An isocyanate-reactive composition comprising (i) at least one isocyanate-reactive compound; and (ii) at least one T-shaped siloxane material at a predetermined amount; and a foam-forming composition for producing a polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foam comprising at least one isocyanate component and at least one isocyanate-reactive component; wherein the at least one isocyanate-reactive component is the above isocyanate-reactive composition.

Process for preparing rigid polyurethane or urethane-modified polyisocyanurate foams from polyisocyanates and polyfunctional isocyanate-reactive compounds in the presence of blowing agents wherein the polyfunctional isocyanate-reactive compounds comprise an unmodified or modified novolac polyol and a polyether polyol having a hydroxyl number of between 50 and 650 mg KOH/g obtained by reacting a polyfunctional initiator first with ethylene oxide and subsequently with propylene oxide wherein the propoxylation degree is between 0.33 and 2 mole propylene oxide per active hydrogen atom in the initiator and wherein the molar ratio of ethylene oxide to propylene oxide in said polyether polyol is at least 2.

A polyurethane insulation foam composition is disclosed herein. The polyurethane insulation foam comprises: (i) an isocyanate compound; (ii) an isocyanate reactive compound; (iii) water; (iv) a tertiary amine compound; (v) a hydrophilic carboxylic acid compound; (vi) a halogenated olefin compound; and (vii) optionally, other additives.

A reactive composition for making a PIR comprising foam at an isocyanate index of at least 120, said composition comprising at least an isocyanate composition comprising one or more isocyanate compounds, an isocyanate-reactive composition comprising one or more isocyanate-reactive compounds, at least one PIR promoting catalyst, at least one physical blowing agent with a lambda gas ≤12 mW/m.Math.K at 10° C., at least one CO.sub.2 scavenging compound selected from at least one epoxy compound, and optionally a catalyst promoting epoxy reaction with CO.sub.2 characterized in that the amount of isocyanate-reactive compounds in the reactive composition is at least 10 wt % calculated on the total weight of the reactive composition, or at least more than the amount of epoxy compounds and the molar amount of epoxy compounds in the reactive composition is at least 7.8 times higher than the molar amount of CO.sub.2 formed by the water present in the reactive composition after reaction with isocyanates.

The hollow microballoons of the invention are hollow microballoons formed of a resin produced by polymerizing a polymerizing composition that contains a polyrotaxane monomer having at least two polymerizable functional groups in the molecule and a polymerizable monomer other than the polyrotaxane monomer having at least two polymerizable functional groups in the molecule. Using the hollow microballoons of the invention, a CMP polishing pad having excellent polishing characteristics and durability can be provided.

The invention relates to a firestop material consisting of a polymer foam, notably a polyurethane foam, containing flame-retardant means. This firestop material is characterized in that the flame-retardant means consist of means designed to form a charred layer on the foam surface, under the effect of a rise in the temperature of the material resulting from a fire, and are supplemented by at least one inorganic type flame retardant. The invention furthermore relates to a chemical composition intended, after expansion and drying, to form such a firestop material, and to a use of such a firestop material.

The present invention relates to the chemical digestion of keratin, such as avian feathers and wool. The digestion product is made by heating the feathers or wool with a solvent selected from glycols, alkanolamines, polyamines, and combinations thereof. The resulting digested keratin product is a keratin-derived polyol useful for making polymeric materials such as polyurethanes. The digestion products provide a sustainable alternative to petrochemical based intermediates.

Disclosed is a thermoset, thermal insulating 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.

An alkoxylated bio-oil composition is provided. The alkoxylated bio-oil composition may include an alkoxylated bio-oil prepared from an alkoxylation of dewatered bio-oil. A method for preparing an alkoxylated bio-oil composition is provided. A copolymer composition is provided. The copolymer composition may include an alkoxylated bio-oil copolymer unit. A method for preparing a copolymer composition is provided.

Disclosed herein is a polyhydroxy ketal adduct obtained by the esterification of a hydrocarbon polyol by at least 1.5 equivalents of a ketocarboxy to produce an intermediate ketocarboxylic ester. The intermediate polyketocarboxylic ester is then ketalized to produce the polyhydroxyketal adduct, which can be used to provide a polymeric composition.