Light weight composites with high flexural strength comprise epoxy foam sandwiched between two layers of facing material have high strength and low weight and can be used to replace steel structures. The facing layer may be fibrous material especially glass or carbon fibres, the facing material is preferably embedded into the epoxy matrix. Alternatively they may be matching box structures or concentric metal tubes. The sandwich structures may be prepared by laying up the fibre; coating and/or impregnating the layer with epoxy resin, laying a layer of heat activatable foamable epoxy material, providing a further layer of the fibrous material optionally coated and/or impregnated with epoxy resin on the foamable material ad heating to foam and cure the epoxy materials. Alternatively they may be formed by extrusion of the foamable material between the surface layers.

Floor covering material, wherein this floor covering material comprises at least a foamed layer, a printed decor provided thereon, and preferably a transparent wear layer, wherein the printed decor represents a plurality of panel-shaped or tile-shaped elements, wherein at the edges of said represented elements, lowered edge regions are formed, which form at least a portion of the circumference of the respective element, wherein said lowered edge regions, seen in cross-section, are realized with at least two different geometries. The invention further also relates to a method for manufacturing such floor covering material.

An artificial leather sheet includes a substrate layer, a foaming layer formed on upper surfaces of the substrate layer, a surface layer formed on upper surfaces of the foaming layer, and a surface treatment layer formed on upper surfaces of the surface layer. The foaming layer includes a polyvinyl chloride resin, a plasticizer, a foaming agent, and a stabilizer. The surface layer includes the polyvinyl chloride resin, the plasticizer, and the stabilizer. The plasticizer is bis-(2-propylheptyl) phthalate (DPHP) and di-isononyl adipate (DINA).

Laminated light-blocking decorative articles are prepared by applying an aqueous foamed opacifying composition to a decorative fabric, drying, laminating a non-woven fabric to the resulting dry foamed opacifying layer, and densifying that layer to have a thickness that is at least 20% less than before densifying. This operation can be carried out so that non-woven fabric, decorative fabric, and aqueous foamed opacifying composition are supplied in a single-pass, in-line operation to make any quantity of laminated light-blocking decorative article. The applied aqueous foamed opacifying composition has 35%-70% solids and a foam density of 0.1-0.5 g/cm.sup.3. It is composed of (a) porous particles, (b) a binder material, (c) two or more additives comprising at least one foaming surfactant and at least one foam stabilizer, (d) an aqueous medium, and (e) at least 0.0001 weight % of an opacifying colorant that absorbs electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 380-800 nm.

Underbody shield materials that can provide an underbody shield with high impact resistance are described. In some configurations, an underbody shield composition comprises a porous core layer comprising a plurality of reinforcing fibers, a lofting agent and a thermoplastic material. In some instances, the underbody shield composition may also comprise a film such that an underbody shield produced from the composition can withstand at least 50 individual impacts as tested using a SAE J400 protocol.

A method comprising providing a polymeric substrate having a melting point of from about 130° C. to about 190° C., and locating a material layer onto the substrate, wherein the material layer comprises one or more polymeric materials that liquefy upon exposure to temperatures of at least about 100° C., to blend with a softened portion of the polymeric substrate. Upon exposure of one or more of the substrate and the material layer to a stimulus, the temperature is increased in a predetermined temperature zone of one or more of the substrate and material layer to cause blending of the one or more polymeric materials of the material layer with the softened portion of the polymeric substrate.

A thermoplastic composite article comprising a porous core layer comprising a plurality of reinforcing fibers, a lofting agent and a thermoplastic material is provided. In certain instances, the article further comprises a skin layer disposed on the core layer and an adhesive layer between the core layer and the skin layer. In some configurations, the adhesive layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer and an effective amount of a thermosetting material to provide a post-molding peel strength between the skin layer and the post lofted core layer of at least 0.5 N/cm (in either or both of the machine direction or cross direction) as tested by DIN 53357 A dated Oct. 1, 1982.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of composite elements comprising a first and a second outer layer, a vacuum insulation panel between the two outer layers, rigid polyurethane foam in contact with the first outer layer and the underside of the vacuum insulation panel, and also rigid polyurethane foam in contact with the second outer layer and the upper side of the vacuum insulation panel, comprising application of a reaction mixture (R1) for the production of a rigid polyurethane foam onto the first outer layer, bringing the lower side of a vacuum insulation panel into contact with the unhardened reaction mixture (R1), application of a reaction mixture (R2) for the production of a rigid polyurethane foam to the upper side of the vacuum insulation panel, bringing the second outer layer into contact with the layer of the unhardened reaction mixture (R2), and finally hardening of the two rigid polyurethane foam systems (R1) and (R2) to give the composite element. The present invention further relates to composite elements thus obtainable, and also to the use of a composite element of the invention or of a composite element obtainable by a process of the invention, as component for refrigeration equipment or as construction material.

An insulated panel includes a first layer defining an inner surface; a corrugated medium defining a plurality of peaks, the plurality of peaks attached to the inner surface, a plurality of flutes defined between the corrugated medium and the inner surface; and an insulation material at least partially filling a flute of the plurality of flutes.

The present disclosure relates to a foam machine. Liquid for generating foams is conveyed onto a laminating member through a liquid pump. The laminating member further conveys the liquid onto a foam forming device. On the foam forming device, a rotating ring is provided with a plurality of forming rings and a plurality of forming ribs, so that a plurality of foam film forming holes are formed in the rotating ring; afterwards, as the rotating ring rotates, the laminating member can form foam films on the respective foam film forming holes, and continuous foams are formed after an air flow is blown through; the foams are pushed by the air flow to be continuously sprayed out; and new foam films are continuously formed on the respective foam film forming holes.