A composition for the manufacture of temperature resistant and sound attenuating automotive parts includes polyethylene terephthalate resin, basalt fibers, and mica. The basalt fibers and mica may be between 35 and 40% of the composition by weight of the total composition. The basalt fibers may be between 20 and 30% of the composition by weight and the mica may be between 5 and 15% of the composition by weight. The basalt fibers may be 25% of the composition by weight and the mica may be 10% of the composition by weight. A method is disclosed for molding a temperature resistant and sound attenuating part by blending a foaming agent with a thermoplastic olefin, basalt fibers and mica to form a resin mixture. The resin mixture is injected under pressure into a die to fill the die. The pressure is reduced to allow the foaming agent to form a microcellular core.

An in-situ foaming system for forming a flame-retardant polyurethane foam in situ comprising a first liquid containing a polyisocyanate (A), a second liquid containing a polyol (B), a trimerization catalyst (C), a foaming agent (D), a foam stabilizer (E), and additives (F) comprising red phosphorus and at least one member selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid esters, phosphate-containing flame retardants, bromine-containing flame retardants, boron-containing flame retardants, antimony-containing flame retardants, and metal hydroxides.

A composite material includes, in an exemplary embodiment a polyurethane foam and a plurality of inorganic particles dispersed therein. The polyurethane foam is formed from a reaction mixture that includes a first polyether polyol having a first molecular weight and a functionality of about 3 or less, a second polyether polyol having a second molecular weight less than the first molecular weight and a functionality of greater than about 3, and at least one isocyanate. The ratio of an amount of the first polyol in the reaction mixture to an amount of the second polyol in the reaction mixture is between about 1:1 to about 5:1.

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.

In one aspect, a foamable composition is disclosed, which comprises a base polymer, talc and a citrate compound blended with the base polymer. In some embodiments, the concentration of the talc in the composition is in a range of about 0.05% to about 25% by weight, e.g., in a range of about 2% to about 20%, or in a range of about 3% to about 15%, or in a range of about 5% to about 10%. Further, the concentration of the citrate compound in the composition can be, for example, in a range of about 0.05% to about 3% by weight, or in a range of about 0.02% to about 0.9% by weight, or in a range of about 0.03% to about 0.8% by weight, or in a range of about 0.04% to about 0.7% by weight, or in a range of about 0.05% to about 0.6% by weight

An article is comprised of a thermoset polymer having a dye sublimation image in a layer attached or integral to a surface of the thermoset polymer, wherein at least a portion of the thermoset polymer is a foam. The foam article may be made by pretreating a thermoset organic polymer foam to a temperature of 100? C. to about 250 ? C. for a time sufficient to stabilize the thermoset polymer and dye sublimating an image into a layer of the pretreated thermoset foam. The foam article having the dye sublimation image may be used for applications having aesthetic or structural requirements such as railing, decking or fences.

Polyurethane foams and methods of manufacturing are described herein. The foam can include (a) a polyurethane formed by the reaction of (i) one or more isocyanates selected from the group consisting of diisocyanates, polyisocyanates, and mixtures thereof, and (ii) one or more polyols; and (b) a filler. The amount of filler in the foam can be from 50 to 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the foam. The filler can include a plurality of fibers and/or a particulate filler. The polyurethane foams described herein are made without adding a surfactant to the reaction mixture. The density of the polyurethane foam can be at least 5 lb/ft.sup.3.

The present invention relates to a preparation of a block of fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam in which the expansion of the foam is constrained by the walls of a double belt laminator forming a tunnel, the block of fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam being composed of cells storing a gas, advantageously having low thermal conductivity, and exhibiting a density of less than 50 kg.Math.m.sup.?3 with a content of fibers C.sub.f representing at least 4% by weight of the block of fiber-reinforced foam, in which the impregnation time of the fibers t.sub.i is less than the cream time t.sub.c of the polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam.

The subject matter of the present application is thermally-expandable preparations, containing (a) at least one peroxide-crosslinkable polymer, (b) at least one low-molecular, multifunctional acrylate, (c) at least one peroxide and (d) at least two different chemical propellants, the mass ratio of the at least one peroxide to the at least one low-molecular, multifunctional acrylate being at least 1:3.

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.