Abstract: The invention concerns a novel melt-processible copolyester and a process and prepolymer for the preparation thereof. The copolyester contains structural units derived from a polyester and structural units derived from diepoxy, and the polyester units at least essentially consist of hydroxy acid monomers. The bonds between the structural units are ester bonds and the number average molar mass, M.sub.n, is at least 10,000 g/mol, its weight average molar mass, M.sub.w, is over 20,000 g/mol and molar mass distribution, expressed as the ratio M.sub.w /M.sub.n, is over 2. The copolyester is hydrolytically degradable and it can be used as a biodegradable polymer for the manufacture of injection moulded articles as well as thermoformed and blow moulded packages, pouches, sacks and bottles, for the coating of sacks bags and films made from paper or cardboard and for the preparation of fibres, fibre cloths and expanded polymer articles.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for preparing a tertiary alkyl ether product. The process comprises reacting the isoolefins of an olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock in a reaction zone (1-3) with an alkanol to form a reaction mixture, which is subjected to distillation in a first distillation zone (4). The bottoms product of the first distillation contains the ether(s), whereas the overhead stream contains unreacted alkanol and a mixture of light hydrocarbons. The overhead stream is subjected to a second distillation in a second distillation zone (15). The overhead product of the second distillation mainly contains the lightest hydrocarbons and a small amount of alkanol, and the bottoms product contains an essentially oxygenate-free hydrocarbon stream which can be used as such for alkylation. In order to increase the conversion of the process, a side drawoff is withdrawn from the second distillation zone (15) and recirculated to the reaction zone (1-3).

Abstract: The present invention concerns heterogeneous catalysts for polymerization of olefins. The catalysts include at least one Group IVa metal compound on a solid inorganic oxidic support. According to the invention the catalysts are prepared by vapourizing at least one solid Group IVa metal halide compound and routing the vapour of the metal halide compound into a reaction chamber, wherein the vapour is reacted with the support at a temperature of about 250.degree. to about 450.degree. C. in order to bind said metal halide compound to said support. Any metal compound not bound to said support as well as any volatile reaction products emanating from the reaction between said metal halide compound and said support are then removed from the reaction chamber in the vapour phase. Optionally, the product obtained is treated with an organic aluminum compound to increase the catalytic activity of said catalyst.

Abstract: Polymeric compositions are disclosed comprising protonated, electrically conducting polyaniline; cyclic organic compounds capable of forming ring-ring interactions with the six-membered rings of the polyaniline and hydrogen bonding with the NH groups of the polyaniline; and anionic surface active additives. According to the invention, no particular requirements are posed for the counter-ions of polyaniline, which allows for the use of non-functionilized counter-ions. The conducting polyaniline complexes of the invention are processible in the fluid-phase and exhibit significantly improved electrical properties.

Abstract: An apparatus for growing thin films onto a substrate by subjecting the substrate to alternately repeated surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants for the purpose of forming a solid-state thin film. The apparatus includes a reaction chamber pack into which the substrate is placed. The apparatus further includes at least two reactant sources, from which the reactants can be fed in the form of gas-phase pulses into the reaction chamber pack. The apparatus further includes reactant inflow channels for connecting the reactant sources to the reaction chamber pack. The reaction chamber pack, the reactant sources and the reactant inflow channels are all placed inside the same pressure shell. The reaction chamber pack and the reactant sources are each provided with individual heaters, which heat the reaction chamber pack and each reactant source, so that each heater is independently controllable from each other. Further, active thermal insulation elements thermally isolate the heaters from each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polymer for release films of surfaces containing pressure-sensitive adhesives. The polymer includes a reactive polyolefin and a reactive release substance, which are chemically bonded together as a result of being compounded in a molten state. The invention also relates to a release film for surfaces containing pressure-sensitive adhesives.

Abstract: A process for producing tertiary alkyl ethers by reacting an olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock, which contains a mixture of reactive C.sub.4 -C.sub.7 isoolefins, with an alkanol in the presence of a catalyst that will enhance the reaction between the isoolefins and the alkanol. By adjusting the weight ratio of the isobutylene to the reactive C.sub.6 isoolefins of the feed to a value of about 0.2 to 10, it is possible to increase the conversion of reactive C.sub.4 's to over 95%, of reactive C.sub.5 's to over 85% and of reactive C.sub.6 's to over 57%.

Abstract: Hyperbranched polyester of a polyol with 3 to 10 reactive hydroxyl groups, preferably of equivalent reactivity, and an aromatic polycarboxylic anhydride with 2 to 4 carboxyl groups, preferably 3 carboxyl groups, each hydroxyl group of the polyol forming an ester linkage with one anhydride group of the polycarboxylic anhydride, and further glycidyl (meth)acrylate or allyl glycidyl ether forming ester linkages with the remaining carboxyl groups of the anhydride and free hydroxyl groups. Further in the hyperbranched polyester (meth)acrylic anhydride and/or an aliphatic carboxylic anhydride form ester linkages with the free hydroxyl groups. The invention also comprises a process for the production of hyperbranched polyesters and such polyesters obtainable by the process. The hyperbranched polyesters can be used as resins, curable by UV irradiation, for the production of coatings, adhesives, laminates, foils and thin films and fibre-reinforced composites.

Abstract: The invention relates to the selective hydrogenation of unsaturated polymers, in particular elastomeric polymers which contain aromatic rings and carbon-carbon double rings, for example polymers prepared from styrene and butadiene. In this case, the polymer molecule contains internal and terminal-group double bonds, as well as unsaturated bonds in aromatic rings. According to the invention, only the unsaturated terminal and internal bonds are hydrogenated, whereby the thermal and weather resistance properties of the product are improved. Conventionally, hydrogenation has been performed by means of nickel or cobalt catalysts, but now it has been observed that a metallocene/alumoxane catalyst complex not only catalyzes the polymerization reaction of various olefinic compounds but also catalyzes the selective hydrogenation of unsaturated polymers, preferably styrene-butadiene-styrene block polymers.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an equipment for prevention of cooling of electrochemical devices (10). The temperature of the electrochemical device (10) is measured and, as the temperature falls below a certain preset lower limit (T.sub.minimum), an additional load (17), which is at least high enough so that the electric current that it produces heats the electrochemical device (10), is connected to the device. The additional load (17) is disconnected from the electrochemical device (10) as the temperature has reached a certain preset upper limit (T.sub.maximum).

Abstract: Compositions are disclosed comprising electrically conducting polyaniline and particular substituted aromatic compounds that simultaneously form hydrogen bonds and ring-ring interactions with, respectively, the NH-groups and the six-membered rings of the conducting polyanilines. The present conducting polyaniline compositions show drastically enhanced processibility and their blends with insulating or semiconducting materials exhibit significantly improved electrical properties.

Abstract: A method and a device for determination of the stability or storability of oil, wherein the stability of oil is determined by measuring the intensity of light scattering from the oil surface, when an asphalteneflocculating liquid is added to the oil sample for determining the stability of the oil. In an advantageous embodiment of the method the intensity of scattered light is directed onto the surface of the oil sample by using a suitable prism. The invention allows implementation of a fully automatically operating analyzer for determining the stability of oil. A closed measuring system is brought about that solves the explosion protection problem which is important in oil refining.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for determination of the cloud point of oil. In the method according to the invention the cloud point is determined from a turning point on the oil cooling curve. The method of the invention may be realized in an apparatus comprising a cooling jacket for cooling the oil sample, a measuring space essentially shaped as oppositely located cones, a temperature indicator for determination of the oil cooling curve. With the invention the cloud point of oil can be determined quickly and reliably, the measuring cell of the invention allows a very high degree of exactitude in measurements, the measurement results are well reproducible and the invention makes it possible to bring about a method and an apparatus allowing a fully automatic operating analyzer for determination of the cloud point of oil.

Abstract: An olefin polymerization catalyst composition is prepared by adding an organometallic compound of a group IA to IIIA metal to a procatalyst containing a support impregnated with TiCl.sub.4 but without using free TiCl.sub.4 to impregnate the support. The procatalyst is prepared by stirring a carrier with magnesium dichloride and a titanium tetralkoxide in a hydrocarbon solvent containing an electron donor, evaporating the solvent and the donor to form a free-flowing powder and chlorinating the titanium tetralkoxide with an alkyl aluminum chloride.

Abstract: A melt-processable block copolyesterimide comprising the repeating units (I), (II) and (III) and, optionally, a repeating unit (IV), wherein (I) is a repeating unit of the formula ##STR1## wherein R is an aliphatic polyether chain and/or a polysiloxane chain; (II) and (III) are repeating units of the formulas ##STR2## wherein Z is hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, halogen and w is zero or one; and (IV) is a repeating unit of the formula ##STR3## wherein Z' is hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, aryl or halogen and the phenylene ring is substituted in by Z' in the m- or p-positions. The repeating unit of formula (I) is present in an amount of 5 to 50 mole-%, the repeating unit of formula (II) is present in an amount of 10 to 80 mole-%, the repeating unit of formula (III) is present in an mount of 5 to 50 mole-% and the repeating unit of formula (IV) is present in an amount of 0 to 45 mole-% of the block copolyesterimide.

Abstract: In an electrolysis apparatus according to the invention for producing hydrogen by decomposing electrolysis liquid with the aid of electric current into hydrogen and oxygen in a pressurized electrolytic cell (11), an electrolytic cell (11) is placed within a liquid-filled pressure shell (10) maintained pressurized with the pressure of a gas produced in electrolysis. The liquid can be selected, for instance, among the following group: silicon oils or fats, fluorized oils, crude oil-based or synthetic oils, or water.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new, technically simple but efficient process, with a good yield, for the preparation of 2-ethyl-1,3-hexane diol from n-butyraldehyde by aldol condensation in the presence of an alkali metal hydroxide or alkali earth metal hydroxide catalyst. To promote the reaction and to improve its controllability, a neutral phase-transfer catalyst is additionally used in the process according to the invention. 2-Ethyl-1,3-hexane diol is used in insecticides and, for example, in the preparation of polyesters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to electrically conducting thermoset compositions and methods for preparing them. In the compositions according to the invention, the conducting component is a polyaniline protonated with a protonic acid containing at least one hydroxyl group. The thermoset matrix can be, for instance, a phenol-formaldehyde resin, a melamine-formaldehyde resin, or a polyester resin.

Abstract: The present invention concerns prepolymerized catalyst composition for polymerization of .alpha.-olefins, a process for the preparation thereof and a process for polymerization of .alpha.-olefins. According to the polymerization process a procatalyst composition containing a transition metal is prepolymerized with a monomer in order to produce a prepolymerized Ziegler-Natta type catalyst composition and said catalyst composition is contacted with an alpha-olefin monomer, in particular with ethylene or propylene, for preparing a polymer. According to the invention the procatalyst composition is preferably prepolymerized in a medium which is inert to the catalyst components, the viscosity of the medium being so high that the catalyst does not substantially settle in this medium. Because the catalyst composition according to the invention does not have to be dried before being fed into the medium, its activity is high before and during polymerization.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process and an apparatus for preparing tertiary ethers. According to the process, C.sub.4 to C.sub.6 isoolefins and possibly heavier olefins contained in the feedstock are reacted with lower aliphatic alcohols, in particular methanol or ethanol, in a catalytic distillation reactor system in order to produce the corresponding ethers. According to the invention, the reaction between the isoolefins and the alcohols is essentially carried out in at least one reactor (5-7) of the kind, which is combined with a distillation column (3) intended for product separation, by conducting at least a part of the liquid flow of the column through the reactor and returning it to a lower tray than the one from which it was taken. At least half of cation exchange resin is placed in the side reactor (5-7). In the process according to the invention, the catalyst can be rapidly changed without stopping the process.