Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of a superabsorber, comprising as steps providing a water-absorbing polymer structure, bringing the water-absorbing polymer structure into contact with a modifying agent, preferably a modifying agent, and the further treatment of the water-absorbing polymer structure which has been brought into contact with the modifying agent. The further treatment is carried out at least partly in a rotating container. The invention furthermore relates to a device for the production of a superabsorber, superabsorbers, a composite, a process for the production of a composite, the composites obtainable by this process, chemical products, such as foams, shaped articles or fibers, and the use of a superabsorber.

Abstract: A valve system for attachment to a food cooking vat. The valve system includes a valve body and stem, with the stem including a valve head having a sealing member connected thereto. The valve body has an outlet configured to be in fluid communication with the food cooking vat, and the sealing member is in fluid communication with the outlet and the chamber and is selectively operable between a discharge position, for allowing the food to drain from the chamber, and a closed position, for allowing the food to remain in the chamber. The sealing member preferably includes polymer and has a first portion of generally frusto-conical shape and a second portion of generally frusto-conical shape generally co-axial with the first portion.

Abstract: The present invention, in some embodiments, provides catalyst modules and/or catalytic reactors having increased effective catalyst cross-sectional areas. In some embodiments, a catalyst module comprises a fluid stream inlet side comprising a plurality of first catalyst bodies and a plurality of first ducts and a fluid stream outlet side comprising a plurality of second catalyst bodies and a plurality of second ducts, wherein the first ducts are a fluid stream inlet to the second catalyst bodies and the second ducts are a fluid stream outlet for the first catalyst bodies.

Abstract: A process is described for recycling superabsorbent polymer fines into a process that includes treating the superabsorbent polymer fines with caustic and a polymerization step for making the superabsorbent polymer gel. The process requires treating the superabsorbent polymer fines with a caustic, followed by mixture with polymerizable monomer solution, and polymerizing the mixture of the superabsorbent polymer fines and monomer to form the aqueous fluid absorbent polymer. In the process, the fines are incorporated into the new polymer gel and become indistinguishable there from. The gel may then be comminuted into a particulate dried and then separated into a portion having a desired minimum particle size in a fines portion having less than the desired size. The particulate may then be coated with a surface crosslinking agent and surface additives and heated for surface conversion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to absorbent compositions which exhibit swelling, deswelling, and reswelling behavior. More specifically, absorbent compositions of this invention swell and absorb fluids after exposure to aqueous fluids, deswell and release fluids from the swollen absorbent compositions, and may also reswell and absorb fluids. The swelling-deswelling-reswelling behavior allows enhanced liquid distribution in absorbent composites.

Abstract: A method for treating selected tissue, including exposing the selected bone or tissue to laser light having a wavelength between approximately 600 and 1400 nm, and maintaining such exposure of the selected tissue or bone to the laser light for a period of time sufficient to deliver a laser light dosage of at least 7 Joules/cm2 per treatment and maintaining such exposure for a period of time sufficient to deliver a laser light dosage of at least 1500 Joules per treatment within a 24 hour period of time. The method also includes upcollimating the laser light such that the laser delivers to the selected tissue a substantially coherent beam of laser light having a cross-sectional area of at least 2 cm2, and, further, delivering the laser light to a depth of at least 5 mm in the selected tissue.

Abstract: Methods for describing the shape of a lens are disclosed comprising mathematically dividing said shape into substantially two halves and providing at least one mathematical function comprising mathematically linear combinations of polynomials, wherein at least one half is described by said mathematical function, and wherein said method is applicable to a surface of at least one half selected from the group consisting of rotationally symmetric surfaces and non-rotationally symmetric surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a superabsorbent a polymer comprises (I) producing a pure (meth)acrylic acid comprising the steps of (a) synthesizing a crude (meth)acrylic acid phase; (b) distillatively working-up the crude (meth)acrylic acid phase to obtain a (meth)acrylic acid phase and a dimer phase comprising (meth)acrylic acid dimers or (meth)acrylic acid oligomers or both; (c) splitting at least a part of the (meth)acrylic acid dimers or of the (meth)acrylic acid oligomers or both from the dimer phase to obtain a (meth)acrylic acid-comprising low boiling phase and a high boiling phase comprising less (meth)acrylic acid than the low boiling phase; (d) separating at least a part of the (meth)acrylic acid from the low boiling phase to obtain a pure (meth)acrylic acid, and a residue; (II) polymerizing a monomer phase comprising the pure (meth)acrylic acid to obtain a polymer phase; and (III) working-up the polymer phase to obtain the polymer.

Abstract: A process is described for recycling superabsorbent polymer fines into a process that includes treating the superabsorbent polymer fines with caustic and a polymerization step for making the superabsorbent polymer gel. The process requires treating the superabsorbent polymer fines with a caustic, followed by mixture with polymerizable monomer solution, and polymerizing the mixture of the superabsorbent polymer fines and monomer to form the aqueous fluid absorbent polymer. In the process, the fines are incorporated into the new polymer gel and become indistinguishable there from. The gel may then be comminuted into a particulate dried and then separated into a portion having a desired minimum particle size in a fines portion having less than the desired size. The particulate may then be coated with a surface crosslinking agent and surface additives and heated for surface conversion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a particulate superabsorbent polymer comprising a monomer and an internal crosslinker agent wherein the particulate superabsorbent polymer has a Centrifuge Retention Capacity Increase of 2 g/g or more as set forth herein in the Centrifuge Retention Capacity Increase Test. The present invention further relates to a superabsorbent polymer comprising an internal crosslinker agent comprising a silane compound comprising at least one vinyl group or one allyl group attached to a silicon atom, and at least one Si—O bond. The present invention further relates to an absorbent article that includes such particulate superabsorbent polymers.

Abstract: A transducer system includes a multi-layer flexible circuit. The flexible circuit includes a first layer, a second layer and a third layer. The circuit engages a piezoelectric material/electrode subassembly. Vias are used to operatively connect ground electrodes of individual transducer elements to grounds in the third layer of the circuit. The vias extend through the first and second layers to the third layer of the circuit. When the flexible circuit is diced during the assembly of the transducer system, no cuts are made in the third layer of the circuit. As a result, a common ground connection is maintained by way of the grounds in the third layer of the circuit. Thus, no subsequent operation of reconnecting the common ground electrode is required.

Abstract: A method is provided that includes receiving and processing a sample signal scan. Processing the sample signal scan includes applying an inner-product operation on the sample signal scan and each of a plurality of eigenvectors to generate a plurality of corresponding coefficients, and subtracting the sample signal scan from a linear combination of the eigenvectors and corresponding coefficients to thereby produce a corrected sample signal scan. In this regard, the eigenvectors have been generated by decomposing a plurality of background reference signal scans according to a singular value decomposition technique. The signal scans include a plurality of electromagnetic signal measurements at a discrete set of frequencies, where each measurement has been taken by a spectrometer system passing an electromagnetic signal through a sample cell including just a base medium (for the background reference signal scans), or both a base medium and a sample medium (for the sample signal scan).

Abstract: In one aspect, a process for the preparation of a superabsorbent polymer is described herein. In some embodiments, the process comprises (I) preparing acrylic acid, wherein the process comprises (a1) provision of a fluid F1 having a composition comprising from about 5 to about 20 wt. % of hydroxypropionic acid, salts thereof, or mixtures thereof; from about 0.1 to about 5 wt. % of inorganic salts; from about 0.1 to about 30 wt. % of organic compounds which differ from hydroxypropionic acid; from 0 to about 50 wt. % of solids; and from about 20 to about 90 wt. % of water; (a2) dehydration of said hydroxypropionic acid to give a fluid F2 containing acrylic acid; and (a3) purification of said fluid F2 to give a purified acrylic acid phase comprising acrylic acid having a purity of at least 70 wt. %; and (II) polymerizing the acrylic acid of (I) to form a superabsorbent polymer.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides a neck cooling or heating apparatus comprising a primary band comprising a first end, a second end and a neck cooling or neck heating region positioned between the first end and the second end, the neck cooling or the neck heating region having coupled thereto a tissue cooling or a tissue heating material.

Abstract: A process for producing and a powdery water-absorbing polymers comprising: about 0.01 to 20 wt. % of a fine particle with a particle size of less than about 200 ?m; about 0.001 to 10 wt. % of a thermoplastic adhesive; and about 60 to 99.998 wt. % of a water-absorbing polymer particle with a particle size of about 200 ?m and above, wherein the powdery water-absorbing polymers have: a flow value (FFC) within the range from about 1 to 13, and/or a dust portion of at most about 6 are disclosed. Also disclosed are a transport process, a composite, chemical products, and a use of a thermoplastic adhesive.

Abstract: The present invention provides monolithic structural catalysts. The catalysts have a thin wall structure and are advantageous for catalyzing reactions of gaseous fluid or liquid fluid molecules, such as the denitration or selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in combustion flue gases. In an embodiment, the honeycomb-like monolithic structural body includes catalytically active outer peripheral walls and a plurality of catalytically active thin-walled inner partition walls, the thin-walled inner partition walls adapted to enhance fluid flow through the monolithic catalytic body and to increase interaction of the fluid molecules with the catalyst body.

Abstract: A non-progressive ophthalmic lens used in eye frames is provided with at least two distinct viewing areas. A very large lower area (lower relative to the face and eyes of the wearer) is provided with near to intermediate range vision correction prescription. A smaller, top portion of the lens is provided with distance range viewing correction prescription or zero power. In order to reduce image jump, the lenses are positioned such that the major axis of the base lens intersects and ends on the major axis of the supplementary lens, and both major axes lie in the same vertical plane. The two lens segments meet at a lined or blended intersection to minimize consumption of non-optically viewable space.

Abstract: An absorbent material formed at least in part of a crosslinked polymer. The absorbent material has a centrifuge retention capacity as determined by a Centrifuge Retention Capacity Test of at least about 20 g/g and a gel bed permeability under load as determined by a Gel Bed Permeability Under Load Test of at least about 300×10?9 cm2 or a free swell gel bed permeability as determined by a Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability Test of at least about 2,500×10?9 cm2. The crosslinked polymer may comprise either at least about 75 weight percent anionic polymer or at least about 75 weight percent cationic polymer. In one embodiment, the cross-linked polymer is surface treated with a water soluble non-cross-linked polymer having a potential for becoming charged opposite that of the cross-linked polymer.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for characterizing an entire lens surface including anterior and posterior ‘hemispheres’ as well as the equatorial region as a single continuous mathematical representation by employing a summed serial function constituting incrementally higher orders of a base function and by utilizing a sufficiently high order of base function in the summation series to obtain the desired degree of accuracy of the representation.

Abstract: A fossil-fuel-fired system, which includes an emissions-control-agent dispenser, a furnace, an emissions monitor and, optionally, a controller, is disclosed. The emissions-control-agent dispenser provides a prescribed amount of organic-emissions-control agent, such as, for example, an opacity-control agent to the fossil-fuel-fired system. The furnace includes an exhaust communicating with the atmosphere. The emissions monitor is capable of measuring at least one property of the flue-gas communicated through the exhaust to the atmosphere. For example, when an organic-emissions-control agent is an opacity-control agent, the emissions monitor has the capability of at least measuring opacity. When included, the controller communicates with at least the emissions-control-agent dispenser and the emissions monitor.