The present invention relates to layer composites comprising at least one opaque layer a) and at least one transparent layer b), wherein the Vicat softening temperature B/120 determined according to ISO 306:2004 (method B120 50N; 120° C.) of layer a) is ≥156° C., preferably from ≥156° C. to ≤250° C., particularly preferably from ≥156° C. to ≤230° C., and wherein the Vicat softening temperature B/120 determined according to ISO 306:2004 (method B120 50N; 120° C./h), of layer a) is higher than that of layer b), a method for producing such layer composites and security documents, preferably identification documents, comprising such a layer structure.

Molded polymer foam articles are described as having a novel foam structure. The polymer foam articles include a continuous polymer matrix defining a plurality of pneumatoceles therein which is present throughout the entirety of the article. The surface region is further characterized as having compressed pneumatoceles. The novel foam structure is achieved even when molding polymer foam articles comprising a shape and volume wherein a sphere having a diameter between 2 cm and 1000 cm would fit within the article in at least one location without protruding from a surface of the article, and the article further has a total volume of more than 1000 cm.sup.3. Methods of making a stabilized molten polymer foam, and of making a molded polymer foam article using the stabilized molten polymer foam are also described.

A substrate is described having a treated contact surface comprising a carbon or silicon compound comprising from 1 to 30 atomic percent oxygen, from 0.1 to 30 atomic percent nitrogen, or both, each as measured by XPS. The treated contact surface has a biomolecule recovery percentage greater than the biomolecule recovery percentage of the surface before treatment according to the method.

A thermally expandable composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer compound and/or an elastomer compound, at least one blowing agent including at least one dicarboxylic acid salt of an aminoguanidine compound, optionally at least one free radical initiator and/or a vulcanization system, and at least one guanidine derivative. The invention is also related to baffle and/or a reinforcement element for hollow structures including the thermally expandable composition, to a process for manufacturing the baffle and/or reinforcement element, to use of the baffle and/or reinforcement element for sealing, baffling, or reinforcing of a cavity or a hollow structure, and to a method for sealing, baffling and/or reinforcing a cavity or hollow structure.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a composite material which when bent and formed, can prevent the occurrence of problems such as the occurrence of wrinkles of the composite material, an increase in the number of forming steps, and difficulty in forming the composite material; and a method of forming the composite material. This composite material (1) comprises a laminate (2) in which a plurality of fiber sheets are laminated, wherein the laminate (2) has a to-be-bent portion (3) that is to be bent along a mold, and in a region (5) of the laminate (2) from an end edge (4) on a bent side to the to-be-bent portion (3), the laminate (2) is divided into a plurality of layers along the plate thickness direction of the laminate (2).

A method is described for producing a fiber-reinforced plastic substrate that simultaneously satisfies three points of joinability, mechanical characteristics, and productivity, the method including the following components [A], [B], and [C], wherein at least the following drawing step, first impregnating step, second impregnating step, and take-up step are continuously and sequentially performed while the component [A] is caused to run:

[A] a reinforcing fiber
[B] a thermoplastic resin
[C] a thermosetting resin <drawing step> step of drawing a continuous reinforcing fiber sheet containing the component [A]; <first impregnating step> step of impregnating either the component [B] or the component [C] from one surface of the continuous reinforcing fiber sheet to obtain a fiber-reinforced plastic intermediate in which either the component [B] or the component [C] is disposed on a first surface; <second impregnating step> step of impregnating the other of the component [B] or the component [C] from a second surface opposite to the first surface to obtain a fiber-reinforced plastic substrate; and <take-up step> step of taking up the fiber-reinforced plastic substrate.

Molded polymer foam articles are described as having a novel foam structure. The polymer foam articles include a continuous polymer matrix defining a plurality of pneumatoceles therein which is present throughout the entirety of the article. The surface region is further characterized as having compressed pneumatoceles. The novel foam structure is achieved even when molding polymer foam articles comprising a shape and volume wherein a sphere having a diameter between 2 cm and 1000 cm would fit within the article in at least one location without protruding from a surface of the article, and the article further has a total volume of more than 1000 cm.sup.3. Methods of making a stabilized molten polymer foam, and of making a molded polymer foam article using the stabilized molten polymer foam are also described.

The present invention relates to methods for the welding of foam particles, by electromagnetic waves, wherein foam particles with a surface modification are welded in a molding tool by electromagnetic waves, wherein the surface modification is produced by contacting the foam particles with a solution containing polymers which are capable of forming intra- or inter-molecular covalent bonds, under the conditions required for this purpose.

A curable matrix resin composition containing a thermoset resin component and metastable thermoplastic particles, wherein the metastable thermoplastic particles are particles of semi-crystalline thermoplastic material with an amorphous polymer fraction that will undergo crystallization upon heating to a crystallization temperature T.sub.c. A fiber-reinforced polymeric composite material containing metastable thermoplastic particles is also disclosed.

An article contains a polymeric foam board having a primary surface and an intumescent coating on a primary surface of the polymeric foam board, the intumescent coating containing a polymeric binder, expandable graphite particles, a phosphorous material and a boron-containing compound and wherein the article is free of an object that is in contact with the intumescent coating and that sandwiches the intumescent coating between it and the polymeric foam board and wherein the intumescent coating has a tensile elongation of at least 50 percent and less than 100 percent at 23 degrees Celsius as measured according to ISO 37, has a storage modulus of less than 1×10.sup.6 Pascals at 250 degrees Celsius, is halogen-free, free of sodium silicate, free of polyurea elastomer, and free of formals of pentaerythritol and dipentaerythritol.