Fiber-reinforced organic polymer aerogels, articles of manufacture and uses thereof are described. The reinforced aerogels include a fiber-reinforced organic polymer matrix having an at least bimodal pore size distribution with a first mode of pores having an average pore size of less than or equal to 50 nanometers (nm) and a second mode of pores having an average pore size of greater than 50 nm and a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 30 mW/m.Math.K at a temperature of 20° C.

A liquid crystalline polymer composition for foam molding using a supercritical fluid as a foaming agent. The liquid crystalline polymer composition includes a liquid crystalline polymer and a scale-like inorganic filler, in which a content of the scale-like inorganic filler is 1 part by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the liquid crystalline polymer composition.

A polymer composition including a crosslinkable thermoplastic matrix, a crosslinking agent, a blowing agent, and at least one cell opener is provided. A method of producing an open cell polymer foam from the polymer composition is also provided. The method includes heating a foamable precursor under positive pressure to a temperature greater than a decomposition temperature of the crosslinking agent and below a decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent to produce a primary foam. Then, the method includes heating the primary foam to a temperature greater than the decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent and then allowing the primary foam to cool to a temperature below a softening temperature of the crosslinkable thermoplastic polymer to form the open cell polymer foam. The produced open cell polymer foam has an open cell content of at least 80% immediately following the step of allowing the primary foam to cool.

A variety of foams and foam components are provided, including foam components for articles of footwear and athletic equipment. The articles include a composition having a foam structure, wherein the composition includes a thermoplastic copolyester elastomer comprising: (a) a plurality of first segments, each first segment derived from a dihydroxy-terminated polydiol; (b) a plurality of second segments, each second segment derived from a diol; and (c) a plurality of third segments, each third segment derived from an aromatic dicarboxylic acid. Methods of making the compositions and foams are provided, as well as methods of making an article of footwear including at least one of the foam components. In some aspects, the foams and foam components can be made by extrusion or injection molding to foam the polymeric composition, or extrusion or injection molding to foam the polymeric composition followed by compression molding of the foam.

The present invention relates to the use of a composition comprising from 60-98 wt. % of polypropylene, from 2-40 wt. % of aromatic polycarbonate and from 0.1-10 wt. % of compatibiliser for the manufacture of a foamed article, wherein the compatibiliser is a BAB or AB type of block copolymer comprising a polypropylene block A and a polyester or polycarbonate block B, or wherein the compatibiliser is a graft copolymer of the type ABn having a polypropylene backbone A and polyester or polycarbonate block(s) B grafted thereon, with n being at least 1, and wherein the polyester or polycarbonate blocks B have an average M/F ratio from 2-25, wherein M is the number of backbone carbon atoms in the polyester or polycarbonate not including carbonyl carbon atoms, and F is the number of ester or carbonate groups in the polyester or polycarbonate block, and wherein the wt. % is based on the sum of the amount polypropylene, polycarbonate and compatibiliser.

The present invention is directed to a polypropylene composition (C) comprising a heterophasic propylene copolymer (HECO1) having an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of the xylene soluble fraction (XCS) above 3.5 dl/g, an inorganic filler (F) and a nucleating agent (NU) being a dicarboxylic acid and/or a salt thereof. Further, the present invention is directed to the use of said polypropylene composition (C) for the production of a foamed article as well as a foamed article comprising said polypropylene composition (C). The present invention is also directed to the use of a nucleating agent (NU) being dicarboxylic acid and/or a salt thereof for the reduction of tigerskin of a polypropylene composition.

Process for producing PU foams by reacting at least one polyol component with at least one isocyanate component in the presence of one or more catalysts that catalyse the isocyanate-polyol and/or isocyanate-water reactions and/or isocyanate trimerization, and optionally one or more chemical or physical blowing agents, with use of SiOC-bonded polyether siloxanes having branching in the siloxane moiety, prepared from branched siloxanes bearing acetoxy groups, wherein a sufficient amount of the SiOC-bonded polyether siloxane having branching in the siloxane moiety is added that the proportion by mass of this polyether siloxane (e) based on the finished PU foam is from 0.0001% to 10% by weight.

The invention relates to a method for the combined processing of at least two polymer melts selected from the group consisting of (M1), (M2) and (M3), wherein (M1) is a polymer melt comprising a terephthalate polyester (A1), (M2) is a polymer melt comprising a copolyester (A2) on the basis of terephthalic acid, at least one aliphatic, ω-dicarboxylic acid and at least one aliphatic 1,ω-diol, and (M3) is a polymer melt 0 comprising a copolyester (A3) on the basis of terephthalic acid, at least one polytetramethylene glycol and at least one aliphatic 1,ω-diol. The method comprises the alternating processing of the at least two polymer melts into at least one product selected from the group consisting of pellets (P1), fibers (P2), expanded particles (P3), preforms (P4) and articles (P5).

A polyolefin-based resin foamed sheet includes a polyolefin-based resin, wherein a thickness of the foamed sheet is 0.05-0.5 mm, an apparent density is 200-500 kg/m.sup.3, a tensile strength at 100% elongation in at least one direction of a longitudinal direction (MD direction) and a width direction (TD direction) of the sheet is 3.5-12 MPa, and a ratio of a tensile breakage strength and the tensile strength at 100% elongation in at least one direction of the MD direction and the TD direction of the sheet is 1.0-1.8.

A variety of forms and foam components are provided, including foam components for articles of footwear and athletic equipment. The articles include a composition having a foam structure, wherein the composition includes a thermoplastic copolyester elastomer comprising: (a) a plurality of first segments, each first segment derived from a dihydroxy-terminated polydiol; (b) a plurality of second segments, each second segment derived from a diol; and (c) a plurality of third segments, each third segment derived from an aromatic dicarboxylic acid. Methods of making the compositions and foams are provided, as well as methods of making an article of footwear including at least one of the foam components. In some aspects, the foams and foam components can be made by extrusion or injection molding to foam the polymeric composition, or extrusion or injection molding to foam the polymeric composition followed by compression molding of the foam.