Abstract: The rate of separation of insoluble material from an acid-leached uranium slurry is improved by adding a flocculating agent that is a combination of polyacrylamide and a copolymer of acrylamide with 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulphonic acid or a water soluble salt thereof with acrylamide.

Abstract: A high solids, pumpable stable dispersion of substantially anhydrous water soluble or swellable polymer particles contains at least 70% by weight polymer and contains 1 part by weight fine polymer particles below 10 microns in size and 0.1 to 7 parts by weight coarse polymer particles having a size of 10 to 300 microns with substantially no particles above 300 microns.

Abstract: An exothermic gel polymerization process conducted in the presence of water is initiated at a low temperature, is held for most of the process at a higher temperature by including in the medium a particulate heat sink material, such as sodium sulphate decahydrate, that is substantially insoluble in the medium and which undergoes an endothermic phase change and is then allowed to rise to a higher temperature. Either as a result of the endothermic change, or as a result of a subsequent exothermic change, at the end of the process the heat sink material is again solid particulate material substantially insoluble in the medium and so the product is a dispersion of the material in a polymer gel. The polymer is water soluble.

Abstract: A fluid dispensing device features a hand held tool having at least three fluid supporting prongs. The prongs are arranged in pyramidal fashion to form a fluid containing cradle at the apex. An exact amount of fluid is held in the cradle by surface tension forces. When the prongs are flexed, the surface tension forces are disrupted causing a discharge of the fluid to an exact area of a body surface.

Abstract: Inorganic fillers such as silica balloons are used as a lightweight filler for resin moldings. But the specific gravity of these inorganic fillers is about 0.2 at most, so that there is a limit to reduction in weight. The foamed product of organic polymers is obtained as a lightweight substance, but it is hardly put to practical use because of its poor solvent resistance and thermal resistance.The microballoon of the present invention is produced by coating the surface of a hollow particle having the wall film of a thermoplastic high polymer with a thermosetting resin.The present invention provides a microballoon having excellent solvent resistance and thermal resistance as well as a very low specific gravity, and said microballoon is useful as a lightweight filler for resin moldings, aggregate for FRP, ingredient for paints, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a base cloth for reinforcement produced by winding a weldable yarn on either one of a warp or weft or the both at a definite interval, arranging the warp and weft in the respective directions and then thermally welding the both yarns. According to this method, the fraying of warp or weft, particularly easy fluffing of carbon fibers, etc. can be prevented by winding the weldable yarn. And, it is sufficient for the weldable yarn to be present at the intersections between the warp and weft. Consequently, as compared with a case wherein the whole weft is impregnated with adhesives, penetration of the matrix resin can sufficiently be attained and thus, strength in the weft direction can be improved.

Abstract: A container, which is flat in its empty condition, of plastic, rubber or another flexible material, especially for the collection of urine and/or faeces. The container comprises two outer walls (2) joined together in a surrounding seam (6), an inlet (54) and, if desired, an outlet (58). The inlet is provided with a non-return valve formed by enveloping a tube end (76) in two intermediate layers having the same extent as the outer walls (2) in the width direction of the container, the intermediate layers having free edges (80) spaced from the mouth (78) of the tube. The intermediate layers lie closely against each other in an area (56) situated between the edges (80) and the mouth (78) and delimited laterally by seams (72,74) joining the intermediate layers.

Abstract: A method of enhancing a fungus-lytic activity of .beta.-1,3-D-glucanase which comprises using said glucanase in the presence of one or more of the activators selected from the group consisting of sodium lauroylsarcosinate, polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ether, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylenealkyl ether, benzalkonium chloride, ammonium chloride, chlorhexidine glucuronate, methylparaben, propylparaben, trypsin, Pronase.RTM. and Alcalase.RTM..A method of enhancing a fungus-lytic activity of .beta.-1,3-D-glucanase which comprises using two .beta.-1,3-D-glucanases of different origins is also provided.

Abstract: Polysaccharide is provided as a fluid composition that is a dispersion of the polysaccharide in oil and that contains a dispersion promoter selected from surfactants and stabilizers. The dispersion is generally a stable flocculated dispersion. It is generally made by dispersing an aqueous polysaccharide solution having a consistency index of about 20,000 cps in oil in the presence of dispersion promoter and then drying the dispersion. The oil generally comprises volatile and non-volatile components such that the drying can be by azeotroping. The dispersion promoters are generally selected from amphiphatic copolymers and surfactants having HLB at 20.degree. C. above 6.5 but which serve as water in oil dispersing agents during the formation of the dispersion. Aqueous solutions of the polysaccharide can be made by dispersing the fluid composition in water. These aqueous solutions are of particular value in methods of enhanced oil recovery.

Abstract: A plastic mold assembly comprising a male and female section for casting soft contact lenses from a polymerizable feed material wherein compensation for polymerization shrinkage is attained and disengagement of the male and female mold sections is facilitated by providing one flexible and one rigid mold section. Good optical properties of the mold surfaces are obtained by forming the mold sections entirely from a thermoplastic material such as polystyrene that will not crystallize when cooled from a melt. In one embodiment a plurality of flexible male sections having convex molding surfaces and a plurality of rigid female sections having concave molding surfaces are supported on frames to attain an increased production rate of finished soft contact lenses.

Abstract: Substantially non-ionic polyacrylamide cross linked with a low amount of cross linking agent is used as an additive for a plant growth medium.

Abstract: A substantially anhydrous mixture of methanol with an organic compound with which it forms an azeotrope can be separated by dissolving into the mixture lithium chloride or other suitable salt that forms a complex with methanol so as to form a homogeneous mixture, adding an organic solvent that is miscible with the organic compound but immiscible with the complex and thereby forming a heterogeneous mixture, and separating the phases. The methanol can be recovered from one phase and the organic compound from the other. The organic compound may typically be methyl acrylate or methacrylate, the blend being, for instance, obtainable during the transesterification of methyl (meth)acrylate with an alcohol to form a higher boiling ester such as dimethylaminoethyl (meth)acrylate or 2-ethylhexyl acrylate.

Abstract: Pigment dispersions contain, as dispersing agent novel water soluble polymers containing acid groups, preferably polyacrylic acid or copolymers of polyacrylic acid with AMPS, having polydispersity below 1.5 and molecular weight in the range about 1,000 to about 5,000.

Abstract: A water soluble polymer containing acid groups can be fractionated into higher and lower molecular weight fractions by partial neutralization of the polymer as a solution in a blend of water and a low molecular weight alcohol and separating the resultant aqueous and organic phases.

Abstract: A thickening agent that is particularly suitable for alkaline print pastes is a water insoluble, water swellable or water swollen polymer made by reverse phase polymerization of a blend of water soluble, copolymerizable monomers in which the monomers comprise at least one ethylenically unsaturated acid having free acid groups, at least one ethylenically unsaturated acid having salt groups selected from ammonium, amine and alkali metal and at least one ethylenically unsaturated cross-linking agent, the molar proportions of the said free acid groups to the said salt groups during the polymerization being from 80:20 to 10:90.

Abstract: Aqueous alkali metal silicate solutions are made by dissolving an alkali silica powder that includes insoluble impurities and putting the impurities into stable suspension with a suspending agent such as a cellulose derivative. When used as a foundry binder the solutions give improved early strength and improved breakdown properties.

Abstract: Compounds of formula ##STR1## where Az is 1-imidazolyl or 1-(1,2,4-triazolyl); R.sup.1 is aryl or optionally substituted alkyl; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3, which may be the same or different, are hydrogen or alkyl or, together with the carbon to which they are attached, form a 5 to 7 membered ring which may contain one or more oxygen atoms and which may be substituted, or when Az is 1-(1,2,4-triazolyl) can together with the carbon to which they attached form a carbonyl group; R.sup.4 is aryl, substituted alkyl or aryloxy, or when R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 form an oxygen containing ring, can be hydrogen or unsubstituted alkyl; and n is 0, 1 or 2; together with acid addition salts, quaternary ammonium salts and complexes of these compounds with metal salts have fungicidal and plant growth regulant activity.

Abstract: A vinyl ester of the formula R.sup.3 COOR.sup.4 where R.sup.3 is CH.sub.2 .dbd.CH-- or CH.sub.2 .dbd.C.CH.sub.3 -- and R.sup.4 contains at least four carbon atoms and is selected from alkyl, cycloalkyl and aminoalkyl is conducted by reaction of an ester R.sup.3 COOR.sup.1, where R.sup.1 is C.sub.1-3 alkyl, with metal alcoholate formed from an alcohol R.sup.4 OH and titanium, aluminum, zirconium, calcium or magnesium in the absence of water or reactive alcohol.

Abstract: A nitrile, such as acrylonitrile, is hydrated to the corresponding amide in the presence of a Raney copper catalyst that, before use in the reaction, is partially oxidized by contact with a controlled oxidizing system comprising oxygen, peroxide, iodate, chlorate, bromate or nitrate.