containing the step of: mixing 0.02 to 0.6 parts by mass of an organic peroxide, 0.2 to 300 parts by mass of an inorganic filler, 2 to 15.0 parts by mass of a silane coupling agent, and a silanol condensation catalyst, based on 100 parts by mass of a polyolefin-based resin, in which the inorganic filler has an X value specified by Formula (I) satisfies 5 to 1050,

X=A/B Formula (I)

wherein, A denotes a total amount of a product of a BET specific surface area (m.sup.2/g) of the inorganic filler and a blending amount of the inorganic filler, and B denotes a blending amount of the silane coupling agent; and a crosslinkable resin composition and a crosslinked resin molded body produced by the production method; and a silane master batch and a molded article.

A filler composition comprising fibrous basic magnesium sulfate particles and non-fibrous inorganic micro-particles having an average particle diameter in the range of 0.001 to 0.5 m in a ratio by weight in the range of 100:0.001 to 100:50, is used for providing a molded resin product which shows impact resistance and rigidity balanced at a high level.