The present invention relates to novel composite materials comprising elemental gold in the form of single crystals, amyloid fibrils and a polymer. This composite material is similar to glassy plastics yet lighter than aluminum and has a golden shining similar to 18K gold. Due to its unique properties, this composite is termed “light gold”. This composite material suits, for example, watches, jewelry, radiation shielding, catalysis and electronics. The invention further provides for environmentally friendly methods to manufacture such composite materials.

Methods for producing highly spherical particles that comprise: mixing a mixture comprising: (a) nanoclay-filled-polymer composite comprising a nanoclay dispersed in a thermoplastic polymer, (b) a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the thermoplastic polymer of the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite, optionally (c) a thermoplastic polymer not filled with a nanoclay, and optionally (d) an emulsion stabilizer at a temperature at or greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer of the nanoclay-filled-polymer and the thermoplastic polymer, when included, to disperse the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite in the carrier fluid; cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature to form nanoclay-filled-polymer particles; and separating the nanoclay-filled-polymer particles from the carrier fluid.

The present invention relates to a molding made of expanded bead foam, wherein at least one fiber (F) is partly within the molding, i.e. is surrounded by the expanded bead foam. The two ends of the respective fibers (F) that are not surrounded by the expanded bead foam thus each project from one side of the corresponding molding. The present invention further provides a panel comprising at least one such molding and at least one further layer (S1). The present invention further provides processes for producing the moldings of the invention from expanded bead foam or the panels of the invention and for the use thereof, for example as rotor blade in wind turbines.

Biologically-inspired compositions, including color changing compositions, and corresponding embodiments such as sensors, textile materials, coatings and films, are provided which typically include a solid, transparent and nondegradable matrix. The matrix contains a plurality of (i) synthetic particles having a size in the micrometer or nanometer range, each synthetic particle including one or more aggregates of a pigment selected from phenoxazone, phenoxazine, and a derivate or precursor thereof, and a stabilizing material which has a refractive index larger than 1.45, the aggregates having a size larger than about 100 nm; or (ii) submicrometer natural particles extracted and purified from homogenized tissue.

The present invention is suitable for optical applications with excellent transparency through a haze value of 1.5% or lower and particles that are hardly visible to the naked eye, by producing a film using particles having little difference in refractive index in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is a commonly-used polyester film, and can provide a highly transparent optical film capable of improving a winding property by forming surface roughness of 4 nm or higher.

The invention relates to a waterproofing composition with high resistance to different weather conditions and improved insulating and anti-impact properties and which is easy to apply and more durable, and to materials based on same. The composition comprises acrylic resins, water, polymeric particulates and additives.

A method for controlling polymer viscosity quality in a compounding process of polymers (110) using at least one extruder (111) is disclosed. The method comprises: a) at least one measurement step (112), wherein at least one influence variable affecting viscosity of the compound is determined by using at least one sensor (114); b) at least one prediction step (116), wherein an expected viscosity (117) of the compound is determined considering the influence variable by using at least one prediction unit (118), wherein the prediction unit (118) comprises at least one analysis tool comprising at least one trained model; c) at least one evaluation step (120), wherein the expected viscosity (117) of the compound is compared to at least one pre-defined and/or pre-determined threshold value, wherein at least one item of output information is generated depending on said comparison; and d) at least one control step (122), wherein the item of output information is displayed using at least one display device (124), wherein the output information comprises at least one handling recommendation (126) for at least one setting of the extruder (111). Further disclosed are a computer program, specifically an application, and a controlling system (138) for controlling polymer viscosity quality in a compounding process of polymers (110).

A polymer composition comprises (a) 50 to 100 phr of one or more branched thermoplastic elastomers each comprising an unsaturated elastomer block and at least three thermoplastic styrene blocks, the thermoplastic styrene blocks of each branched thermoplastic elastomer representing from 15% to 75%, preferably from 15% to 50%, by weight of the weight of each branched thermoplastic elastomer, and (b) 10 to 100 phr of one or more thermoplastic styrene polymers having a molecular mass of between 25,000 and 300,000 g/mol, preferably between 50,000 and 200,000 g/mol.

A polymer composition for coating expanded polystyrene (EPS) is provided, the polymer composition includes a mixture of at least one of polyurea, polyurethane, silicon elastomer, and combination thereof in a predefined ratio. The polymer composition imparts desired properties such as high impact and abrasion resistance, elongation strength, and anti-static property along with flexural strength to the EPS. The present invention also provides the process for coating the polymer composition onto the EPS. The matrix coating process provides much stronger bonding due to overlap of coating of the polymer composition on the sides of the EPS and reduces the wastage of the polymer composition during the coating of the EPS. The present invention also provides the EPS coated with the polymer composition. The EPS coated with the polymer composition possesses the properties such as high impact resistance, abrasion resistance, elongation strength, flexural strength, and anti-static property.

The present invention belongs to the field of active polymer materials. Specifically, it relates to an active polystyrene film that has antimicrobial or antioxidant activity and the method of production of said film. It also refers to wrappers, packages and slice separators (interleavers) that comprise said film.