Abstract: A process for methylating the N.sup.4 atom of a polysubstituted piperazine or piperazin-2-one ("PSP") is effective despite using a much smaller molar excess of formaldehyde and formic acid than dictated by a conventional Eschweiler-Clarke reaction. Particularly in a complex amine in which the PSP substituent is connected to a triazine ring which in turn may be connected to a N atom of an acyclic polyamine, the molar ratio of NH groups:HCHO:HCOOH is in the range from about 1:1:1 to 1:1.5:1.5, the amount of HCHO and HCOOH being sufficient to methylate at least the >NH groups of said PSP substituent if the complex amine contains terminal --NH groups. The same range of molar ratio is maintained when the total number of NH groups to be methylated includes the terminal --NH groups. The effectiveness of the process is attributed to use of an alkylbenzene solvent in which reaction with only a slight excess of HCHO and HCOOH proceeds apace, and in which solvent the methylated product remains dissolved.

Abstract: A circuit for determining the duty cycle of a control signal includes an oscillator that operates at a frequency that is a predetermined multiple of ten higher than the frequency of the control signal. The oscillator output is connected to the count input of a digital counter, and the control signal is connected to a count inhibit input of the counter. Thus, the counter only counts the oscillator output pulses during the active interval of each cycle of the control signal. Timer means are provided to generate a store trigger signal at the end of a predetermined number of control signal cycles. The store command causes the counter to store and visually display the total count of oscillator pulses detected during the active interval of each cycle. Thus, the count total corresponds to the duty cycle of the control signal. A reset timer is provided to initialize the counter after a predetermined delay from the time that the count total was stored.

Abstract: Poylmers prepared from vinylidene fluoride having controlled molecular weights and sulfate end groups are described. The sulfate end group can be displaced with acrylic-type acids to produce the corresponding acrylate terminated poly(vinylidene fluoride) macromolecular monomers. These macromers can be copolymerized with acrylates that give rubbery homopolymers to form thermoplastic elastomers.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing wax microspheres from molten wax. Hot water or other motive liquid in which molten wax is immiscible, is flowed under pressure through an orifice zone into which the molten wax is drawn to form a dispersion of molten wax. The dispersion is discharged into a liquid in which the wax is also immiscible, so that the wax solidifies. The liquid is maintained at a controlled temperature below the melting point of the wax. Essentially spherical wax microspheres are formed in the size range from 1.mu. to about 350.mu. in a two-tier weight distribution. A mass of these wax microspheres are recovered from the surface of the liquid, and dried to yield a mass of free-flowing individual wax microspheres which are used to produce a sintered porous body having a void fraction in the range from about 0.1 to 0.5.

Abstract: Oxidation of fully dense rare earth magnets is reduced when a passivating agent such as an oxidation resistant composition or corrosion inhibitor or combinations thereof, is coated thereon. The oxidation resistant composition is a binary or a ternary composition made from (a) at least one amino containing silane compound such as an aminosilane or a polyaminosilane, or (b) at least one epoxy resin, or (c) an epoxy silane compound, or all three such compounds. The oxidation resistant composition, the corrosion inhibitor, or combinations thereof, passivate the surface of the fully dense rare earth magnets and generally form a highly concentrated coating on the surface thereof. Antidegradants are optionally utilized to improve the performance of the fully dense rare earth magnets with regard to improved oxidation resistant properties and generally include organic phosphorus compounds and/or alcohols.

Abstract: A unique two-step process is disclosed for the surprisingly high rate of amidation of vinyl chloride (VCl) with carbon monoxide and certain amines catalyzed by an effective amount of monodentate tertiary phosphonium complexes of Pd(0). The rate is orders of magnitude faster than that of other monochloroalkenes. When compared with the three chloropropenes, the simplest alkyl-substituted derivatives of VCl, rates differ by a factor of about 40 to 70 with ammonia as the amine. The reaction product with VCl is mainly the Michael adduct of the amine with the acrylamide produced. However, the chloroprenes give the propenamides with retention of configuration in the case of cis- and trans-1-chloropropene, and no adduct formation. The formation of this adduct has an important influence on catalyst stability since it can compete with the addition of the tertiary-phosphonium ligand from the catalyst complex.

Abstract: A thermoplastic elastomer polyurethane is made having improved properties such as flexural modulus, flexural strength, and improved melt processability. An unaged polyurethane containing free isocyanate groups is made in situ in a high shear blending apparatus. The unaged polyurethane is typically transferred to another high shear blending apparatus and blended with either an unmodified polyolefin and/or a carbonyl modified polyolefin along with optional but desirable fibers to produce a thermoplastic elastomer polyurethane composition.

Abstract: Novel polysiloxane-silazane preceramic polymer compositions are prepared by the controlled hydrolysis polymerization of a trimer or tetramer of a monomer of the structure ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are independently alkyl groups containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R.sup.a, R.sup.b, R.sup.c, and R.sup.d are independently alkenyl or alkyl groups containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms with the proviso that at least one of R.sup.a, R.sup.b, R.sup.c, or R.sup.d group is an alkenyl group. The polysiloxane-silazane polymers are cured by heat and optionally free radical initiators such as various peroxides. The cured preceramic polymers so formed can be u sed in the pyrolyzed or non-pyrolyzed state as adhesives, coatings, binders, fibers, matrix resins, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the re-utilization of silicone scrap material. More specifically, the process of the present invention is directed to dissolving silicone scrap in an appropriate solvent and chemically converting the scrap into dimethyl silicone cyclic trimer, tetramer, pentamer and/or the like by means of a two step acid/base catalyzed cracking process.

Abstract: Disclosed are polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride type compositions using a titanium dioxide based whitening/opacifying package containing up to about 30 percent by weight of an aluminosilicate composition. In the whitening/opacifying package the aluminosilicate composition acts as a replacement for the same amount by weight of titanium dioxide. The whitening/opacifying package achieves a measure of overall appearance (DE* value), a Yellowness Index, and a percentage of light transmitted (opacity) which are substantially comparable or superior to those achieved by the same weight of pure titanium dioxide.

Abstract: A copolymer of an olefinically unsaturated monomer and an allylically headed macromolecular monomer ("macromer") of a ring-openable cyclic ether ("CE") is prepared as a comb-shaped graft copolymer of macromer. A wide variety of olefinically unsaturated monomers may be used to form the copolymer. The macromer, having an allylic group near one end and a hydroxyl group at the other, is first produced by cationic ring-opening polymerization of the CE in conjunction with an unsaturated alcohol (propagator) having an allyl double bond. The polymerization to form the graft copolymer proceeds either by free radical polymerization or by metathesis polymerization. The graft copolymer of macromer has a hydrocarbon backbone and pendant chains of polymerized CE, each pendant chain terminating with an OH group.

Abstract: A process for curing a polymeric article formed from a fiber material inpregnated with uncured phenolics, unsaturated polyesters, epoxides, or silicones. The process involves placing the uncured article into a non-gas tight pressure chamber, packing the chamber with lubricated beads, and heating the article under pressure. Additionally, fiber-reinforced thermoplastics may be heat shaped in the presence or absence of a mold.

Abstract: The hydrolytic polycondensation of a monomer of ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are independently alkyl groups containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R.sup.a, R.sup.b, R.sup.c, and R.sup.d are independently alkenyl or alkyl groups containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms with the proviso that at least one of R.sup.a, R.sup.b, R.sup.c, or R.sup.d group is an alkenyl group; can be carried out directly in the presence of a phenolic resin. This in situ polymerization reaction results in the formation of a new family of polysilazoxane-modified phenolic resins. Modified phenolic resins may also be prepared by the controlled hydrolysis of the above monomers in the presence of initiators. The polysilazoxane so formed is blended into a phenolic resin. The organic soluble thermosetting resins exhibit synergistic char yields of 63 to 80 wt. % (1500.degree. C./N.sub.2).

Abstract: A simple construction of a two-component adhesive film, external wound dressing, comprises a backing sheet of thin, preferably elastomeric and water vapor-permeable film protected by a release layer comprising two release sheets. The sheets not only protect the adhesive coating on the front face of the film, but also are instrumental in allowing the film to be precisely positioned over a wound, then gradually tensioned with a force no greater than the peel strength for the release sheets, while the dressing is applied. This feature of the dressing allows it to be smoothly applied over the wound with a predetermined amount of force while conforming the film to the contours of an injured body. This features is the result of providing each first and second release sheets with a relatively wide margin, at least 1.25 cm (0.5 inch) wide. The peel strength for each release sheet is essentially identical.

Abstract: A flexible magnetic blend composition is provided which is comprised of high energy rare earth magnetic particles in a flexible high temperature resistant and oil resistant polymer binder. The binder system preferably comprises a highly saturated nitrile rubber (HSN) or a polymer alloy of the same in which a HSN is the major polymer and also contains additives which are compatible with processing, subsequent electron beam curing, and final product performance. The binder system is high loaded, usually from about 50 to about 70 volume percent, with the high energy rare earth magnetic particles, which can produce bonded magnets with a maximum energy product of at least 2.5 megagauss-oersteds, a remenance, B.sub.r of at least 3400 gauss, a coercive force, Hc, of at least 2900 oersteds and an intrinsic coercivity, Hci, of at least 5000 oersteds.

Abstract: The operation of a fluid-bed reactor in which the catalyst has a proclivity to stickiness deleterious to efficiently carrying out a reaction of the gaseous components fed to the reactor, is controlled by monitoring the fluctuations in temperature at various locations in the bed, and computing the standard deviation of temperature at predetermined intervals of time. When the fluid-bed consists essentially of a supported catalyst performing at peak efficiency, near which it has a proclivity to "stickiness", slight fluctuations, less than 1.degree. F., of operating temperature are correlatable to the quality of fluidization and the risk of an uncontrollable upset in the reactor.

Abstract: The partially fluorinated alkene 4,4,4-trifluoro-2-methyl-1-butene is produced by the selective dehydrochlorination of 3-chloro-1,1,1-trifluoro-3-methylbutane in the presence of a suitable base at elevated temperatures. The alkene is converted to 1,2-epoxy-4,4,4-trifluoro-2-methylbutane which is polymerizable in the presence of an aluminum coordination catalyst. A copolymer can be made with epichlorohydrin.

Abstract: The difficulty of methylating a hindered piperidinyl, piperazinyl, or diazepinyl group with an Eschweiler-Clarke ("E-C") procedure without using a large molar excess (more than double) of formaldehyde is surprisingly found to be non-existent in the case of a diazacycloalkan-2-one group with a hindered N.sup.4 - or N.sup.5 -atom of its NH group which is to be methylated. The N.sup.4 - or N.sup.5 -atom of a polysubstituted diazacycloalkan-2-one group ("DCA") is substantially stoichiometrically converted even when a conventional E-C procedure is starved of HCHO, that is, with a much smaller molar excess of formaldehyde than deemed necessary. The effective molar ratio of NH groups: HCHO in the starved E-C process is in the range from 1:1 to 1:1.5, in the presence of enough formic acid to function both as reactant and solvent not only for a DCA-containing complex amine ("starting amine") to be methylated, but also for the methylated amine (product).

Abstract: Fibers are conveniently coated with a uniformly thin and continuous elastomeric coating by contacting the fibers with a (1) a water-dispersed reactive polymer, (2) epoxy resin, and (3) curing agent; and wherein said water-dispersed reactive polymer is a composition comprising. (a) a lower molecular weight reactive polymer, (b) a select solvent, (c) a dispersing agent, and (d) water. The elastomeric films have a Tg value of about 0.degree. C. or below. The elastomer coated fibers are useful as strengtheners and impact modifiers for brittle materials such as epoxy resins.

Abstract: Polymeric blends of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers and crystalline or predominately crystalline polyolefin thermoplastics are produced by high shear mixing of melts of the respective polymers. The stabilized mechanically compatible blend of the ordinarily thermodynamically incompatible polymers comprises from about 3.5 to 20 parts by weight of a polyolefin homopolymer or copolymer with 100 parts by weight of polyurethane. The mechanically compatible polymeric blend is particularly useful for molding plastic articles by injection molding, extrusion, calendering or similar process for molding thermoplastic articles.