Expandable methyl methacrylate resin particles capable of providing a foamed molded product which has excellent surface quality and with which a residue hardly remains after burning are provided. The expandable methyl methacrylate resin particles contain a base resin and a blowing agent. The base resin includes, as constitutional units, a specific amount of a methyl methacrylate unit, a specific amount of an acrylic ester unit, and a specific amount of a constitutional unit derived from a crosslinking agent. The expandable methyl methacrylate resin particles have a volume-average particle size of 0.30 mm to 0.50 mm.

Expandable methyl methacrylate resin particles capable of providing a foamed molded product which has excellent surface quality and with which a residue hardly remains after burning are provided. The expandable methyl methacrylate resin particles contain a base resin and a blowing agent. The base resin includes, as constitutional units, a specific amount of a methyl methacrylate unit, a specific amount of an acrylic ester unit, and a specific amount of a constitutional unit derived from a crosslinking agent. The expandable methyl methacrylate resin particles have a volume-average particle size of 0.30 mm to 0.50 mm.

A method for forming foamed beads includes: saturating pellets with a blowing agent to form saturated pellets; and depressurizing the saturated pellets in a pressure vessel to form the foamed beads. The pellets include: a matrix polymer component, and from 0.01 wt% to 2 wt%, based on the weight of the pellets, of a nanostructured fluoropolymer, a nanostructured fluoropolymer encapsulated by an encapsulating polymer, or a combination thereof.

A method for forming foamed beads includes: saturating pellets with a blowing agent to form saturated pellets; and depressurizing the saturated pellets in a pressure vessel to form the foamed beads. The pellets include: a matrix polymer component, and from 0.01 wt% to 2 wt%, based on the weight of the pellets, of a nanostructured fluoropolymer, a nanostructured fluoropolymer encapsulated by an encapsulating polymer, or a combination thereof.

The application discloses cellulose ester compositions comprising two or more miscible blends of cellulose ester each comprising a plurality of propionyl substituents having tunable rheology and physical properties not achievable by any one of the cellulose esters alone. These cellulose ester compositions can be further processed, with or without other materials such as plasticizers, flame retardants, and blowing agents, and converted into articles. These cellulose ester compositions have higher modulus and have low to no butyryl/butyric acid content relative to cellulose acetate butyrate (“CAB”) cellulose ester compositions made from CABs having a butyryl content of greater than 30 wt %.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a composite material laminate excellent in impact resistance and vibration damping property. The present disclosure is a composite material laminate including a metal substrate, an adhesive layer formed on a surface of the metal substrate, and a foamed body layer formed on a surface of the adhesive layer, wherein a shear fracture strength (S) at an interface between the metal substrate and the adhesive layer is 1.0 MPa or more, and (S/F) determined by dividing the shear fracture strength (S) at the interface by a bending elastic modulus (F) of the foamed body layer is 0.007 or more and 0.5 or less.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a composite material laminate excellent in impact resistance and vibration damping property. The present disclosure is a composite material laminate including a metal substrate, an adhesive layer formed on a surface of the metal substrate, and a foamed body layer formed on a surface of the adhesive layer, wherein a shear fracture strength (S) at an interface between the metal substrate and the adhesive layer is 1.0 MPa or more, and (S/F) determined by dividing the shear fracture strength (S) at the interface by a bending elastic modulus (F) of the foamed body layer is 0.007 or more and 0.5 or less.

An amorphous polyester or copolyester composition comprises the reaction product of a crystalline or semicrystalline polyester or copolyester, optionally derived from a recycled waste stream, at least one diol or aromatic diacid or an ester of a diacid or a hydroxycarboxylic acid or a lactone or a dianhydride, and a catalyst, wherein the amorphous composition has a weight average molecular weight of at least 10,000 g/mol (polystyrene equivalent molecular weight) as measured by gel permeation chromatography.

An amorphous polyester or copolyester composition comprises the reaction product of a crystalline or semicrystalline polyester or copolyester, optionally derived from a recycled waste stream, at least one diol or aromatic diacid or an ester of a diacid or a hydroxycarboxylic acid or a lactone or a dianhydride, and a catalyst, wherein the amorphous composition has a weight average molecular weight of at least 10,000 g/mol (polystyrene equivalent molecular weight) as measured by gel permeation chromatography.

A method of reducing foamed density that results in a foamed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) component exhibiting reduced density. The foamed PVC component contains at least a PVC resin and a process aid blend. The process aid blend contains from 1 weight % to 60 weight % (based on the weight of the blend) of a functionalized process aid, and from 99 weight % to 40 weight % (based on the weight of the blend) of a non-functionalized process aid. The functionalized process aid includes at least one base polymer functionalized with a reactive epoxy, hydroxyl, β-keto ester, β-keto amide, or carboxylic acid functional group. The foamed PVC component containing the process aid blend has a lower density than a reference foamed PVC component made using the same process conditions and additives, but which contains only non-functionalized process aid and not the functionalized process aid.