Abstract: An improved process for making sheet from a fibrous furnish includes: depositing the furnish on a foraminous support; compactively dewatering the furnish to form a nascent web; drying the web on a heated cylinder; creping the web therefrom and throughdrying the web to a finished product. The microstructure of the web is controlled so as to facilitate throughdrying. The product exhibits a characteristic throughdrying coefficient of from 4 to 10 when the airflow through the sheet is characterized by a Reynolds Number of less than about 1. The novel products of the invention are characterized by wet springback ratio, hydraulic diameter and an internal bond strength parameter.

Abstract: A myocyte culture pacing apparatus operating in conjunction with a standard culture dish that permits long term maintenance of cultured myocyte cells over a period of several weeks The device includes a base unit for receiving the culture dish, and an electrode unit for placement atop the culture dish which can receive the cover of the culture dish. The electrode unit has a first and a second planar conductive electrodes extending into each well of the culture dish. The electrodes are planar and extend across the width of the well and are connected to electrical connector for connection to an external electronic unit, which supplies the a variety of electrical pulse regimes to pace the myocyte cultures. The electronic unit permits the type, frequency, duration, voltage and the current of the pulses to be varied in accordance with the desired pacing regime.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a coating composition for a recording medium useful in ink jet printing of photographic images to provide a high gloss finish. The coating composition for an ink jet recording medium comprises colloidal silica and a synthetic resin emulsion having two or more glass transition points. The synthetic resin emulsion is obtained by emulsion-polymerizing, simultaneously or separately, (A) a radical-polymerizable unsaturated monomer having a silyl group and (B) another radical-polymerizable unsaturated monomer which is copolymerizable unsaturated monomer which is copolymerizable with (A), in the presence of a radical polymerizable surfactant.

Abstract: A process for converting at least one triglyceride feedstock to at least one fatty-acid methyl ester product is disclosed. The process includes a continuous, plug-flow environment with a single-pass residence time as low as about 10 seconds, and a conversion of at least 70 percent.

Abstract: Barrier coating mixtures include (a) a mixture of pre-vulcanized and non-vulcanized elastomeric polymers; (b) an acid or base treated dispersed, substantially exfoliated silicate filler material that has not been functionalized with organic cations having an aspect ratio greater than 25; and (c) at least one additive, wherein the total solids content is less than 30% and the amount of filler is between 5% to about 60% of the total solids content. The coating retains its permeability properties under strain and has a strain to first damage of at least 10% biaxial elongation at 0% RH. Coated articles, free standing films and membranes, which are flexible and elastomeric, are produced using the barrier coating mixtures. Methods of manufacturing of such coated products are also encompassed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sizing composition for use on glass fibers which are used to reinforce plastic resins used in the formation of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs). The sizing composition comprises a copolymer formed from at least one functional monomer that is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, phenyl and alkoxylated functional groups. The glass fibers sized with the sizing composition of the invention have excellent computability with resins used in forming FRPs, as seen by a low level of white glass.

Abstract: Barrier coating mixtures include (a) a non-butyl elastomeric polymer; (b) an acid or base treated dispersed, substantially exfoliated silicate filler material that has not been functionalized with organic cations having an aspect ratio greater than 25; and (c) at least one additive, wherein the total solids content is less than 30% and the amount of filler is between 5% to about 60% of the total solids content. The coating retains its permeability properties under strain and has a strain to first damage of at least 5% biaxial elongation at 0% RH.

Abstract: A method of processing papermaking fiber includes characterizing the initial color of the pulp and the color of the pulp after treatment with a phloroglucinol stain. The color response of the pulp to the stain has been found to be a better indicator of processing needs for secondary pulps in particular and in any event is selective for untreated groundwood as opposed to conventional groundwood identification methods. The color difference is used to target a suitable product for the pulp, to aid in bleaching/deinking strategy or to enable optimization of fiber blending for particular products. In a preferred embodiment the process includes determining changes in CIE L*, a*, b* and brightness values before and after staining of the pulp.

Abstract: A hybrid method for processing papermaking fibers to remove high density stickies typically includes utilizing a multistage array of forward cleaners coupled with a flotation cell which increases overall efficiency of the system. In a preferred embodiment, a first rejects aqueous stream from a first stage bank of centrifugal cleaners is treated in a flotation cell before being fed to a second stage bank of centrifugal cleaners. With the improved technique, the accepts from the first stage bank of centrifugal cleaners may be combined with the accepts from the second stage bank of centrifugal cleaners and fed forward to a thickening device, for example. The technique is also suitably employed for removing stickies from material which has already been screened with a fine screen.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for using computerized molecular interaction modeling to predict the adhesive interactions between a substrate and a polymer. The molecular modeling method may be used to predict and select optimal adhesion promoting monomers for use in latex polymer coatings, providing the best wet adhesion to alkyd-coated substrates. The molecular modeling method could also predict substrate polymer pairs having the least affinity, and thus the most useful as a release liner.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a fibrous substrate made of chemically bonded fibers, where the fibers are bound with a polymeric binder in an amount which is sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web, and where the binder is characterized as having a wet tensile strength of greater than 4500 grams per inch (g/in) when measured at a 20 percent add-on on Whatman #4 CHR chromatography paper which is drum dried for 90 seconds at 210 to 215° F. and cured for 2 minutes at 300 to 325° F. Preferably the level of free formaldehyde in the fibrous substrate is less than 15 ppm. The emulsion binders of the invention may be used to bind fibers together in a substrate; may be used to bind pigment, colors or other substances to a substrate; may be used as a backing material; or may be used to finish or surface-treat a substrate.

Abstract: A batch process for co-producing anhydrous hydrogen bromide and a purified bisulfate salt comprising: (a) charging a batch reactor with a bromide salt slurry, wherein the slurry is more than 50% by weight bromide salt; (b) reacting the slurry with sulfuric acid in a batch reaction wherein bromide salt is consumed to produce crude aqueous hydrogen bromide and crude bisulfate salt, the crude bisulfate salt containing bromine; (c) prior to or concurrently with step (b) adding hydrogen bromide to the reactor; (d) purifying the crude hydrogen bromide to produce anhydrous hydrogen bromide; and (e) removing bromine from the crude bisulfate salt to form a purified bisulfate salt.

Abstract: A process for co-producing anhydrous hydrogen bromide and a purified bisulfate salt by (a) reacting a bromide salt with sulfuric acid to produce crude hydrogen bromide and crude bisulfate salt; (b) purifying the crude hydrogen bromide to produce anhydrous hydrogen bromide; and (c) removing bromide from the crude bisulfate salt to form a purified bisulfate salt. There are also provided improvements in the bisulfate purification and bromine removal, whereby bromine is removed from the system by a distillation process and the bromide is removed from the crude bisulfate via a spray drying process.

Abstract: A method of embossing an absorbent web with a machine direction undulatory structure is described. The web has a plurality of ridges extending in its machine direction occurring at a frequency, F, across the web and the method includes providing the web to an embossing station where the web is embossed between a first and second embossing roll, each of which rolls may be provided with a plurality of embossing elements configured to define a plurality of embossing nips. At least a portion of the embossing nips are substantially oriented in a cross-machine direction with respect to the web and have a cross direction length, L. The product F×L is from about 0.1 to about 5.

Abstract: A molding composition exhibiting bleach resistance includes a polyoxymethylene matrix polymer, from about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent of a bleach stabilizer selected from alkali metal or alkaline earth element carbonates or phosphates and mixtures thereof dispersed in the matrix resin. A bleach co-stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of: (a) a poly(alkoxy) stabilizer; (b) a zinc oxide stabilizer; (c) a color stabilizer consisting of a mixture of calcium citrate and calcium propionate, wherein the calcium citrate is the predominant component of the color stabilizer mixture; or (d) mixtures of two or more of (a), (b) and (c). The compositions exhibit a bleach resistance index of at least 2.0.

Abstract: A process for making absorbent sheet material from recycle furnish includes treatment with a synergistic debonder composition. The debonder is capable of reducing tensile strength by 40 percent or more by way of a quaternary ammonium surfactant component and a nonionic surfactant component.

Abstract: An auto-start dispensing container for sheet products includes a sealing member secured to a first sheet to be dispensed from the container. In a preferred embodiment, there is provided an auto-start dispenser for dispensing moistened inter-folded wipes which includes: (a) a container provided with a dispensing aperture for receiving a plurality of moist wipes; (b) a removable sealing member affixed to said container to seal the aperture wherein the sealing member and the container form an enclosure adapted to retain moisture; and (c) a lead sheet engaged with the plurality of moist wipes and secured to said removable sealing member, the removable sealing member and the lead sheet being adapted to draw a moist wipe partially through the aperture upon removal of the sealing member from the container. Preferably, the lead sheet is affixed to the removable sealing member by way of a hot-melt adhesive.

Abstract: A cycloolefin copolymer resin having a Hunter b color value of less than 1.0, which resin comprises: (a) a first cycloolefin copolymer having a glass transition temperature of from about 100° C. to about 220° C. and an intrinsic viscosity of from about 5 to about 1000 ml/g as measured in decalin at 135° C., (b) up to about 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the resin, of a second cycloolefin copolymer, said second copolymer having a glass transition temperature of greater than about 50° C. and an intrinsic viscosity of from about 1 to about 500 ml/g as measured in decalin at 135° C., and (c) from about 0.01% to about 3%, based on the total weight of the resin, of at least one lubricant selected from the group consisting of fatty acid esters of aliphatic polyhydric alcohols, with the proviso that the glass temperature of the second cycloolefin copolymer is at least 25° C.

Abstract: A pressing apparatus for producing a food service paperboard container from a paperboard blank so that the paperboard container possesses an overturned rim provided with folds includes a first die and a second die that are movable relative to one another. The first die includes a first base and a first platform that is movable with respect to the first base, with the first base having a curved surface for engaging the outer periphery of the paperboard blank. The second die is positioned in opposing relation to the first die and includes a second base and a second platform that is movable with respect to the second base. The second die is movable with respect to the first die and the second base has a curved surface for engaging the outer periphery of the paperboard blank so that the outer periphery of the paperboard blank is pressed between the curved surface of the first base and the curved surface of the second base.