Abstract: Range-dyed fabrics that possess excellent hand characteristics and simultaneously exhibit substantially nondirectional appearances are provided. Such a combination permits the production and utilization of an extremely comfortable apparel fabric that can be attached to any other similar type of fabric to form a target apparel article without the time-consuming need to align such component fabrics to ensure an overall aesthetic appearance is met for the target apparel article. In general, such a fabric is produced through the initial immobilization of individual fibers within target fabrics and subsequent treatment through abrasion, sanding, or sueding of at least a portion of the target fabric. Such a procedure produces a fabric of short pile height and desirable hand. Upon range-dyeing the target fabric exhibits the extra benefit of nondirectional surface characteristics.

Abstract: Plastic additives which are useful as nucleating agents and which are especially useful for improving the optical properties of polymeric materials are provided. More particularly, this invention relates to certain alkyl (or alkoxy) substituted fluoro-benzylidene sorbitol acetals and polymer compositions thereof which may be utilized within, as merely examples, food or cosmetic containers and packaging. These inventive fluorinated and alkylated benzylidene sorbitol acetals are also useful as gelling agents for water and organic solvents, particularly those used in the preparation of antiperspirant gel sticks.

Abstract: Specific fabric articles exhibiting very low air and/or gas permeability (even upon application of high inflation pressures) and very high tear strengths are herein disclosed and claimed. Such a specific fabric also permits the incorporation of discrete openings (through cutting, for example) through which air and/or gas introduced by an airbag inflation canister will travel. Such a specific fabric acts as a barrier to the complete introduction of high pressure inflation gases into an airbag cushion, thereby permitting a more controlled, safer inflation upon the occurrence of a collision event. Thus, the specific inventive fabric permits movement of inflation gas and/or air substantially solely through the openings within the fabric and not through the interstices between the individual fiber constituents.

Abstract: The present invention relates to specific methods of producing cleated rubber-backed floor mats (such as dust control or rubber mats) through the utilization of the combination of a perforated coated woven fabric article and a cushioned platen liner between the article and the metal platen of an in-line dust control mat manufacturing machine. Such a procedure permits a more efficient manner of producing cleated anti-creep dust control mats than previously followed. The produced mat as well as the woven fabric article/cushioned platen liner combination are also encompassed within this invention.

Abstract: A novel colorant compound is provided which is the addition product of an organic chromophore having at least one reactive hydroxyl or amine substituent, a mono or polyisocyanate, and/or an alcohol. In addition, colorants that provide the same toning characteristics for black offset ink compositions as this novel colorant are provided. Such a compound provides solubility in oil-based ink compositions, complete water resistance and excellent oil based ink compositions. Furthermore, such colorants provide an easy and efficient way to tone shades of oil based inks. In addition, such colorants provide a way to tone carbon black based lithographic inks that gives these inks a appearance of jet black on various types of printing substrates. A method for producing such a colorant is also provided, as well as offset ink compositions comprising such a colorant (including other colorants that provide the same toner performance within black pigment formulations).

Abstract: A new and useful nonaqueous liquid pigment dispersion is provided which is easy to handle and produces thorough and effective colorations within target media, particularly as compared to standard solid pigments or high-viscosity liquid pigment dispersions. More specifically, the present invention relates to liquid pigment dispersions possessing viscosities of at most 5,000 centipoise at standard temperature and pressure. Such a low viscosity is obtained through the addition of relatively low amounts of aprotic viscosity modifiers possessing dipole moments of at between about 1.0 and 5.0, alternatively measured in terms of a flash point between about −20° C. and 180°, such as, most preferably cyclic carbonates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of producing syndiotactic polypropylene articles through high performance nucleation via the presence of certain novel nucleating agents within molten syndiotactic resins, and subsequently permitting the resultant molten mixture to cool into a selected shape or configuration. Such novel nucleating agents are new classes of hyper-nucleators that promote crystallization within such target syndiotactic resins at levels well above any previously disclosed nucleators. This invention thus also encompasses the articles and compositions of such nucleated syndiotactic polypropylene as well.

Abstract: Coated inflatable fabrics, more particularly airbags to which very low add-on amounts of coating have been applied, are provided which exhibit extremely low air permeabilities. The inventive fabrics are primarily for use in automotive restraint cushions which require low permeability characteristics (such as side curtain airbags). Traditionally, heavy, and thus expensive, coatings of compounds such as neoprene, silicones and the like, have been utilized to provide such required low permeability. The inventive fabric utilizes an inexpensive, very thin coating to provide such necessary low permeability levels. Thus, the inventive coated airbag possesses a coating of at most 3.0 ounces per square yard, most preferably about 0.8 ounces per square yard, and exhibits a leak-down time (a measurement of the time required for the entire amount of gas introduced within the airbag at peak pressure during inflation to escape the airbag at 10 psi) of at least 7 seconds.

Abstract: Coated inflatable fabrics, more particularly airbags to which very low add-on amounts of coating have been applied, are provided which exhibit extremely low air permeability. The inventive inflatable fabrics are primarily for use in automotive restraint cushions that require low permeability characteristics (such as side curtain airbags). Traditionally, heavy, and thus expensive, coatings of compounds such as neoprene, silicones and the like, have been utilized to provide such required low permeability. The inventive fabric utilizes an inexpensive, very thin coating to provide such necessarily low permeability levels. Thus, the inventive coated inflatable airbag comprises a film laminated on at least a portion of the target fabric surface wherein the film possesses a tensile strength of at least 2,000 and an elongation at break of at least 180%.

Abstract: Certain novel formulations of turf additives that act in such a manner as to permit proper amounts of moisture to contact root systems in order to reduce dry spots within highly managed turf areas and/or lawns. It is theorized that the accumulation of humic acid (and other natural byproduct deleterious compounds) at the topsoil surface in most cultivated grassy areas including sandy soils (such as, in particular, golf greens), results in the production of an effective organic waxy coating on the soil components. Such a coating is hydrophobic in nature and thus dries out the soil itself. The inventive formulation thus permits removal of such accumulated humic acid (and other compounds) from the topsoil to the level necessary to provide effective moisture penetration for sustained grass growth therein (hereinafter referred to as “redistributes”).

Abstract: A fabric for use in an air bag is provided. The fabric of the invention is produced by mechanically compressing a preliminary fabric constructed substantially of synthetic yarn such that the packed volume per unit area of the compressed fabric is less than the packed volume per unit area of the preliminary fabric. Air permeability is not adversely affected.

Abstract: Specific fabric articles exhibiting very low air and/or gas permeability (even upon application of high inflation pressures) and very high tear strengths are herein disclosed and claimed. Such a specific fabric also permits the incorporation of discrete openings (through cutting, for example) through which air and/or gas introduced by an airbag inflation canister will travel. Such a specific fabric acts as a barrier to the complete introduction of high pressure inflation gases into an airbag cushion, thereby permitting a more controlled, safer inflation upon the occurrence of a collision event. Thus, the specific inventive fabric permits movement of inflation gas and/or air substantially solely through the openings within the fabric and not through the interstices between the individual fiber constituents.

Abstract: This invention relates to colorants comprising a chromophore having a single azo acetoacetanilide moiety, wherein said moiety each have at least one poly(oxyalkylene) chain. Such colorants exhibit extremely good base stability and lightfastness, particularly when incoporated within certain media and/or on the surface of certain substrates. These poly(oxyalkylene) chains provide solubility in different solvents or resins thereby permitting the introduction of such excellent coloring chromophores within diverse media and/or or diverse substrates. Compositions and articles comprising such colorants are provided as are methods for producing such inventive colorants.

Abstract: Novel thermoplastic pipes which can withstand extremely high internally generated and/or applied pressures for utilization within, primarily, high pressure underground liquid and gas transport systems are provided. Such pipes are improvements over standard metal (i.e., steel, lead, and the like) pipes due to construction costs, shipping costs, implementation costs (particularly underground), modulus strength allowances to compensate for underground movements (i.e., earthquakes and tremors), non-rusting characteristics, and ease in manufacture. Such pipes are preferably reinforced with specific fabric articles which permit a lower thickness of plastic to be utilized than is generally required to withstand high pressure situations. A simplified, potentially on-site production method for producing more uniform, better-performing pipes as well as a specific molding dorn for such a purpose are also contemplated within this invention.

Abstract: A novel colorant compound is provided which is the addition product of an organic chromophore having at least one reactive hydroxyl or amine substituent, a mono or polyisocyanate, and/or an alcohol. Such a compound provides solubility in oil-based ink compositions, complete water resistance and excellent oil based ink compositions. Furthermore, such colorants provide an easy and efficient way to tone shades of oil based inks. In addition, such colorants provide a way to tone carbon black based lithographic inks that gives the images a appearance of jet black on various types of printing substrates. A method for producing such a colorant is also provided, as well as offset ink compositions comprising such a colorant (including other colorants that provide the same toner performance within black pigment formulations).

Abstract: Improved polypropylene fibers exhibiting greatly reduced heat- and moisture-shrink problems and including certain compounds that quickly and effectively provide rigidity to the target polypropylene fiber after heat-setting are disclosed herein. In such a manner, the “rigidifying” compounds provide nucleation sites for polypropylene crystal growth. After drawing the nucleated composition into fiber form, the fiber is then exposed to sufficient heat to grow the crystalline network, thus holding the fiber in a desired position. The preferred “rigidifying” compounds include dibenzylidene sorbitol based compounds, as well as less preferred compounds, such as sodium beuzoate, certain sodium and lithium phosphate salts (such as sodium 2,2′-methylene-bis-(4,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphate, otherwise known as NA-11).

Abstract: Polyurethane article black colorants which comprise a novel blue polymeric anthraquinone colorant, rather than the previous standard polymeric triphenylmethane blue-type colorants are provided. Such a novel blend of colorants to produce black colorations within the target polyurethane foams exhibits very low color degradation within polyurethane foams, primarily due to the stability and resiliency of the novel anthraquinone-based polymeric colorant in the presence of high isocyanate levels, as well as large amounts of reactive tertiary amines (from catalyst residue, for example). A black colorant comprising such a novel blue polymeric colorant, as well as polyurethane foams comprising such a novel black coloring agent and methods of producing such foams are all contemplated within this invention.

Abstract: Durable antimicrobial treatments for high pressure treatments (such as package dyeing) for specific dyed yarns for further incorporation within textile fabrics are provided. Such treatments preferably comprise silver ions, particularly as constituents of inorganic metal salts or zeolites. This particular treatment requires the presence of a resin binder as a component of the dye bath formulation admixed with the silver-ion antimicrobial compound, the formulation then forced through a target yarn spool in order to provide a finish over substantially all of the target yarn. The yarn may then be knit, woven, pressed, laid-in, etc., into a textile fabric exhibiting antimicrobial properties. Such a treatment has been found to be extremely durable on such substrates; after a substantial number of standard launderings and dryings, the treatment does not wear away in any appreciable amount and thus the substrate retains its antimicrobial activity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of producing syndiotactic polypropylene articles through high performance nucleation via the presence of certain novel nucleating agents within molten syndiotactic resins, and subsequently permitting the resultant molten mixture to cool into a selected shape or configuration. Such novel nucleating agents are new classes of hyper-nucleators that promote crystallization within such target syndiotactic resins at levels well above any previously disclosed nucleators. This invention thus also encompasses the articles and compositions of such nucleated syndiotactic polypropylene as well.

Abstract: This invention relates to a cushioned floor covering article wherein the mat includes a tufted carpet placed on the top side of a foam rubber sheet and at least one foam rubber protrusion integrated within at least a portion of the bottom side of the foam rubber sheet. Such an article provides effective removal of moisture, dirt, and debris from the footwear of pedestrians through the utilization of a carpet pile component. Furthermore, the utilization of a foam rubber backing also allows for either periodic heavy duty industrial-scale laundering in such standard washing machines or periodic washing and drying in standard in-home machines, both without appreciably damaging the inventive floor covering article, such as a floor mat. Additionally, the presence of integrated foam rubber protrusions within the mat structure provides an effective cushioning effect for pedestrian comfort as well as a means to prevent slippage of the article from its contacted surface.