Provided is a method of preparing a superabsorbent polymer. More particularly, provided is a method of preparing a superabsorbent polymer, the method capable of preparing the superabsorbent polymer maintaining excellent basic absorption performances such as centrifugal retention capacity, absorbency under load, etc. while also exhibiting an improved absorption rate.

A thermoplastic composite sheet may be composed of a polymer material matrix and a lightweight material that is disposed throughout the polymer material matrix. The polymer material matrix may extend continuously throughout a length, width, and thickness of the thermoplastic composite sheet. The polymer material matrix may be a fully polymerized thermoplastic material. The lightweight material may be fully saturated by the thermoplastic material of the polymer material matrix. The thermoplastic composite sheet may include between 50 and 99 weight percent of the thermoplastic material and between 1 and 50 weight percent of the lightweight material. The thermoplastic composite sheet may be free of reinforcing fibers.

A composition is used for producing novel types of foam in that they combine specifically good flame-retardant properties with a good elongation at break. These novel types of foam are produced from a blend of polyether sulphone (PES) and polyphenylene sulphone (PPSU).

To provide an expansion molded product not only excellent in sound absorption properties and rigidity but also resistant to tearing after bending deformation, and a web and a stampable sheet suitable for producing the expansion molded product. The presently disclosed web, stampable sheet, and expansion molded product contain a reinforcing fiber containing an inorganic fiber and an organic fiber, a thermoplastic resin, and a thermal expandable particle, where the proportion of the reinforcing fiber is 20 mass % or more and 55 mass % or less based on a total amount of the reinforcing fiber and the thermoplastic resin, the proportion of the organic fiber is 25 mass % or more and 77 mass % or less based on a total amount of the organic and inorganic fibers, the reinforcing fiber has an average length of 8 mm or more, and the organic fiber has a breaking elongation of 15% or more.

A foaming process for converting fibrous material into a cellular foam structure includes mixing fibrous material and a solvent-based binding agent to form a mixture; saturating the mixture with a pressurized gas to form a gas-saturated mixture; expanding the gas-saturated mixture by reducing the pressure of the pressurized gas to form an expanded mixture with voids in the fibrous material; and curing the expanded mixture to set the fibrous material and drive off the solvent to provide a stable network of fibrous material having cushioning properties.

A precursor composition comprising, before cure, an acrylic ethylene monomer (AEM), a foaming agent, and one or more of a strengthening additive, a thermal ablation additive, or a reflectivity additive. The precursor composition is cured to form a protective article comprising a foamed protective material. A method of forming a protective article is also disclosed, as is an aerospace structure comprising the foamed protective material.

A method for making a polymer with a porous layer from a solid piece of polymer is disclosed. In various embodiments, the method includes heating a surface of a solid piece of polymer to a processing temperature and holding the processing temperature while displacing a porogen layer through the surface of the polymer to create a matrix layer of the solid polymer body comprising the polymer and the porogen layer. In at least one embodiment, the method also includes removing at least a portion of the layer of porogen from the matrix layer to create a porous layer of the solid piece of polymer.

An improved composition for use in the manufacture of building materials having improved mechanical properties, including bending strength and creep recovery. Compositions and methods are disclosed for producing a polymer composite material containing reinforcing additives/additive blend, which is useful in the manufacture of composite building materials, including decking boards, rails, posts and the like. The present composite building materials have improved flexural and impact properties over similar composite building materials known in the industry, providing a viable alternative to wood, and other composites in the building industry.

The invention relates to foamed acrylic materials using both traditional chemical blowing agents as well as foamable microspheres. The acrylic foams have improved density reduction, optical properties, and insulation properties. The acrylic foams of the invention can be formed by traditional melt processing methods (extrusion, blow molding, etc.) as well as innovative foaming methods, such as foaming during or after polymerization. One novel method of the invention involves the use of expandable microspheres blended with monomers, the monomers then polymerized through bulk polymerization in cell cast, infusion, or compression molding processes. This method can be effectively used to produce composite foam structures, such as in combination with ELIUM liquid resins from Arkema.

In one aspect, a fiber-reinforced polymer is disclosed, which comprises a resin, and a plurality of carbon fiber filaments distributed throughout the resin, where at least about 60 percent of the carbon filaments are substantially aligned relative to one another. In some embodiments, at least about 70 percent, or at least about 80 percent, or at least about 90 percent, of the carbon filaments are substantially aligned relative to one another.