Formulated polyol compositions contain a terephthalic acid-based polyester polyol, a C4-7 hydrocarbon blowing agent, and a nonionic surfactant that has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of greater than 13 to 18.5. The formulated polyol compositions exhibit surprisingly good storage stability and resist stratifying into layers. The compositions are useful to make rigid polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate foams. The good compatibility of the blowing agent leads to improved cell structure in the foams.

The present disclosure provides thermally expandable microspheres at least partially prepared from bio-based monomers and a process of their manufacture. The microspheres include a thermoplastic polymer shell encapsulating a blowing agent. The thermoplastic polymer shell includes a copolymer of an itaconate dialkylester and at least one aliphatic or aromatic mono-ethylenically unsaturated comonomer. The itaconate dialkylester has the formula (1): ##STR00001## where each of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, separately from one another, is an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms, and the copolymer includes 0-50 wt. % of vinyl aromatic comonomers, based on the total weight of the comonomers. The present disclosure further provides expanded microspheres usable in a variety of applications.

The present invention relates to a polyethylene composition comprising a) a polyethylene blend comprising from 95.5% to 99.5 wt % low density polyethylene (LDPE) and from 0.5% to 4.5 wt % high density polyethylene (HDPE), wherein the wt % (% by weight) is based the total amount of low density polyethylene and high density polyethylene in the blend, and b) a mixture of glycerol-mono-stearate and glycerol-mono-palmitate.

A composition for preparing polyisocyanurate and polyurethane foams is provided, comprising A) an isocyanate-reactive component, B) a polyisocyanate component and C) a branched siloxane comprising at least three trimethylsiloxy groups. A method for preparing the polyisocyanurate and polyurethane foams, and foams prepared thereby are also provided.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a rigid polyurethane foam using a non-continuous production process, the rigid polyurethane foam prepared therefrom, and use thereof.

A polyol component P) contains at least two different polyether polyols A) and C), and at least one polyether ester polyol D). A process can be used for producing rigid polyurethane foams using the polyol component P), and the rigid polyurethane foams produced therefrom are useful.

Disclosed are such co-polymers of vinylidene substituted aromatic monomers and unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups chain extended by a copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds having pendant electrophilic groups which copolymerize with the one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers. Disclosed are compositions comprising vinylidene substituted aromatic monomers and unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups and a copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds having pendant electrophilic groups, which may optionally, contain salts of alkaline earth metals, alkali metals, transition metals, post transition metals or metalloids. Disclosed are methods of preparing such chain-extended and/or branched copolymers.

A foaming resin composition of the present invention contains an aromatic vinyl-based resin and zinc oxide, wherein the size ratio (B/A), in which peak A is a 370 nm to 390 nm region and peak B is a 450 nm to 600 nm region, of zinc oxide is approximately 0.01 to approximately 1 when photoluminescence is measured, and the BET surface area thereof is approximately 1 m.sup.2/g to approximately 10 m.sup.2/g.

Various uses of monochlorotrifluoropropenes, in combination with one or more other components, including other fluoroalkenes, hydrocarbons; hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), ethers, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, methyl formate, formic acid, water, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, carbon dioxide and combinations of any two or more of these, in a variety of applications, including as blowing agents, are disclosed.

The invention relates to flame-retardant polyurethane foam materials or polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam materials (also referred to individually or collectively as “PUR/PIR foam materials” below) and to methods for producing PUR/PIR foam materials by reacting a reaction mixture containing A1 an isocyanate-reactive component, A2 a propellant, A3 a catalyst, A4 optionally an additive, and A5 a flame retardant with B an isocyanate component, wherein the production is carried out using an index of 80 to 600. The invention is characterized in that the flame retardant A5 contains (hydroxymethyl)phosphonate and optionally the dimer thereof as component A5.1.