Inorganic-organic plastic

Claim 1

A process for producing an inorganic-organic plastic with high strength, elasticity, dimensional stability under heat, and flame resistance, which is a composite material of a polymer/polysilicic acid gel, said composite being in the form of a solid/solid xerosol, said process comprising mixing and reacting: A. an organic polyisocyanate, B. a silica composition selected from the group consisting of: i. an aqueous alkali metal silicate containing about 20 - 70% by weight of said alkali metal silicate; ii. an aqueous silica sol having a solids content from 20 to 50%, and iii. mixtures thereof, C. an organic compound which contains i. at least one hydrogen atom capable of reacting with an isocyanate group, and ii. at least one group selected from the group consisting of: a. an ionic group, b. a group capable of forming an ionic group in the presence of an alkali metal silicate, and c. non-ionic hydrophilic groups, said non-ionic hydrophilic group being polyether groups which are built up from ethylene oxide to an extent of at least 10% by weight, with the proviso that if said organic compound contains non-ionic hydrophilic groups, said organic compound contains only one hydrogen atom capable of reacting with an isocyaanate group, said mixing being carried out in such a way that either components (B) and (C) are mixed prior to mixing with (A), or components (A), (B) and (C) are mixed simultaneously.