Components for articles of footwear and athletic equipment are provided including a high energy return foam having improved abrasion resistance. A variety of foams and foam components and compositions for forming the foams are provided. In some aspects, the foams and components including the foams can have exceptionally high energy return while also having improved durability and softness and an improved abrasion resistance. In particular, midsoles including the foams are provided for use in an article of footwear. Methods of making the compositions and foams are provided, as well as methods of making an article of footwear including one of the foam components. In some aspects, the foams and foam components can be made by injection molding or injection molding followed by compression molding.

A chemical blowing agent for foaming a thermoplastic polymer, for example PVC plastisol or a polymer resin in an extrusion process, said chemical blowing agent comprising a functionalized particulate bicarbonate containing at least one additive, preferably excluding an exothermic blowing agent. The additive may be selected from the group consisting of rosin acids, any derivative thereof, and salts thereof; or any combinations thereof, such as comprising abietic acid, dihydroabietic acid, neoabietic acid, a rosin acid ester, or mixtures thereof. The particulate bicarbonate may be preferably functionalized by spray-coating, extrusion or co-grinding with at least one additive. The functionalized particulate bicarbonate may comprise 50 wt % to less than 100 wt % of the bicarbonate component, and 0.02-50 wt % of the additive. The functionalized particulate bicarbonate may further comprise 0.1-5 wt % silica. A foamable polymer composition comprising such chemical blowing agent. A process for manufacturing a foamed polymer, such as foamed PVC, comprising shaping and heating the foamable polymer composition, and a foamed polymer obtained by such process.

This composition for a soft polyurethane foam contains a polyol component, an isocyanate component, a foaming agent, a cell opening agent, and a catalyst. The catalyst is a C11 or higher amine and the cell opening agent is a polyol in which the content of ethylene oxide is more than 50 mol %.

The present invention discloses a rubber composition, a processing method thereof, and a foamed rubber product produced by the rubber composition and a production method thereof. The rubber composition comprises a rubber matrix and essential components, wherein, based on 100 parts by weight of the rubber matrix, the rubber matrix comprises a branched polyethylene with a content represented as A, in which 0<A100 parts; and an EPM and an EPDM with a total content represented as B, in which 0B<100 parts, and the essential components comprises 0.5-10 parts of a crosslinking agent, and 1.5-25 parts of a foaming agent. The rubber composition is useful in the production of sponge seal strip, foamed rubber compound of high expansion ratio, shock absorbing foamed rubber sheet, light-colored high-strength foamed sheet, foam-solid composite seal strip, and solid cycle tires internally filled with foamed elastomer. The branched polyethylene replaces a part or all of the ethylene-propylene rubber in the foaming rubber composition, which can increase the melt strength, the foamability and particularly the pre-foamability of the rubber composition, and make the rubber product has a lower compression set.

A composition for forming polyurethane foams is provided using epoxidized triglycerides with unopened rings. The composition further includes a polyol, a blowing agent, and a catalyst that catalyzes the reaction of polyols with isocyanates to form polyurethanes. The polyol is a polyoxyalklylene and the epoxidized triglyceride is an epoxidized soybean oil. A method for forming polyurethane foam using the aforementioned composition is also provided.

Provided is a polyether-modified silicone composition. The composition comprises (A) a polyether-modified silicone, and (B) a monool organic compound. The monool organic compound (B) is selected from (B1) a glycol ether compound having a hydrogen atom substituted by an alkyl group having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms at one end, a secondary alcoholic hydroxy group at the other end, from 2 to 3 repeating oxyalkylene units having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and (B2) a tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether. Isopropyl alcohol does not exceed 1 mass % of the entire composition. Applications and manufacturing methods for the composition are also provided.

Melamine-formaldehyde foam with improved weather resistance comprising 0.1 to 8 wt.-% of at least one UV stabilizer, such as benzotriazole derivatives and piperidinol derivatives and further 1 to 3 wt.-% of at least one hydrophobicization agent, such as organo-modified siloxanes and silanes and processes for producing such melamine-formaldehyde foams with improved weather resistance.

A chemical blowing agent for foaming a thermoplastic polymer, for example PVC plastisol or a polymer resin in an extrusion process, said chemical blowing agent comprising a functionalized particulate bicarbonate containing at least one additive, preferably excluding an exothermic blowing agent. The additive may be selected from the group consisting of rosin acids, any derivative thereof, and salts thereof; or any combinations thereof, such as comprising abietic acid, dihydroabietic acid, neoabietic acid, a rosin acid ester, or mixtures thereof. The particulate bicarbonate may be preferably functionalized by spray-coating, extrusion or co-grinding with at least one additive. The functionalized particulate bicarbonate may comprise 50 wt % to less than 100 wt % of the bicarbonate component, and 0.02-50 wt % of the additive. The functionalized particulate bicarbonate may further comprise 0.1-5 wt % silica. A foamable polymer composition comprising such chemical blowing agent. A process for manufacturing a foamed polymer, such as foamed PVC, comprising shaping and heating the foamable polymer composition, and a foamed polymer obtained by such process.

A sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition is provided. The composition generally maintains a stable emulsified state, can form a low-density silicone rubber sponge having a uniform and fine open-cell foam structure even when a coating or molding method involving shearing force and thin layer formation is used, is less likely to contract during curing, and that forms a silicone rubber sponge having a density close to the density designed on the basis of water content. A low-density silicone rubber sponge material using the sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition is also provided. The sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition comprises (A) an alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane, (B) an organopolysiloxane having a silicon atom-bonded hydrogen atom, (C) a mixture of water and an inorganic thickener, (D) an emulsifier, and (E) a hydrosilylation reaction catalyst. The contained amount of the component (C) in the entire composition is 70 mass % or more.

Disclosed are methods and systems for preparing open-celled polyurethane foams by a discontinuous box foam process in which (a) a polyurethane foam-forming composition is deposited into a container having a gas-permeable base and (b) the polyurethane-foam forming composition is allowed to form an open-celled polyurethane foam in the container. In these methods and systems, the gas-permeable base is heated before, during, and/or after step (a) and heating is continued during at least a portion of step (b).