TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compounds: The barium sulfate is precipitated barium sulfide obtained by reaction of sulfuric acid and barium sulfide, or reaction of barium sulfide and sodium sulfide. The barium sulfate is surface-treated with silicon and/or aluminum-type compound.Preferred Properties: The barium sulfate has pH of 9 or less as measured at normal temperature by normal temperature method or boiling method, according to JIS K5101, and average particle diameter of 0.5-15 microns.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - The halogenated flame retardant is hexabromo cyclo dodecane, tetrabromo cyclooctane, tetrabromo bisphenol A-bis(2,3-dibromopropyl ether) or tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Composition: The styrene resin foam contains 3-5C saturated hydrocarbon (in wt.%) (0.1-8), water (0-4) and ether (0-4), as foaming agent.Preferred Properties: The mean diameter of cross-sectional area of styrene resin foam in uniaxial direction is 0.05-0.4 mm. The styrene resin foam has heat conductivity of 0.028 W/mk or less as measured according to JIS A9511. The styrene resin foam contains air bubble having cellular diameter of less than 0.2 mm and air bubble having diameter of 0.25-0.7 mm. The occupied area rate of air bubble having cellular diameter less than 0.2 mm is 5-95% per foam cross-sectional area. EXAMPLE - G9401 (RTM: polystyrene) (in wt.pts) (100), BMH (RTM: reaction product of barium sulfide and sodium sulfate and having particle diameter of 2.5 microns and pH of 6.5) (6), Talc powder PK-Z (RTM: talc) (0.2), SAYTEX HP-900 (RTM: hexabromo cyclo dodecane) (3) barium stearate (0.25), stabilizer (0.3), propane (foaming agent) (4 wt.%) and dimethyl ether (foaming agent) (4 wt.%), were mixed. The resulting mixture was extruded. The extrudate was cooled at 120degreesC, to obtain styrene resin foam having uniform cell structure. The obtained styrene resin foam had average air bubble diameter of 0.36 mm, density of 28 kg/m3 and heat conductivity of 0.026 W/mk.