A foam precursor is described. The foam precursor comprises a starch, a lubricant, and a linear polysaccharide different from the starch. The starch is at least 25% by weight amylose content. A density of the foam precursor is from 0.5 g/cm.sup.3 to 1.0 g/cm.sup.3. A composition of the foam precursor includes a starch weight percent representative of the starch included in the foam precursor and a polysaccharide weight percent representative of the linear polysaccharide included in the foam precursor. The starch weight percent is greater than the polysaccharide weight percent.

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.

A thermal insulation/protection barrier that provides thermal insulation and protection to battery cells of a battery assembly. The barrier includes a cured silicone rubber foam layer comprising a plurality of firming particles disposed within the silicone rubber foam layer in an amount sufficient to impart additional firmness to the silicone rubber foam layer so that it takes a greater compressive force to compress the foam layer to a desired compression value, compared to the same silicone rubber foam layer without the firming particles.

Provided is a cold weather tire achieving a balanced improvement in fuel economy, abrasion resistance, performance on ice and snow, and high-speed performance (handling stability, grip performance) on snow- and ice-free roads at low temperatures. The cold weather tire includes a cap tread formed of a rubber composition that contains: a rubber component including polybutadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, and natural rubber and/or polyisoprene rubber; and a filler, the rubber composition having a combined amount of the natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, and polybutadiene rubber of 80% by mass or more, an amount of the polybutadiene rubber of 30% by mass or more, and an amount of the styrene butadiene rubber of 0.3-10% by mass, each based on 100% by mass of the rubber component, the filler including 60% by mass or more of silica based on 100% by mass of the filler, the cap tread having cells and/or voids.

In the present technology, a thermally expandable microcapsule complex is blended in a rubber component, the thermally expandable microcapsule complex being obtained by preparing an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer having a concentration of 1 to 30 mass %, adding from 5 to 60 parts by mass of cellulose fibers to 100 parts by mass of the aqueous solution to prepare a liquid dispersion (1), adding from 10 to 200 parts by mass of thermally expandable microcapsules to the liquid dispersion (1) to prepare a liquid dispersion (2), and evaporating the moisture content of the liquid dispersion (2).

The present invention relates to a concentrated polymeric composition which comprises: a) vinyl aromatic polymers and/or copolymers in an amount ranging from 10% to 90% by weight, calculated with respect to the overall composition, with respect to the overall composition, b) at least one compound containing epoxy functional groups in an amount ranging from 0.01% to 5% by weight, calculated with respect to the overall composition, with respect to the overall composition, c) at least one infrared absorbing agent, in an amount ranging from 10% to 90% by weight, calculated with respect to the overall composition, with respect to the overall composition.

A polyurethane foam having an initial UL 94 vertical flame classification of V-0 and maintaining a UL 94 vertical flame classification of V-0 after one week of heat aging at 150 C. is formed as the reaction product of an isocyanate component and an isocyanate-reactive component in the presence of a blowing agent. The isocyanate component includes an isocyanate-containing compound and a non-reactive phosphorous compound that is present in an amount ranging from 1 to 20 weight percent based on the total weight of the polyurethane foam. The isocyanate-reactive component includes a polyether polyol and expandable graphite that is present in an amount ranging from 3 to 30 weight percent based on the total weight of the polyurethane foam.

The present disclosure provides a linear polypropylene foam with, for example, low density and/or high expansion ratio, said linear polypropylene foam comprising at least one polypropylene, at least one alpha nucleating agent, and at least one beta nucleating agent. The present disclosure also provides compositions and processes for making said linear polypropylene foam.

Reversibly cross-linkable foam is provided. The reversibly cross-linked foam includes a first polymeric material, at least one reversibly cross-linkable monomer polymerized with the first polymeric material, and at least one blowing agent. The reversibly cross-linkable co-polymeric foam is thermally stable at temperatures of at least 10 degrees higher than otherwise identical polymeric foam that does not include the reversibly cross-linkable agent polymerized with the first polymeric material.

Disclosed herein is a highly flame retardant polyurethane spray foam composition. The composition includes 100 parts by weight to 200 parts by weight an isocyanate compound relative to 100 parts by weight of a resin mixture including 46 wt % to 75 wt % of a polyol, 10 wt % to 30 wt % of a blowing agent, and 5 wt % to 30 wt % of an additive, wherein the polyol includes 1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polyether polyol and 45 wt % to 65 wt % of an aromatic polyester polyol, and the aromatic polyester polyol has an average hydroxyl value of 250 mgKOH/g to 380 mgKOH/g.