Abstract: Conformable marking sheet comprising a microporous thermoplastic polymer base sheet having a network of interconnected pores. The marking sheet has a low yield stress, making it conformable to rough surfaces. The pores of the base sheet can be filled with a diluent (wax) or they may have the diluent removed, for example by extraction. The construction may further comprise an adhesive on the bottom and a top marking indicium layer comprising a polymeric binder in which is partially embedded a multiplicity of retroflective lens elements, e.g., transparent microspheres.

Abstract: A two-phase ceramic particulate useful as a proppant in hydraulic fracturing operations is provided which comprises a vitreous matrix phase containing a crystalline alumina phase. The new ceramic particles are characterized by:(i) a concentration gradient of alumina which increases from very low in the center to relatively high near the surface of the particles;(ii) a fired density less than about 2.9 g/cc; and(iii) closed cell microporosity.Certain embodiments of the inventive ceramic particulate are also characterized by a Krumbein roundness of at least 0.8 and are chemically stable.The ceramic is made by a process comprising the steps of:a. mixing and pelletizing, with the aid of water, the dry raw materials including a mineral particulate such as nepheline syenite and a binder such as bentonite;b. drying the wet pelletizer product;c. mixing the dried pellets with a parting agent; andd.

Abstract: Ceramic spheroids having:A. a core made by firing raw materials comprising about:50-99.8 parts by weight mineral particulates;0.1 to 50 parts by weight silicon carbide; and0.1 to 15 parts by weight binder (e.g. bentonite); andB. an outer shell comprising Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 or MgO.More alumina or magnesium oxide is contained in the outer shell than in the core. The core of the ceramic spheroid has closed cell microporosity. The inventive spheroids are characterized by a density less than 2.2 g/cc and can be readily made to have a density less than 1 g/cc. These ceramic spheroids combine high strength (due to the tough outer shell) with low density (due to the closed cell microporosity) and have applications (among others) as buoyant water filtration media and low density fillers.

Abstract: Described is a raised pavement marker comprised of (referring to FIG. 1) a hollow, flexible, elastomeric body 2, a reflective film 4, and a pressure-sensitive adhesive 3. Raised portion 5 provides back support for the reflective film. The hollow body has a compressive strength of less than about 100 kiloPascals at 25 percent compression so that it yields readily to vehicle wheels traversing the marker, but it regains its approximate original shape after the wheels have passed over it.

Abstract: In the illustrated applicators, one of a series of pavement markers is individually dispensed from a carrier web by stripping the web back from the marker while moving the marker into wedging contact between a spring-loaded roller and the pavement. While doing so, the carrier web is kept taut between a brake shoe where it exits a magazine and an overdriven takeup roll which is locked against rotation while the marker is being moved into the wedging contact. Each pavement marker has a flat base which preferably bears a pressure-sensitive adhesive that releasably adheres the marker to the carrier web and bonds the marker to the pavement.

Abstract: Stretched surface recording disk (SD) 10 comprises an annular support 12 having raised annular ridges 42 and 28 at its inside and outside diameters 22 and 30 with a base portion 24 in between the two ridges, and an annular recording medium film 14 held in radial tension and stretched across the base portion by adhering the film to attachment surfaces 48 and 36 near the inside and outside diameters respectively. The SD is annealed twice duringmanufacture to relieve stress in the stretched film 14. This annealing results in SD essentially free from track anisotropy and stress distribution anisotropy in the plane of the disk. As a result, data tracks are more stable than in previous SD, track density can be greater, and the SD is generally more reliable.

Abstract: A bulk polymerization process for free radical polymerization of vinyl monomers in a wiped surface reactor is disclosed. Referring to FIG. 1; monomer streams 5 (after purification and silica gel column 2) and 7 are combined with free radical initiator 9 to form a premix 16. Pump 18 transfers the premix stream 22 through static mixer 24 into a wiped surface reactor 27. The reactor can be a counter rotating twin screw extruder which produces polymer stream 36 without the need of solvent and using residence times much shorter than prior art solution or emulsion processes.Some unique pressure sensitive adhesive acrylate polymers have been produced. They are believed to have a relatively high degree of branching. The bulk polymerization process permits the manufacture of pressure sensitive adhesive articles by extruding directly from the twin screw extruder onto a substrate.

Abstract: A magneto optical thin film recording medium is disclosed having very high carrier-to-noise ratios and high rotation angles. A transmission electron microscope photomicrograph (at 200,000.times.) of one such medium is shown in FIG. 1. These are multi-phase amorphous materials having magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the plane of the thin film. They are produced in a triode vacuum sputtering process at vacuums in the range of 4.times.10.sup.-3 to 6.times.10.sup.-4 Torr. By adjusting process parameters such as substrate temperature, anode bias and deposition rate, the properties of the thin film can be altered.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium has a biaxially-oriented polyester film base which includes carbon black beads having a median diameter from 50 to 500 nm and is substantially free from beads or agglomerates more than 5 micrometers in diameter. The beads provide opacity such as is often required of the flexible recording disk of a diskette. The film base may be either a single layer, throughout which the beads are uniformly dispersed, or it may be multi-layer, e.g., a central layer containing the carbon black beads and two surface layers which are free from the beads.

Abstract: This invention relates to a non-intumescent, non-char forming, endothermic, essentially inorganic, flexible, fire-protective sheet material. The flexible sheet is made of a composition comprising:(a) an inorganic fiber, such as fiberglass and alumino-silicate refractory fibers;(b) an organic polymer binder, such as an acrylic resin; and(c) an inorganic endothermic filler, such as alumina trihydrate.The weight ratio of organic to inorganic constituents is less than about 0.10, and the weight ratio of inorganic endothermic filler of part (c) to inorganic fiber of part (a) is in the range of about 0.5 to 50. This sheet is a useful fire barrier wrap for conduits and cable trays in building construction, which provides excellent fire protection, and the current capacity derating of cables is significantly less with this new fibrous sheet than it is in the case of known fire barrier sheet materials.

Abstract: An improved lubricant system for magnetic recording media such as helical scan video tapes is disclosed. The resulting improved magnetic recording media comprise the usual flexible or rigid backing and a magnetizable layer on the backing, but the lubricant is comprised of an organic compound selected from the group consisting of isomeric carboxylic acids and isomeric alcohols (e.g. iso-stearic acid and iso-stearyl alcohol). A fatty acid ester may be included in the lubricant.A typical composition utilizes 0.5 parts by weight iso-stearic acid per 100 parts of magnetizable material (e.g., cobalt doped ferric oxide particles) and 1 part by weight of isopropyl palmitate per 100 parts of the magnetizable material. Video tapes lubricated with this new system, have shown improved electromagnetic output (e.g., higher signal-to-noise ratios). In addition, they are able to withstand the stop motion of a helical scan video head better than prior known lubricant systems.

Abstract: Organic coatings adhere better to polyester film base if the film base is first subjected to electron-beam irradiation while passing through an inert atmosphere such as nitrogen.

Abstract: The novel device prepares samples of loose particles such as roofing granules to present a level surface from which colorimeter measurements can be made. The particles to be measured overfill a dish, the lip of which has a bevel providing a knife edge at its inner diameter. A roller is rolled back and forth across the dish to push excess particles beyond the knife edge from which they fall through a grid on which the dish rests.

Abstract: Polymeric compositions are provided in which perfluoropolyethers have been solubilized in non-fluorinated solvents by combining them with a solubilizing agent such as azotic conjugated compounds, and phosphorylated compounds. Typical of the perfluoropolyethers is ##STR1## Typical of the solubilizing agents is phosphorylated methacryloyloxyhydroxypropylisophthalate. The perfluoropolyether and the solubilizing agent are mixed to form a paste which is soluble in organic solvents such as methylethylketone. These compositions find utility as protective lubricant coatings for thin film magnetic recording media. They have the advantage that only one coating step is required in order to apply both the phosphorylated compound and the lubricating polyether. Recording media lubricated with these compositions have demonstrated excellent wear characteristics.

Abstract: A multi-layer magneto optical thin film recording medium is disclosed having very high carrier-to-noise ratios (at least 47 decibels) and high rotation angles. A transmission electron microscope photomicrograph (at 200,000 X) of one such medium is shown in FIG. 1. The magneto optic layer is a multi-phase amorphous material having magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the plane of the thin film produced in a triode vacuum sputtering process at vacuums in the range of 4.times.10.sup.-3 to 6.times.10.sup.-4 Torr. Various transparent layers, such as dielectric intermediate and anti-reflective layers and a protective covering layer, are combined with the magneto optic layer and a reflective surface to yield media having enhanced carrier-to-noise ratio and magnetic optic angle of rotation.

Abstract: Solid, transparent, non-vitreous, ceramic particles useful as lens elements in retroreflective pavement markings characterized by having:A. at least one metal oxide phase; andB. an average minimum dimension of more than 125 micrometers.These particles are formed by various sol gel techniques, one example of which is the chemical gelation of titania sols by first mixing with glacial acetic acid, then with ammonium acetate, followed by formation of microspheres in 2-ethylhexanol. Microspheres of this ceramic composition can have relatively large diameters (e.g. over 200-1000 micrometers) making them quite useful as retroreflective lens elements in pavement marking sheet materials.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium has a biaxially-oriented polyester film base which includes carbon black beads having a median diameter from 50 to 500 nm and is substantially free from beads or agglomerates more than 5 micrometers in diameter. The beads provide opacity such as is often required of the flexible recording disk of a diskette. The film base may be either a single layer, throughout which the beads are uniformly dispersed, or it may be multi-layer, e.g., a central layer containing the carbon black beads and two surface layers which are free from the beads.

Abstract: The magnetizable layer of a magnetic recording medium which has a flexible polyester film base is better adhered to the film base and better resists abrasion if the film base is first subjected to electron-beam irradiation while passing through an inert atmosphere such as nitrogen.

Abstract: Described is a raised pavement marker comprised of (referring to FIG. 1): a flexible foam body 2, a reflective film 4, and a pressure-sensitive adhesive 3. Raised portion 5 provides back support for the reflective film. This pavement marker has significant advantages over existing markers in terms of cost and ease of placement on the road surface. A lane delineation tape is also disclosed.

Abstract: A silicone coating of a silicone release liner which has a polyester film base is better adhered to the film base and better resists removal when rubbed if the film base is first subjected to electron-beam irradiation while passing through an inert atmosphere such as nitrogen.