Abstract: The present invention provides an improved single component coating composition for automotive/marine repair which is useable as a body filler.

Abstract: A cell for the electrowinning of aluminium (50) from alumina dissolved in a molten electrolyte comprises a generally horizontal cell bottom (5), preferably aluminium-wettable, on which a pool of product aluminium (50) is collected from at least one electrically conductive cathodic element (10) having aluminium-wettable cathode surfaces (11). The cathodic element comprises an inclined cathodic wall (10) in the electrolyte (60) above the generally horizontal cell bottom (5). The cathodic wall (10) has an upwardly-oriented inclined face (11) that forms a sloping upper aluminium-wettable drained active cathode surface on which aluminium is produced and drains into the aluminium pool (50), and a downwardly-oriented inclined face (12) which is in contact with the molten electrolyte (60) and which overlies the aluminium pool (50). The aluminium pool (50) covers substantially the entire cell bottom (5) including underneath the cathodic wall (10).

Abstract: A slurry comprises suspended aluminum particles in a colloid having dispersed colloidal particles of a metal oxide such as a hydroxide. The metal oxide is reducible by metallic aluminum. The slurry has such a basic pH that dissolution of the aluminum particles in the slurry is inhibited so that when the slurry is subjected to a heat treatment, the undissolved aluminum particles are reactable with the colloidal particles to form an aluminum-based mixture resistant to chemical attack made of aluminum oxide, metal aluminum and the metal of the colloidal particles. The slurry can be used to form an aluminum-based protective coating on a component, in particular of an aluminum electrowinning cell or an apparatus for treating molten aluminum.

Abstract: An anode for the electrowinning of aluminium by the electrolysis of alumina in a molten fluoride electrolyte has an electrochemically active integral outside oxide layer obtainable by surface oxidation of a metal alloy which consists of 20 to 60 weight % nickel; 5 to 15 weight % copper; 1.5 to 5 weight % aluminium; 0 to 2 weight % in total of one or more rare earth metals, in particular yttrium; 0 to 2 weight % of further elements, in particular manganese, silicon and carbon; and the balance being iron. The metal alloy of the anode has a copper/nickel weight ratio in the range of 0.1 to 0.5, preferably 0.2 to 0.3.

Abstract: An anode of a cell for the electrowinning of aluminium comprises a nickel-iron alloy substrate having a nickel metal rich outer portion with an electrolyte pervious integral nickel-iron oxide containing surface layer which adheres to the nickel metal rich outer portion of the nickel-iron alloy and which in use is electrochemically active for the evolution of oxygen. The oxide surface layer has a thickness such that, during use, the voltage drop therethrough is below the potential of dissolution of nickel-iron oxide. The nickel metal rich outer portion may contain cavities some or all of which, after oxidation, are partly or completely filled with iron oxides to form iron oxide containing inclusions.

Abstract: An anode of a cell for the electrowinning of aluminium comprises a nickel-iron alloy substrate having an openly porous nickel metal rich outer portion whose surface is electrochemically active. The outer portion is optionally covered with an external integral nickel-iron oxide containing surface layer which adheres to the nickel metal rich outer portion of the nickel-iron alloy and which in use is pervious to molten electrolyte. During use, the nickel metal rich outer portion contains cavities some or all of which are partly or completely filled with iron and nickel compounds, in particular oxides, fluorides and oxyfluorides.

Abstract: A cell for the electrowinning of aluminium comprising one or more anodes (10), each having a metal-based anode substrate, for instance comprising a metal core (11) covered with an metal layer 12, an oxygen barrier layer (13), one or more intermediate layers (14, 14A, 14B) and an iron layer (15). The anode substrate is covered with an electrochemically active iron oxide-based outside layer (16), in particular a hematite-based layer, which remains dimensionally stable during operation in a cell by maintaining in the electrolyte a sufficient concentration of iron species. The cell operating temperature is sufficiently low so that the required concentration of iron species in the electrolyte (5) is limited by the reduced solubility of iron species in the electrolyte at the operating temperature, which consequently limits the contamination of the product aluminium by iron to an acceptable level.

Abstract: A drained-cathode cell for the electrowinning of aluminium comprises one or more anodes (14) suspended over one or more cathodes (16). The or each anode (14) and cathode (16) respectively have a sloped V-shaped active anode surface (22) and parallel sloped inverted V-shaped drained cathode surfaces (18) facing one another and spaced apart by two sloped inter-electrode gaps (20), arranged so the electrolyte circulates upwardly in the sloped inter-electrode gaps (20) assisted by anodically produced gas and then returns from a top part (22′) to a bottom part (22″) of each inter-electrode gap (20) along an electrolyte path (26,27,36,37).

Abstract: A refractory boride body or coating made of a boride of titanium, chromium, vanadium, ziconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum, molybednum and cerium is produced from a slurry of the refractory boride or a precursor in a collidal carrier preferably composed of two more different grades of the same colloidal carrier selected from colloidal alumina, yttria, ceria, thoria, zirconia, magnesia, lithia, monoaluminum phosphate and cerium acetate. The slurry can also comprise an organic additive selected from polyvinyl alcohol; polyacrylic acid; hydroxyy propyl methyl cellulose; polythylene glycol; ethylene glycol, butyl benzyl phthalate; ammonium polymethacrylate and mixtures thereof. The retractory boride body or coated body is useful as a component of aluminum electrowinning cells.

Abstract: A cell for the electrowinning of aluminum using anodes (10) made from a alloy of iron with nickel and/or cobalt is arranged to produce aluminum of low contamination and of commercial high grade quality. The cell comprises a cathode (20) of drained configuration and operates at reduced temperature without formation of a crust or ledge of solidified electrolyte. The cell is thermally insulated using an insulating cover (65,65a,65b,65c) and an insulating sidewall lining (71). The molten electrolyte (30) is substantially saturated with alumina, particularly on the electrochemically active anode surface, and with species of at least one major metal present at the surface of the nickel-iron alloy based anodes (10). The cell is preferably operated at reduced temperature from 730° to 910° C. to limit the solubility of these metal species and consequently the contamination of the product aluminum.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of sodium salts of statins, namely Compactin, Lovastatin and Pravastatin.

Abstract: A cell for the electrowinning of aluminium comprises a plurality of metal-based anodes facing and spaced part from an aluminium-wettable drained cathode surface on which aluminium is produced. The drained cathode surface is formed along the cell by upper surfaces of juxtaposed carbon cathode blocks, the cathode blocks extending across the cell. The drained cathode surface is divided into quadrants by a longitudinal aluminium collection groove along the cell and by a central aluminium collection reservoir across the cell. Pairs of quadrants across the cell are inclined in a V-shape relationship, the collection groove being located along the bottom of the V-shape and arranged to collect molten aluminium draining from the drained cathode surface and evacuate it into the aluminium collection reservoir during cell operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the derivatives of specially substituted azole compounds which have improved antifungal activity as compared to known compounds such as fluconazole and itraconazole and the processes for the preparation thereof. This invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds of the present invention and their use in treating and/or preventing fungal infections in mammals, preferably humans.

Abstract: A method of inhibiting dissolution of a transition metal alloy anode (40) of an aluminium electrowinning cell comprises providing a sodium-inert layer (11,20,50,50′) on a sodium-active cathodic cell material (15), such as carbon, and electrolysing alumina dissolved in a sodium ion-containing molten electrolyte (30). Aluminium ions rather than sodium ions are cathodically reduced on the sodium-inert layer to inhibit the presence in the molten electrolyte (30) of soluble cathodically-produced sodium metal that constitutes an agent for chemically reducing the anode's transition metal oxides and anodically evolved oxygen, thereby inhibiting reduction of the anode's transition metal oxides by sodium metal and maintaining the evolved oxygen at the anode at a concentration such as to produce at the alloy/oxide layer interface stable and coherent transition metal oxides having a high level of oxidation.

Abstract: Carbon-containing components of cells for the production of aluminium by the electrolysis of alumina dissolved in a cryolite-based molten electrolyte are protected from attack by liquid and/or gaseous components of the electrolyte in the form of elements, ions or compounds, by a refractory boride coating applied from a slurry composed of pre-formed particulate refractory boride in a colloidal carrier which is dried and heated to consolidate the coating.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to compounds and processes for synthesizing derivatives of 2-3-O-isopropylidene-&agr;-L-xylo-2-hexulofuranosonic acid. The compounds of this invention are useful, inter-alia, for the inhibition and prevention of cell adhesion and cell adhesion-mediated pathologies, including inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, allograft rejection and psoriasis. This invention also relates to pharmacological compositions containing derivatives of 2-3-O-isopropylidene-&agr;-L-xylo-2-hexulofuranosonic acid and the methods of treating such pathologies as listed above.

Abstract: A sustained release formulation of etodolac for once daily administration is described.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an anode for use in a cell for the electrowinning of aluminium comprises oxidising before cell operation an iron-nickel alloy substrate in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, such as air, at a temperature which is at least 50° C., preferably 100° C., above the operating temperature of the cell to form on the surface of the iron-nickel substrate a coherent and adherent iron oxide-containing outer layer, in particular a hematite-containing layer having a limited ionic conductivity for oxygen ions and acting as a partial barrier to monoatomic oxygen. The outer layer is electrochemically active for the oxidation of oxygen ions and reduces also diffusion of oxygen to the iron-nickel alloy substrate when the anode is in use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel methyl analog of simvastatin, which has the ability to inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol. The compound of the present invention holds promise for the treatment and prophylaxis of hypercholesterolemia and of various cardiac disorders. The invention also relates to a process for making the novel compound.

Abstract: A cell for the electrowinning of aluminium comprises at least one non-carbon metal-based anode (10) having an electrically conductive metallic structure (12, 13, 15) which is suspended substantially parallel to a facing cathode (20, 21, 22). Such metallic structure (12, 13, 15) comprises a series of parallel horizontal anode members (15), each having an electrochemically active surface (16) on which during electrolysis oxygen is anodically evolved. The electrochemically active surfaces (16) are in a generally coplanar arrangement to form the active anode surface. The anode members are spaced apart from one another by inter-member gaps forming flow-through openings (17) for the circulation of electrolyte (30) driven by the escape of anodically-evolved oxygen. The electrolyte (30) may circulate upwardly and/or downwardly in the flow-through openings (17) and possibly around the anode structure (12, 13, 15).