Abstract: A filled, plastic container of hydrocarbon lubricating oil having a reduced tendency to panel is provided by fabricating a widemouth cylindrical container from an ethylene polymer having a density of at least about 0.950 g/ml. A concentration of about 10-1,000 ppm of carbon black is incorporated into at least the inner surface of the container. A concentration of at least about 1.0 weight % TiO.sub.2 is included throughout the body of the container.

Abstract: This application discloses a melt extrusion process for preparing articles of manufacture of improved properties from very high molecular weight linear ethylene polymers having an annealed density greater than about 0.94 gms/ml. The ethylene polymer employed in the process has melt flow properties such that the relationship between its slope parameter (S) and its apparent melt viscosity in poises at 1 sec..sup.-1 (A.sub.o) is defined by the formula:S.gtoreq.0.0830A.sub.o - 0.442where S is the negative slope of the curve obtained from a plot of the natural logarithm of the polymer's apparent melt viscosity in poises versus the natural logarithm of the apparent shear rate in sec..sup.-1 at 190.degree. C, said slope measured at 10 sec..sup.-1 ; and where A.sub.o is the natural logarithm of the polymer's melt viscosity in poises measured at 1 sec..sup.-1 at 190.degree. C. The ethylene polymer has an S value in the range of about 0.61 to about 0.90 and an A.sub.o value in the range of about 12.0 to about 14.5.

Abstract: A process is provided for preparing a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic or methacrylic acid. Typically, a copolymer of ethylene and methyl acrylate is dissolved in a diarylalkane such as 1,1-dixylylethane. A transesterification catalyst and either isopropanol or tertiary butanol is added to the polymer solution which then is heated to reflux to convert the polymerized methyl acrylate moiety to the isopropyl or tertiary butyl acrylate moiety. Following completion of the transesterification reaction, any excess isopropanol or tertiary butanol is removed from the reaction system by distillation. The polymer solution then is heated to a temperature of the order of 320.degree. C to thermally crack the isopropyl or tertiary butyl acrylate and form the corresponding ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer. The ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer is insoluble in the diarylalkane and can be recovered by filtration.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process of dissolving a high molecular weight olefin polymer having an inherent viscosity of at least 3.5 in a hot hydrocarbon solvent to form solutions which are totally free of undissolved polymer particles. Apparatus for carrying out the process also is described.The process includes stirring a slurry of fine particles of the polymer and the solvent in a chamber whose inlet and outlet are covered with screens. The outlet screen has a smaller mesh than the inlet screen. The solution is filtered through the outlet screen into a second chamber which is similar to the first one except that the second outlet screen is finer than the first outlet screen. The stirring and filtering through successively finer outlet screens is repeated in a series of chambers until a solution which is free of undissolved polymer particles is obtained. The solution is kept at least 190.degree. C throughout the process.

Abstract: Urea-formaldehyde resin compositions having improved (longer) storage lives are provided by incorporating minor quantities of salts of certain complexed zinc ions into concentrated urea-formaldehyde resin compositions. The complexed zinc salts that can be employed for this purpose include zinc-ammonia carbonate and zinc-ammonia sulfate.

Abstract: Without changing the physical form of the ethylene polymer, the pendant carboxylate salt groups of an ethylene polymer are converted to the acid form by introducing an article of manufacture having at least a surface comprising an ethylene polymer containing pendant metallic carboxylate salt groups into an aqueous medium containing dissolved ammonia.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the preparation of a polymerization catalyst useful for the polymerization of ethylene. The catalyst consists of a chromium catalyst supported on a silica aerogel having a surface area of at least 300 square meters per gram and a pore volume of at least 2 milliliters per gram, said values being determined by isothermal liquid nitrogen desorption. The silica aerogel is prepared by a modification of the method disclosed by Kistler in U.S. Pat. No. 2,249,767.

Abstract: Novel catalysts are provided for the polymerization of olefins such as ethylene. The catalysts consist essentially of a chromium compound supported upon an inorganic carrier containing aluminum and arsenate moieties. The inorganic carrier is an amorphous precipitate of aluminum arsenate, or an amorphous coprecipitate containing aluminum and arsenate moieties in proportions such that the aluminum and arsenic are present in an atomic ratio in the range of 5:1 to 1:1. The catalysts are particularly useful for polymerizng ethylene in a Particle Form Process in that the catalysts have essentially no induction period and provide ethylene polymers having a desirably-broad molecular weight distribution and a desirably-high melt flow shear ratio.

Abstract: Resin compositions having enhanced photodegradable characteristics are prepared by incorporating minor quantities of a cobalt salt such as cobalt naphthenate in a polymer blend containing at least 90 weight % of a film-forming ethylene polymer, and from about 1 to 10 weight % of a polyethylene-like polymer containing trans carbon-to-carbon double bonds in the polymer chain; such polyethylene-like polymer having been prepared by thermal cracking of specified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers under the conditions set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,955.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the preparation of a polymerization catalyst useful for the polymerization of ethylene. The catalyst consists of a chromium catalyst supported on a silica aerogel having a surface area of at least 300 square meters per gram and a pore volume of at least 2 milliliters per gram, said values being determined by isothermal liquid nitrogen desorption. The silica aerogel is prepared by a modification of the method disclosed by Kistler in U.S. Pat. No. 2,249,767.

Abstract: Ziegler-type catalysts of enhanced activity are produced by (1) suspending a finely divided polymeric support such as polyethylene in an alkanol solution of a magnesium compound such as magnesium chloride, (2) vaporizing the alkanol to deposit the magnesium compound on the support, (3) treating the magnesium compound impregnated support with a transition metal halide such as titanium tetrachloride in a hydrocarbon medium, and (4) reacting the product of (3) with an organometallic compound such as triethyl aluminum. The catalysts are particularly useful in polymerizing mono-1 olefins such as ethylene.

Abstract: In mono 1-olefin polymerization processes employing a magnesium compound supported Ziegler-type catalyst; the improvement which comprises treating the magnesium compound support with an organic peroxide prior to impregnating the support with a transition metal halide catalyst component.

Abstract: A process for producing a mass of entangled solvent swollen polymer filaments which can be converted into paper-making fibrils by subsequent refining. An olefin polymer such as polyethylene having an inherent viscosity of at least 3.5 is dissolved in a hot solvent. The hot polymer solution is subjected to timed sequential steps in which the polymer solution first is sheared and attenuated into fine polymer streams. The hot polymer streams then are cooled to precipitate the polymer which is recovered as a mass of entangled solvent swollen filaments. These filaments can be beaten in a non-solvent liquid such as isopropanol to prepare fibrils having diameters on the order of about 5 to 30 microns and lengths of about 1 to 15 millimeters.

Abstract: An improvement in the fibril formation process which includes dissolving at an elevated temperature an olefin polymer having an inherent viscosity of at least 3.5 in a hot hydrocarbon solvent, shearing the hot polyolefin solution to thereby orient the polymer molecules therein, passing the sheared solution through a cooling zone maintained at a temperature well below the precipitation temperature of the solution while maintaining the orientation of the polymer molecules within the solution to thereby precipitate by thermal means the polymer solute of the solution in the form of a solvent swollen fibrous strand, separating a substantial portion of the polymer solvent from the fibrous strand, chopping and then beating the chopped fibrous strand in a liquid which is a nonsolvent for the polymer and which is soluble in the polymer solvent for a time sufficient to break down the fibrous strand into a plurality of fibrils, and separating the fibrils from the nonsolvent liquid.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing extremely fine polyamide/polystyrene fibers which include the steps of forming a molten blend consisting of from about 35 weight percent up to about 45 weight percent of a polyamide, preferably polycaprolactam and, correspondingly, from about 65 weight percent down to about 55 weight percent of a polystyrene, forcing this molten blend through an extrusion die to form a structure such as a strand, monofilament, sheet or film, melt drawing the extruded structure at a draw ratio of at least 4:1 to orient the same and thereby obtain a fibrillatable structure, and thereafter mechanically fibrillating the oriented, fibrillatable structure by cold drawing whereby the structure spontaneously and completely breaks up into extremely fine polyamide/polystyrene fibers. The blend may optionally additionally contain up to about 15 weight percent of an ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer containing about 20 weight percent acrylic acid.

Abstract: Novel metal oxide aerogels, particularly silica aerogels, having a combination of both a large surface area and a large pore volume are provided. Such aerogels have a surface area of at least 300 square meters per gram and a pore volume of at least 2 milliliters per gram, said values being determined by isothermal liquid nitrogen desorption. The aerogels are prepared by a modification of the method disclosed by Kistler in U.S. Pat. No. 2,249,767.