Disclosed is a composition and process for making a water blown semi-rigid polyurethane foam wherein the polyisocyanate side and the polyol side are combined under ambient temperature conditions. Said foams are particularly suited for sound and vibration management, especially in motor vehicles.

A polymer composition for use in the removal and recovery of oil slicks or spills floating on the surfaces of bodies or water or present on land, such as beaches comprising a foam of a blend of polyethylene and an ethylene-alkyl acrylate copolymer and a process for using such foams in the selective removal of oil from fresh water or salt water and the recovery of the absorbed oils from the foams is disclosed. The polymer composition is also for use in other applications in which absorption of liquids is desired.

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).

Disclosed herein are compositions comprising hydrofluoroolefin blowing agents and a polyol blend useful in forming foams. Also disclosed are methods for forming a foam comprising the aforementioned compositions.

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.

Embodiments relate to a porous polyurethane polishing pad for use in a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process of semiconductors and a process for producing the same. In the porous polyurethane polishing pad, it is possible to control the size and distribution of pores, whereby the polishing performance (i.e., polishing rate) of the polishing pad can be adjusted, by way of employing thermally expanded microcapsules as a solid phase foaming agent and an inert gas as a gas phase foaming agent.

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).

Polyurethane foam compositions and processes to make flexible polyurethane foams are disclosed. Polyurethane foam is produced in the presence of additives comprising guanidine derivatives. Improvements in physical properties such as air flow, dimensional stability, tensile, tear, elongation and foam hardness is observed when these additives are present in polyurethane formulations. In addition, these additives can minimize polymer degradation under humid ageing conditions resulting in foam products with better mechanical properties.

The present invention provides a foam which maintains high hardness while being lightweight and has excellent peel strength and permanent compression set, and a foamable composition used to obtain the aforementioned foam. A foamable composition comprising (A) an olefin-based copolymer; (B) a copolymer that is (B-I) and/or (B-II) described below, (B-I) a vinyl aromatic-based copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic compound and a conjugated diene, and/or a vinyl aromatic-based copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic compound and alkylene, (B-II) an ethylene-based copolymer having an unsaturated group; (C) an inorganic filler; (D) an organic silane coupling agent; and (E) a foaming agent; wherein a mass ratio of the component (A) to the component (B), (A/B), is from 5/95 to 100/0; an amount of the component (C) is from 0.5 to 35 mass parts, and an amount of the component (E) is from 0.1 to 20 mass parts, based on 100 mass parts of a total amount of the components (A) and (B); and an amount of the component (D) is from 0.1 to 50 mass parts, based on 100 mass parts of the component (C).

An air-permeable sponge composition and a method for preparing an air-permeable sponge by using the same belong to the field of articles for daily use. An air-permeable sponge composition includes a sponge body and an air-permeable coating, and an outer surface layer of the sponge body being coated with the air-permeable coating. A method for making the air-permeable sponge utilizes the composition of the air-permeable sponge, wherein the air-permeable sponge is made from the air-permeable sponge composition under specific process parameters. The sponge body and air-permeable coating have the same or similar contents of isocyanate, polyether polyol and polymeric polyol and a similar porous structure.