Polystyrene-phenolic foam composites and precursor compositions are disclosed. The composites exhibit excellent flame resistance properties and may be suitably prepared in standard expanded polystyrene processing equipment.

The present disclosure relates to the processing of a flexible polyvinyl chloride foam having predetermined characteristics formed from a polyvinyl chloride emulsion including polyvinyl chloride resin and a plasticizer by controlling one or more of the following: a concentration of stabilizer in the final foam, a heating rate during processing, a maximum temperature during fusion, and/or a total residence time during heating. Predetermined characteristics of interest for a flexible PVC foam may include, for example, low yellowness, uniform density, high compression modulus and/or a uniform cell morphology.

Solid-based foaming aids can be used as additives in aqueous polymer dispersions for producing porous polymer coatings, preferably for producing porous polyurethane coatings.

A flexible foam composition comprising a flexible foam structure comprising a plurality of struts, and a plurality of fibers, where a majority of the fibers are associated with the struts. The fibers may be thermally conductive fibers. The fibers include, but are not necessarily limited to, homopolymer and/or copolymer fibers having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 50 C. (58 F.) or greater, carbon fibers, animal-based fibers, plant-based fibers, metal fibers, and combinations thereof. The presence of fibers can impart to the flexible foam composition greater indentation force deflection (IFD), greater static thermal conductivity, improved compression set, improved height retention or durability, and/or a combination of these improvements. The flexible foam composition may be polyurethane foam, latex foam, polyether polyurethane foam, viscoelastic foam, high resilient foam, polyester polyurethane foam, foamed polyethylene, foamed polypropylene, expanded polystyrene, foamed silicone, melamine foam, among others.

This disclosure describes processes for producing polymer foams, and compositions of matter relating to these processes. A process includes the steps of dispersing an organic nucleating agent in a dispersing medium to obtain an additive dispersion, contacting the additive dispersion with a mineral nucleating agent to obtain a hybrid nucleating agent containing the organic nucleating agent localized on at least a portion of a surface of the mineral nucleating agent, and contacting the hybrid nucleating agent with a polymer in the presence of a foaming agent to obtain a polymer foam. A foamed polymer of the present disclosure includes a cellular matrix containing a polymer material, and a mineral matrix of particles containing a hybrid nucleating agent dispersed in the cellular matrix, in which the hybrid nucleating agent contains an organic nucleating agent localized on at least a portion of a surface of an inorganic material.

A thermoplastic material includes one or more thermoplastic polymers in the form of particles having a specified average particle size distribution (e.g., less than 1000 microns or another range) measured by mechanical sieving. Such thermoplastic material may be incorporated in a cork composite material that includes cork, such as in the form of cork particles. The thermoplastic material and cork may be used to produce an article of manufacture, such as a closure for a product retaining container, the closure being constructed for being inserted and securely retained in a portal-forming neck of said container.

Minimum Federal Safety Standards for corrosion control on buried oil and natural gas pipelines stipulate that metallic pipes should be properly coated and have impressed-current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems in place to control the electrical potential field around susceptible pipes. In certain examples described herein, electrically-conductive nanocomposites can be used and provide intrinsically-safe foam materials without the dielectric shielding issues of existing materials used to physically protect and stabilize buried pipelines. As cured or formed by customary spray applications, the nanocomposite foams described herein are directly compatible with ICCP functionality wherever foam contacts the metallic pipe. Various foam compositions and their use with underground pipelines are described.

Pellets, beads, particles, or other pieces of a thermoplastic elastomer having a maximum size in at least one dimension of 10 mm or less (collectively, pellets) are infused with a supercritical fluid in a pressurized container, then rapidly depressurized and heated either by immersion in a heated fluid or with infrared or microwave radiation to foam the pellets The pellets are prepared with at least two different densities. Pellets with different densities, thermoplastic elastomer compositions, or foam response rates are placed in different areas of a mold. The mold is filled with pellets, then the pellets are molded into a part. The part has areas of different density as a result of the placement of pellets of different density.

A composition for foam has at least one elastomer component selected from the group including of elastomeric polymers (A) each of which has a side chain containing a hydrogen-bond cross-linkable moiety having a carbonyl-containing group and/or a nitrogen-containing heterocycle and has a glass-transition point of 25 C. or below, and elastomeric polymers (B) each of which contains a hydrogen-bond cross-linkable moiety and a covalent-bond cross-linking moiety in a side chain and has a glass-transition point of 25 C. or below; an organically modified clay; and a foaming agent, in which an amount of the organically modified clay contained is 20 parts by mass or less relative to 100 parts by mass of the elastomer component.

Processes for preparing polystyrene-phenolic foam composites and precursor compositions are described. The processes yield composites having advantageous properties particularly useful in insulation and fire resisting applications.