Expanded polypropylene beads are prepared from composite particles using a high-temperature and high-pressure kettle type foaming method. The composite particles include a core layer and a skin layer. The core layer includes one or more of the following components, for example in percentage by mass: 20-40% of polypropylene A, 60-80% of polypropylene B, 0-20% of polypropylene C and 0-10% of a thermal-conductive additive. The skin layer includes one or more of the following components, for example in percentage by mass: 40-80% of polypropylene D and 20-60% of polypropylene E. The composite particles are of a multi-layer structure with the skin layer covering the core layer. A resin of the skin layer is easy to sinter at low temperature and in compatibility with a main substrate resin of the core layer. The core layer resin adopts a selected mixture, which promotes molding expansibility.

A composite sheet and a method for producing a decorative sheet using the composite sheet are provided. The composite sheet has a base layer and a foamable layer bonded to the base layer. The foamable layer includes 100 parts by weight of a polyolefin material having an elastic modulus of <0.1 GPa, 0.1 - 10 parts by weight of a foaming agent, and 0 - 200 parts by weight of additives. The foamable layer has a thickness of 0.05 to 0.3 mm.

The invention relates to the use of a mineral having perovskite structure in vinyl aromatic polymer foam, i) for decreasing the thermal conductivity, ii) for increasing the mechanical properties (namely compressive strength and bending strength), or iii) for improving the self-extinguishing properties of the foam. The polymer foam further comprises one or more athermanous additives selected from a) powder inorganic additive selected from powders of silica and calcium phosphate, b) powder carbonaceous additive selected from powders of graphite, carbon black, petroleum coke, graphitized carbon black, graphite oxides, and graphene, and c) powder geopolymer and powder geopolymer composite.

Foam composites and methods of preparation thereof are discussed. For example, the foam composite may include a polymeric material and a particulate filler, wherein the compressive strength of the foam composite is equal to or greater than 20 psi, the density is 4 pcf to 40 pcf, and wherein the thermal conductivity is equal to or less than 0.050 W/m K. the particulate filler may include fly ash, e.g., in an amount of about of 45% to about 75% by weight with respect to the total weight of the foam composite. The foam composite may be prepared from a mixture of a polyol, an isocyanate, the particulate filler, and a liquid blowing agent having a boiling point equal to or greater than 25° C. or 30° C.

A molded article of polyolefin-based resin expanded beads having excellent appearance and further suppressed color unevenness is provided.

Polyolefin-based resin expanded beads obtained by expanding polyolefin-based resin particles including one or two or more metal borates selected from zinc borate and magnesium borate, wherein the particles of the metal borate has an arithmetic average particle diameter based on the number of 1 μm or more, and a number rate of the particles of the metal borate having a particle diameter of 5 μm or more is 20% or less. A method for producing polyolefin-based resin expanded beads by releasing expandable polyolefin-based resin particles containing one or two or more metal borates selected from zinc borate and magnesium borate and a physical blowing agent dispersed in an aqueous medium in a closed vessel together with the aqueous medium from the closed vessel to a low pressure region than an inside of the closed vessel to expand the expandable polyolefin-based resin particles, the method comprising: using a metal borate having an arithmetic average particle diameter based on the number of 1 μm or more and a number rate of the particles having a particle diameter of 5 μm or more of 20% or less as the metal borate.

A manufacturing method described in the present invention provides antimicrobial copper-containing polyurethane foams by embedding microparticles of metallic copper (Cu), cuprous oxide (Cu.sub.2O), cupric oxide (CuO), or cuprous iodide (CuI), or combinations thereof, into polyurethane foams, wherein said microparticles are homogenously distributed throughout the formed polymeric matrix of said foam. The method combines these copper-containing microparticles, or polyurethane liquid additive containing these particles, mixed in polyol with isocyanate.

The disclosure provides a low-density PVC plastics flooring and a preparation method thereof, which belongs to the technical field of films for floor. The disclosure provides a low-density PVC plastics flooring, which is prepared from components including, in parts by mass, 100 parts of PVC, 300-380 parts of calcium carbonate, 7-12 parts of a stabilizer, 2-8 parts of processing aid ACR, 12-16 parts of a foaming regulator, 0.1-0.5 parts of a foaming agent, 2-4 parts of G60 lubricant, and 2-4 parts of PE wax. In the disclosure, the density of the PVC plastics flooring is reduced to 1.4-1.6 g/cm.sup.3 even increasing the amount of calcium carbon, thereby greatly reducing the production cost and improving the economic efficiency.

As a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery porous layer that is excellent in durability with respect to charge-discharge cycles, provided is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery porous layer including a resin which has an amide bond and which contains a component that is to be eluted into N-methylpyrrolidone. A contained amount of the component that is to be eluted into N-methylpyrrolidone is not less than 6.0% by weight and not more than 25.0% by weight relative to a total weight of the resin having the amide bond.

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.

A formulation for making voided plastics film including a polyolefin, a filler and a voiding agent. The voiding agent is a glycerol ester of fumaric rosin or a pentaerythritol ester of fumaric rosin.