Abstract: Liquid-absorbent polymers are prepared by a process for the gel and/or surface postcrosslinking of water-absorbent polymers by the polymer being treated with a surface postcrosslinking solution and being postcrosslinked and dried during and after the treatment by raising the temperature, wherein the surface postcrosslinking solution comprises as crosslinker a compound of the formula I where R1, R2, R3 and R4 are independently hydrogen, C1-C12-alkyl, C1-C12-alkenyl, C6-C12-aryl or C1-C12-alkoxy, R5 is C1-C16-alkyl, C1-C4-hydroxyalkyl, C6-C12-aryl, C1-C16-alkenyl or a group of the formula —(CH2)n—COOH or —(CH2)n—SO3H in the form of the acid or a respective metal salt, ammonium salt or triethanolammonium salt thereof or —(CH2—CH2—O—)m—R6, R6 is hydrogen or C1-C16-alkyl, n is from 1 to 10, m is from 1 to 20 dissolved in an inert solvent, and are used in hygiene articles, packaging materials and nonwovens.

Abstract: Melt-fabricable thermoplastic fluoropolymer having pendant functional groups is thermally cross-linked in the presence of polyfunctional nucleophile.

Abstract: To provide a powder coating composition being capable of forming a coating film which has good pigment dispersibility, is excellent in weather resistance, film forming ability, appearance and stain-proofing property and, when used for PCM, is difficult to cause cracks because of its particularly excellent bending resistance at the time of bending of a metal plate. The powder coating composition comprises a powder which contains 100 parts by weight of a vinylidene fluoride copolymer having a melting point of not higher than 150° C., a crystallinity of not higher than 35% and a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 1×104 to 5×105 and 10 to 400 parts by weight of a methyl methacrylate copolymer having a glass transition temperature of not higher than 110° C. and a weight average molecular weight of 1×104 to 5×105; an average particle size of particles constituting the powder being from 1 to 100 &mgr;m and an apparent density of the powder being from 0.2 to 1 g/ml.

Abstract: Hydrogen-plasma modification of a contact lens made from a fluorinated polymer reduces the surface chemistry of by removing fluorine, leaving behind a carbon-enriched surface that is further plasma processed into a hydrophilic surface for a lens material to be inserted into the ocular environment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the hydrogenation of a polymer composed of diene monomer units and nitrile group containing monomer units in which crosslinks formed as a result of the hydrogenation are broken by adding, before, during or after the hydrogenation, a compound that satisfies the formula R1—N(H)—X (I) or (R1)(R2)C═N—Y (II), where R1 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl or cycloalkyl group with 1-30 carbon atoms, or an aromatic group with 6-30 carbon atoms and R2 is an alkyl or cycloalkyl group with 1-30 carbon atoms, or an aromatic group with 6-30 carbon atoms, X is chosen from the group comprising —R3, —OR4, —SR4, —NR5R6, where R3, R4 and R5 are a hydrogen atom, an alkyl or cycloalkyl group with 1-30 carbon atoms or an aromatic group with 6-30 carbon atoms and R6 is an alkyl or cycloalkyl group with 1-30 carbon atoms or an aromatic group with 6-30 carbon atoms Y is chosen from the group comprising —R7, —OR8, —SR8, —NR9R10 an

Abstract: A polymeric film composition, which can readily be applied to a sheet-configured substrate and which resists creep at room temperature, even when the sheet/film combination is stored as a roll, is disclosed. The polymeric film composition has a viscosity of at least 3×106 Pa-s at a predetermined first lower temperature and at a shear stress of 10,000 Pa and a viscosity no greater than 1×104 Pa-s at a predetermined second higher temperature and at a shear stress of 50,000 Pa.

Abstract: The present invention provides: an ink jet recording material which displays sufficient water resistance and further, excellent definition of initial images; and a coating agent therefor to give such an ink jet recording material. A first coating agent for ink jet recording materials, according to the present invention, comprises: an aqueous polymer having a carboxyl group; and a water-soluble polymer having an oxazoline group as a crosslinking agent. A second coating agent for ink jet recording materials, according to the present invention, comprises a polymer and a crosslinking agent, wherein the polymer has both a structural unit, as formed by ring-opening polymerization of an oxazoline compound, and a carboxyl group.

Abstract: Ethylene, an &agr;-olefin and, optionally, a diene monomer are polymerized in a process comprising the step of contacting (1) ethylene, (2) at least one C3-C20 aliphatic &agr;-olefin, (3) optionally, at least one C4-C20 diene, (4) a catalyst comprising (a) a metallocene complex, and (b) an activator, and (5) a solvent. The process is conducted in either a single reactor or in multiple reactors, the latter configured either in series or parallel. Solvent is removed from the polymer stream in an anhydrous, first stage solvent recovery operation such that the solids concentration of the product stream is increased by at least 100 percent. Additional solvent is removed in an anhydrous, second stage solvent recovery operation from the product of the first stage solvent recovery operation such that the solids concentration of the product stream is in excess of 65 weight percent.

Abstract: A process for the elimination of formamide from polymers containing N-vinylformamide units involves treating formamide-containing polymers with from 1 to 2 mol-equivalents of an acid or a base, based on 1 mol-equivalent of formamide, under reaction conditions such that the N-vinylformamide units in the polymer undergo virtually no hydrolysis.

Abstract: Disclosed is a two-step method of making soft, high refractive index, acrylic ophthalmic device materials. In the first step, a copolymer containing pendant oxirane groups is formed by copolymerizing one or more aryl acrylic hydrophobic monomers with one or more compounds of the formula wherein X is H or CH3; and n is 1-4. In the second step, the copolymer containing pendant oxirane groups formed in the first step is reacted with a compound of the formula W—T—H wherein W is H, CH3(CH2)a, or Z(OCH2CH2)b; a is 0-3; b is 1-5; Z is H, or CH3(CH2)p; p is 0-3; and T is O, NH, S; provided that if T≠O, then W≠H.

Abstract: A new process of interpolymerizing ethylene interpolymer products having improved properties, such as increased onset of crystallization temperature, is disclosed. Preferably, the process comprises interpolymerizing a first homogeneous ethylene/alpha-olefin interpolymer and at least one second homogeneous ethylene/alpha-olefin interpolymer using at least two constrained geometry catalysts having different reactivities such that the first ethylene/alpha-olefin interpolymer has a narrow molecular weight distribution (NMWD) with a very high comonomer content and relatively high molecular weight and the second ethylene/alpha-olefin interpolymer has a NMWD with a low comonomer content and a molecular weight lower than that of the first interpolymer. The resultant first homogeneous interpolymer is combined with the resultant second homogeneous interpolymer in appropriate weight ratios resulting in the desired finished polymer structure.

Abstract: A resin material comprising a resin, which satisfies at least one relationship selected from the group consisting of the following relationships [I] and [II] is provided: ln(OTR/22.5)+4.78 ln(Fy/Fy′)<−0.13, and T2−T1≦20  [I] in which Fy′ is a yield strength of a standard saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer at 60° C.; Fy is a yield strength of the resin material at 60° C.; OTR is an oxygen gas permeability (cc/m2·day·atm) of the resin material per a unit thickness of 1 &mgr;m at 23° C. and a relative humidity of 0%; T1 is a haze (%) of a film of the resin material having a thickness of 30 &mgr;m after being maintained at 23° C. and a relative humidity of 48% for 48 hours; and T2 is a haze (%) of a film of the resin material having a thickness of 30 &mgr;m after being maintained at 40° C. and a relative humidity of 90% for 24 hour, and ln(OTR/22.5)+0.0698(Tim−157)<−0.

Abstract: A process for forming a compatibilized blend of general purpose rubbers (GPR) and a halogenated poly(isobutylene-co-4-methylstyrene) through solventless reactions utilizing a multifunctional agent containing a diene reactive group and a benzylic halo reactive group.

Abstract: This invention relates to a procedure for the controlled production or for the modification of polymeric products using IR-ATR spectroscopy, wherein the case of a polymerization reaction the extinction is determined of the characteristic IR absorption bands for the monomer used and the resulting polymeric product or in the case of a polymer modification the characteristic IR absorption bands of the starting material used and of the modified polymeric product are determined, the degree of conversion or the degree of modification is calculated from the absorption bands, and when the desired degree of conversion or the desired degree of modification is reached the reaction is stopped by suitable measures.

Abstract: Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein. The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.

Abstract: The present invention relates to high melt swell partially neutralized alpha olefin acid copolymers. It also relates to a process for making such high melt swell polymers as well as for covalently crosslinking other polar copolymers including non-neutralized acid copolymers and non-polar alpha olefin polymers by using a minor amount of metal acrylate, particularly sodium or zinc acrylate.

Abstract: A thermosetting composition that includes: (a) a crosslinking agent having at least two functional groups reactive with hydroxyl groups; and (b) a non-gelled, hydroxyl functional polymer prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization. The polymer contains at least one of the following polymer chain structures: —{(M)p—(G)q}x—  or —{(G)q—(M)p}x— wherein M is a residue, that is free of hydroxyl functionality, of at least one monomer; G is a residue, that has hydroxyl functionality, of at least one monomer; p and q represent average numbers of residues occurring in a block of residues in each polymer chain structure; and p, q, and x are each independently selected for each structure such that the hydroxyl functional polymer has a number average molecular weight of at least 250.

Abstract: A polymer used in a chemically amplified resist is represented by the following formula: wherein R1, R3 and R5 are each independently selected from the group consisting of —H, and —CH3; R2 is selected from the group consisting of t-butyl, tetrahydropyranyl, and 1-alkoxyethyl; R4 is selected from the group consisting of —H, —CH3, t-butyl, tetrahydropyranyl, and 1-alkoxyethyl; x is an integer ranging from 1 to 4; and wherein l, m, and n are selected such that l/(l+m+n) ranges from 0.1 to 0.5, m/(l+m+n) ranges from 0.01 to 0.5, and (l+m)/(l+m+n) ranges from 0.1 to 0.7.

Abstract: Methods for preparing free radical or visible light curable (VLC) acid-containing polymers in an aqueous solution are provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises reacting polymers having reactive carboxylic acid groups with a methacrylated oxazoline or oxazine, collectively referred to hereafter as “methacrylated unsaturated cyclic imino ethers,” in an aqueous solution at a temperature of from about 50° C. to about 75° C. In another embodiment, the method comprises an additional step of preparing the carboxylic acid-containing polymer in an aqueous solution and then reacting the carboxylic acid-containing polymer with the methacrylated cyclic imino ether in the aqueous solution. The present invention also relates to free radical or VLC acid-containing polymers, and dental restoratives that comprise such polymers. Methods of attaching an oxazoline or oxazine to a carboxylate group on a polymer in an aqueous solution are also provided.

Abstract: A crosslinkable fluororubber composition comprising (A) a polymer comprising a perfluoro compound having at least two alkenyl groups and a divalent perfluoroalkylene or perfluoropolyether structure a compound having at least two hydrosilyl groups, the hydrosilyl-bearing compound being added to some of the alkenyl groups in the perfluoro compound, (B) a reinforcing filler, and (C) a crosslinking agent having a hydrosilyl group and capable of addition reaction or a peroxide crosslinking agent, and (D) a surface treating agent having at least one fluoroalkenyl group and silanol group in the molecule, is roll millable and compression moldable. It cures into products having satisfactory solvent resistance, chemical resistance, heat resistance, and low-temperature properties.