A thermally expandable composition, includes between 20 and 85 wt.-% of least one thermoplastic polymer P cross-linkable by radical reaction, between 2 and 15 wt.-% of at least one azo radical initiator I, optionally up to 25 wt.-% of at least one adhesion promoter AD, up to 10 wt.-% of at least one tackifier T, up to 2.5 wt.-% of at least one antioxidant AO, and up to 2.5 wt.-% of at least one polyacrylate AC, having a molecular weight of less than 2,500 g/mol, wherein all individual amounts are based on the total composition before expansion. The thermally expandable composition is free of commonly used blowing agents such as azodicarbonamide, but shows excellent properties in terms of expansion stability over a wide temperature range between 120 C. and 200 C. and is especially suitable for baffle and/or reinforcement elements, e.g. in automotive manufacturing.

Porous three-dimensional networks of polyurea and porous three-dimensional networks of carbon and methods of their manufacture are described. In an example, polyurea aerogels are prepared by mixing an triisocyanate with water and a triethylamine to form a sol-gel material and supercritically drying the sol-gel material to form the polyurea aerogel. Subjecting the polyurea aerogel to a step of pyrolysis may result in a three dimensional network having a carbon skeleton, yielding a carbon aerogel. The density and morphology of polyurea aerogels can be controlled by varying the amount of isocyanate monomer in the initial reaction mixture. A lower density in the aerogel gives rise to a fibrous morphology, whereas a greater density in the aerogel results in a particulate morphology. Polyurea aerogels described herein may also exhibit a reduced flammability.

Porous three-dimensional networks of polyurea and porous three-dimensional networks of carbon and methods of their manufacture are described. In an example, polyurea aerogels are prepared by mixing an triisocyanate with water and a triethylamine to form a sol-gel material and supercritically drying the sol-gel material to form the polyurea aerogel. Subjecting the polyurea aerogel to a step of pyrolysis may result in a three dimensional network having a carbon skeleton, yielding a carbon aerogel. The density and morphology of polyurea aerogels can be controlled by varying the amount of isocyanate monomer in the initial reaction mixture. A lower density in the aerogel gives rise to a fibrous morphology, whereas a greater density in the aerogel results in a particulate morphology. Polyurea aerogels described herein may also exhibit a reduced flammability.

Provided herein is a process for preparing a rigid polyisocyanurate foam including reacting a composition (A) including a polyesterol, a blowing agent including formic acid, a catalyst system including at least one trimerization catalyst and at least one polyisocyanate as component (B), wherein composition (A) further includes at least one polyether alcohol prepared by addition of alkylene oxides to toluenediamine. Further provided herein is a rigid polyisocyanurate foam obtained through the process described herein and the use of said rigid polyisocyanurate foam as insulating material.

The invention pertains to a process for manufacturing a glycerol-tricarboxylic acid polyester foam which comprises the steps of combining glycerol and a tri-carboxylic acid to provide a liquid reaction mixture and contacting the reaction mixture with a substrate under polymerization conditions, wherein the substrate has a top layer comprising one or more of metal, metal oxide, and metal halide. The invention also pertains to a glycerol-tricarboxylic polyester foam, in particular a glycerol-citric acid polyester foam, which has a closed cell foam structure wherein at least 90 vol. % of the foam, preferably at least 95% of the foam, is built up from cells having a diameter below 2 mm. The foamed polyester of the present invention is green, biodegradable, and non-toxic, and can be cleanly combusted. It finds application in, int. al., packaging materials, insulation materials, and materials with a short life cycle.

The invention pertains to a process for manufacturing a glycerol-tricarboxylic acid polyester foam which comprises the steps of combining glycerol and a tri-carboxylic acid to provide a liquid reaction mixture and contacting the reaction mixture with a substrate under polymerization conditions, wherein the substrate has a top layer comprising one or more of metal, metal oxide, and metal halide. The invention also pertains to a glycerol-tricarboxylic polyester foam, in particular a glycerol-citric acid polyester foam, which has a closed cell foam structure wherein at least 90 vol. % of the foam, preferably at least 95% of the foam, is built up from cells having a diameter below 2 mm. The foamed polyester of the present invention is green, biodegradable, and non-toxic, and can be cleanly combusted. It finds application in, int. al., packaging materials, insulation materials, and materials with a short life cycle.

In certain non-limiting, aspects, the present invention relates to storage stable premixes of a polyol suitable for polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foam preparation having, at least, 1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (1336mzzm) as the blowing agent and optional one or more additional additives and/or auxillary blowing agents in amounts suitable for polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foam preparation.

This invention relates to thermoset, thermal insulating panel, pour-in-place and pour-in-place foams having desirable and unexpectedly low thermal conductivity, and to compositions, method and systems which use and/or are used to make such foams comprising: (a) providing thermosetting foam forming component and a blowing agent for forming predominantly closed cells in the foam, wherein the blowing agent comprises: (i) cis-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (HFO-1336mzzm(Z)) and cyclopentane, with the HFO-1336mzzm(Z) and cyclopentane in the blowing agent together comprising at least about 50% by weight of the total of all components in the blowing agent and (ii) the weight ratio of HFO-1336mzzm(Z) to cyclopentane in the blowing agent is from about 45:55 to less than 68:32 and (b) forming foam from said provided foamable composition.

This invention relates to thermoset, thermal insulating panel, pour-in-place and pour-in-place foams having desirable and unexpectedly low thermal conductivity, and to compositions, method and systems which use and/or are used to make such foams comprising: (a) providing thermosetting foam forming component and a blowing agent for forming predominantly closed cells in the foam, wherein the blowing agent comprises: (i) cis-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (HFO-1336mzzm(Z)) and cyclopentane, with the HFO-1336mzzm(Z) and cyclopentane in the blowing agent together comprising at least about 50% by weight of the total of all components in the blowing agent and (ii) the weight ratio of HFO-1336mzzm(Z) to cyclopentane in the blowing agent is from about 45:55 to less than 68:32 and (b) forming foam from said provided foamable composition.

The present disclosure relates to a method for making a non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) foam, where the method includes decomposing a blowing agent having at least one of an amine carbamate salt and/or an amine bicarbonate salt to form a diamine and CO.sub.2 in the presence of a molecule comprising a plurality of cyclic carbonate functional groups and reacting the diamine with at least a portion of the cyclic carbonate functional groups to form the NIPU foam. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the reacting and the decomposing may occur at substantially the same rate.