A method of producing a polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foam is provided which involves the use of a specific combination of hydrofluoroolefin blowing agents and cell nucleators. The resulting foams have excellent long term thermal insulating performance and have reduced thickness in comparison to conventional thermal insulating boards. The rigid polyurethane and polyisocyanurate boards may be used to insulate refrigeration bodies, such as those employed in vehicles comprising refrigeration units, and cold storage containers.

A trimerization catalyst composition suitable for making a polyisocyanurate comprising (insulation) foam, said composition comprising at least a trimerization catalyst compound selected from one or more organic salts from alkoxides wherein said organic salt is selected from alkali metal, earth alkali metal, a transition metal such as Ti and/or quaternary ammonium organic salts.

The invention relates to small expanded polymer powder particles, and uses thereof. The expanded powder particles are formed by a non-melt process, resulting in individual expanded particles in the 5 to 100 micron range. The expanded powder particles are especially useful in cosmetic applications, as they provide a softer feel than a powder, and have a much higher surface area, making them highly absorbent for removing liquids and oils, as well as for use as excellent carriers and release agents for active ingredients.

The present invention relates to an acoustical and thermal decoupling system (10) in a form of a polymer tape that includes a closed-cell foam layer (12) having a front side and a reverse side, a pressure sensitive adhesive (14) coated on the reverse side of the closed-cell foam layer (12), and a release liner (16) covering the pressure sensitive adhesive (14) on the reverse side of the closed-cell foam layer (12). The acoustical and thermal decoupling system (10) may be installed directly to a structural member of a building by removing the release liner (16) from the reverse side of the closed-cell foam layer (12) and pressing the reverse side of the closed-cell foam layer (12) against the structural member, allowing the pressure sensitive adhesive (14) to bond the closed-cell foam layer (12) directly to the structural member.

Polybutylene terephthalate can be used as a gas diffusion barrier for closed-cell rigid polyurethane foams. A thermal insulation element containing a closed-cell, rigid polyurethane foam, which is at least partially covered by a layer system containing at least one layer formed by a polybutylene terephthalate composition, is useful. Articles and devices may contain a corresponding thermal insulation structure, such as refrigerators, insulation panels, pipe insulations, water heaters, and thermally insulated transport boxes.

A flexible discontinuous process produces a series of at least two articles containing thermally insulating polyurethane foam from at least three streams (A), (B) and (C). The process involves mixing the at least three streams with different mixing ratios and injecting the mixture into cavities of the articles. A production unit can be used for performing this process.

A process for producing split crosslinked polyolefin sheets comprises producing a crosslinked polyolefin foam sheet having an opposing first surface region and second surface region, and an intermediate region disposed therebetween, wherein the intermediate region is configured to have a gel content lower than an average gel content of the first surface region and the second surface region, and an average cell size larger than an average cell size of the first surface region and the second surface region; and applying a splitting force to the crosslinked foam sheet such that a controlled tear propagation travels through the intermediate region until a first side of the crosslinked polyolefin foam sheet and a second side of the crosslinked polyolefin foam sheet are separated to produce two split polyolefin foam sheets. The split crosslinked polyolefin foam sheets may comprise a skin side comprising a closed cell surface, and a split side comprising an open cell surface having peak heights of about 150 μm to about 550 μm.

Expandable chlorinated vinyl chloride-based resin particles from which a chlorinated vinyl chloride-based resin foamed molded product achieving both high expansion ratio and excellent surface appearance are provided. The expandable chlorinated vinyl chloride-based resin particles have a porosity of not more than 5.5 (ml/100 g).

The invention relates to a process for producing small-cell foams from a styrene-polymer component (S) and an additive of formula (I), wherein Z represents a C.sub.1-C.sub.5-alkylene group or an oxygen or sulfur atom, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 represent, e.g., a C.sub.3-C.sub.12-alkyl residue, C.sub.3-C.sub.12-cycloalkyl residue or benzyl residue; and R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 represent hydrogen or a C.sub.1-C.sub.6-alkyl residue, comprising the steps of: —heating at least a styrene-polymer component (S) to obtain a molten, polymeric molding compound, —introducing a propellant (T) into the molten molding compound to form a foamable composition (Z), and—foaming the foamable composition to obtain a foamed molding, the molten polymeric molding compound containing at least one carboxylic acid derivative of the general formula (I).

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In the phenolic resin foam laminate board (10), a surface material (2) is arranged on at least one of one side of a phenolic resin foam (1) and the back side of the one side. The phenolic resin foam (1) has a density of not less than 22 kg/m.sup.3 and not more than 50 kg/m.sup.3, a cell diameter of not less than 50 μm and not more than 170 μm, and a closed cell ratio of not less than 80%. When HCFO-1224yd(Z), aliphatic hydrocarbons having a carbon number of 6 or less, chlorinated saturated hydrocarbons having a carbon number of 5 or less, and hydrofluoroolefin are gas components, the phenolic resin foam contains only HCFO-1224yd (Z) as a gas component. A cell internal pressure of air bubble is 0.20 atm or more.