A process for the production of a geopolymer composite. The disclosure further relates to a geopolymer composite, and the use of a geopolymer, a geopolymer in combination with an athermanous additive, or the geopolymer composite in expanded vinyl polymer, preferably vinyl aromatic polymer. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a process for the production of expandable vinyl aromatic polymer granulate, and expandable vinyl aromatic polymer granulate. Finally, the disclosure relates to expanded vinyl foam, preferably vinyl aromatic polymer, and to a masterbatch comprising vinyl polyn and a), b), or c).

An expanded polypropylene resin bead contains an inorganic pigment, a hindered amine compound, and an ultraviolet light absorber. The ultraviolet light absorber contains an ultraviolet light absorber A having a molecular weight of 360 or more, and a content of the ultraviolet light absorber A in the expanded polypropylene resin bead is 0.010% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less. An expanded polypropylene resin beads molded article is produced by in-mold molding of the expanded polypropylene resin bead.

A molded article of polypropylene-based resin expanded beads, obtained by in-mold molding of the polypropylene-based resin expanded beads, each bead including: a core layer, in a foamed state, having a polypropylene-based resin; and a covering layer, which covers the core layer, having a polyethylene-based resin. A molded article magnification X [times] of the molded article is 55 times to 90 times, a value of a product X.Math..sub.50 of a 50% compressive stress .sub.50 [kPa] and the molded article magnification X is 6500 or more, and a 5% compressive stress .sub.5 of the expanded beads molded article is 5 kPa to 25 kPa.

A thermal insulating additive, product formed therefrom, and method of making the same, wherein the thermal insulating additive comprises a plurality of hollow polymeric particles having an average particle size up to about 0.3 micrometers. The hollow polymeric particles exhibit a mechanical strength in a compression test up to about 420 psi and a thermal conductivity that is less than 0.150 W/m-k. The hollow polymeric particles are individually formed as an alkaline swellable core that is at least partially encapsulated with two or more shell layers; the alkaline swellable core prior to swelling exhibits an average particle size that is less than about 50 nanometers.

Conductive polypropylene-based foamed resin particles foamed particles includes a resin composition containing 100 parts by weight of a polypropylene-based resin, 17.6 parts by weight to 33.4 parts by weight of conductive carbon black, and 0.1 parts by weight to 3.0 parts by weight of a water-soluble organic substance. The resin composition has a melting point (Tm) of 145 C. to 155 C., as measured by a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method, and has a temperature difference (T) of 50 C. or more between the melting point (Tm) and a crystal melting start temperature (Tl) in a DSC differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curve.

The present invention provides expanded beads comprising a crosslinked multi-block copolymer containing an ethylene block and an ethylene--olefin copolymer block, having an apparent density of 40 to 300 g/L, a gel fraction of 30 to 70% by weight by a hot xylene extraction method, an average cell diameter (a) of 50 to 180 m, and an average surface layer thickness (b) of 3 to 27 m, and the expanded beads are excellent in in-mold moldability, and can produce an expanded beads molded article being excellent in tensile characteristics in a well balanced manner.

A process for production of expanded thermoplastic elastomer beads in the presence of a gaseous medium that surrounds thermoplastic elastomer beads. The process comprises a) an impregnating step, in which the gaseous medium has an impregnating temperature T.sub.a, and the absolute pressure of the gaseous medium is greater than ambient pressure, the thermoplastic elastomer beads impregnated with a blowing agent, b) an expanding step, in which the thermoplastic elastomer beads expand as they are exposed to a pressure reduction at a first expanding temperature T.sub.b, and c) optionally a fusing step, in which the expanded thermoplastic elastomer beads are fused together at a fusing temperature T.sub.c to form at least one shaped part.

The present invention is concerned with expanded propylene resin beads including a core layer being in a foamed state and constituted of a propylene-based resin composition (a) and a cover layer constituted of an olefin-based resin (b), the propylene-based resin composition (a) satisfying the following (i) and (ii), and the olefin-based resin (b) satisfying the following (iii) or (iv). (i) A mixture of 75% by weight to 98% by weight of a propylene-based resin (a1) having a melting point of 100 C. to 140 C. and 25% by weight to 2% by weight of a propylene-based resin (a2) having a melting point of 140 C. to 165 C. (ii) A difference between the melting point of the resin (a2) and the melting point of the resin (a1) is 15 C. or more. (iii) A crystalline olefin-based resin having a melting point TmB that is lower than a melting point TmA of the composition (a) and having a relation of 0 C.<[TmATmB]80 C. (iv) A non-crystalline olefin-based resin having a softening point TsB that is lower than TmA and having a relation of 0 C.<[TmATsB]100 C.

A method of producing a polyamide foam molded article is provided. The method includes: loading polyamide pre-expanded particles containing water in a water content ratio of 0 mass % or more and 12 mass % or less, into a mold; heating the polyamide pre-expanded particles with saturated steam at a temperature equal to or lower than a molding temperature minus 5? C. for 30 seconds or more and 90 seconds or less, the molding temperature being 100? C. or higher; and then thermally fusing the polyamide pre-expanded particles with saturated steam at the molding temperature.

A polypropylene-based resin expanded beads configured to include an NOR type hindered amine and has a surface on which a thermoplastic polymer layer is located, in which a blending ratio of the amine in the expanded beads is 0.03 wt % or more and 0.5 wt % or less, and a blending ratio of the amine in the thermoplastic polymer layer is less than the blending ratio of the amine in the expanded beads. Further, the method for producing the expanded beads includes a covering and foaming step, in which in the resin beads to be obtained in the covering step, a blending ratio of the amine in the resin beads is adjusted to be 0.03 wt % or more and 0.5 wt % or less, and a blending ratio of the amine in a thermoplastic polymer layer is adjusted to be lower than the blending ratio of the amine in the resin beads.