Abstract: An encapsulated material containing an oxidation-sensitive core is covered by at least a dried phospholipid layer, and contains at least one phytosterol in the core, the phospholipid layer or in a further layer or layers. By using microencapsulation, oxidatively unstable materials may be provided with a synthetic protective barrier and rendered less susceptible to oxidative degradation.

Abstract: A process for separating particles of different sizes comprising projecting a stream of particles into a fluid medium; allowing the particles to develop differing trajectories in the fluid medium; providing at least two separate collection areas for different average size particles from the stream of particles; and collecting particles along said different trajectories.

Abstract: A method forms self-sustaining particles that comprise a hydrophobic (oleophilic) phase in particulate form, with no need for a rigid shell to encapsulate the phase, and usually with no shell present. The oleophilic phase contains a gelation agent, and preferably an organogelation agent. The particles may be stored alone or in a minor amount (e.g., less than 40% by volume) of water to assist their stability and act as a barrier against their coalescence. These water-separated compositions are not necessarily dispersions or suspensions, but may be merely particles in an aqueous storage environment. The particles have prolonged stability and can be readily, simply, and inexpensively formed. A simple method of manufacture comprises forming a solution of the ingredients (e.g., at least the oleophilic material and gelation agent) at a temperature above their gelation temperature, forming droplets or molten, or liquid or flowable particles of the solutions, and cooling the droplets to form the particulates.

Abstract: A process and apparatus collects pigment nanoparticles by forming a vapor of a pigment that is solid at room temperature, the vapor of the pigment being provided in an inert gaseous carrying medium. At least some of the pigment is solidified within the gaseous stream. The gaseous stream and pigment material is moved in a gaseous carrying environment into or through a dry mechanical pumping system. While the particles are within the dry mechanical pumping system or after the nanoparticles have moved through the dry pumping system, the pigment material and nanoparticles are contacted with an inert liquid collecting medium.

Abstract: A method forms self-sustaining particles that comprise a hydrophobic (oleophilic) phase in particulate form, with no need for a rigid shell to encapsulate the phase, and usually with no shell present. The oleophilic phase contains a gelation agent, and preferably an organogelation agent. The particles may be stored alone or in a minor amount (e.g., less than 40% by volume) of water to assist their stability and act as a barrier against their coalescence. These water-separated compositions are not necessarily dispersions or suspensions, but may be merely particles in an aqueous storage environment. The particles have prolonged stability and can be readily, simply, and inexpensively formed. A simple method of manufacture comprises forming a solution of the ingredients (e.g., at least the oleophilic material and gelation agent) at a temperature above their gelation temperature, forming droplets or molten, or liquid or flowable particles of the solutions, and cooling the droplets to form the particulates.

Abstract: A process and apparatus prepares and collects aluminum and copper metal nanoparticles by forming a vapor of a metal that is solid at room temperature, the vapor of the metal being provided in an inert gaseous carrying medium. At least some of the metal is solidified within the gaseous stream. The gaseous stream and metal material is moved in a gaseous carrying environment into or through a dry mechanical pumping system. While the particles are within the dry mechanical pumping system or after the nanoparticles have moved through the dry pumping system, the vaporized metal material and nanoparticles are contacted with an inert liquid collecting medium.

Abstract: A process and apparatus prepares and collects metal nanoparticles by forming a vapor of a metal that is solid at room temperature, the vapor of the metal being provided in an inert gaseous carrying medium. At least some of the metal is solidified within the gaseous stream. The gaseous stream and metal material is moved in a gaseous carrying environment into or through a dry mechanical pumping system. While the particles are within the dry mechanical pumping system or after the nanoparticles have moved through the dry pumping system, the vaporized metal material and nanoparticles are contacted with an inert liquid collecting medium.

Abstract: A process and apparatus prepares and collects metal nanoparticles by forming a vapor of a metal that is solid at room temperature, the vapor of the metal being provided in an inert gaseous carrying medium. At least some of the metal is solidified within the gaseous stream. The gaseous stream and metal material is moved in a gaseous carrying environment into or through a dry mechanical pumping system. While the particles are within the dry mechanical pumping system or after the nanoparticles have moved through the dry pumping system, the vaporized metal material and nanoparticles are contacted with an inert liquid collecting medium.

Abstract: A process and apparatus collects pigment nanoparticles by forming a vapor of a pigment that is solid at room temperature, the vapor of the pigment being provided in an inert gaseous carrying medium. At least some of the pigment is solidified within the gaseous stream. The gaseous stream and pigment material is moved in a gaseous carrying environment into or through a dry mechanical pumping system. While the particles are within the dry mechanical pumping system or after the nanoparticles have moved through the dry pumping system, the pigment material and nanoparticles are contacted with an inert liquid collecting medium.

Abstract: A process and apparatus prepares and collects metal nanoparticles by forming a vapor of aluminum or copper metal that is solid at room temperature, the vapor of the metal being provided in an inert gaseous carrying medium. At least some of the metal is solidified within the gaseous stream. The gaseous stream and metal material is moved in a gaseous carrying environment into or through a dry mechanical pumping system. While the particles are within the dry mechanical pumping system or after the nanoparticles have moved through the dry pumping system, the vaporized metal material and nanoparticles are contacted with an inert liquid collecting medium.

Abstract: Various materials, including generally non-compatible materials may be provided from a single delivery system by a unique encapsulation system. An encapsulation system is advantageously constructed as a core of aqueous liquid having at least 5% by weight water therein, and an encapsulant surrounding the core to form a stable encapsulated particle, the encapsulant comprising at least one layer of hydrophobic particles in contact with and surrounding the core, the core and hydrophobic particles providing an encapsulated system that has an average weight average particle diameter of from 0.05 to 25 micrometers and can support its own weight. The encapsulation system may be provided by a novel method of manufacture comprising providing a mass of hydrophobic particles having average mass diameter size of between 0.

Abstract: Improved methods for coating particulate materials at low shear conditions and preferably below the melting point of the coating material are provided. In one aspect, metallurgical compositions are provided that contain a metal-based powder bound to an alloying powder or powders by way of a low melting polymer or wax binding agent, which is preferably polyethylene. The binding agent is blended with the metal-based and alloying powders at elevated temperatures preferably below the melting point of the binding agent. The bonded metallurgical composition can be used in compaction processes to manufacture compacted parts that can be sintered to impart strength.

Abstract: The present invention describes a novel method for the formation of optically variant pigments by the coating of layers onto a substrate and the fracturing of the coated material into pigment particles after the coating operation and novel pigments produced thereby. Coating techniques such as slot die coating (especially multiple slot die coating), spin coating, meniscus coating, curtain coating, and the like have proven successful. It is preferred that multiple die slots are used to coat multiple layers in a single pass so that manufacturing costs are minimized. The use of these coating techniques, and especially multiple die slot coating, allows for many layers to be coated, with from three to fifty layers being readily possible. This offers a relatively inexpensive way of coating out a wide variety of layers, and especially the pigment materials needed for optically variable pigments, quickly and with high quality.

Abstract: A polymer composition comprising an anticoagulant carried in a water soluble polymer hydrogen bonded to a cellulose polymer. The composition is useful as sutures, implantable material, temporary grafts, vasculature connections and the like. The composition can be prepared by a method comprising the steps of: forming a solution in an amine oxide of a water-soluble polymer capable of hydrogen bonding, a cellulose polymer, and an anticoagulant and reducing the amount of amine oxide in the solution to solidify a solid polymer composition comprising the anticoagulant in the water soluble polymer and the cellulose polymer. The polymer compositions are particularly useful in temporary implants, sutures, grafts or the like.

Abstract: Security may be enhanced for any magnetically readable system that may be applied or built into items, such as apparel, credit cards, currency, identification cards, or other transactional items. These and similar items, with informational content that can be varied may be used in systems for authenticating items and/or transactions.

Abstract: Elongated magnetic elements can be inserted into items to provide readable magnetic patterns which provide reproducible or unique signal patterns to identify or authenticate the items. Magnetic fibers may be distributed within items or magnetic strips to provide reproducible patterns when read. The patterns are stable because of the relatively large size of the magnetic elements as compared to conventional patterns of particles in recordable media. Oriented patterns of filaments may also be inserted into transactional items such as credit cards, checks and the like to provide identification (antiforgery) security to the item.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for adhering a liquid to a particulate substrate. The process comprises the steps of:a) providing an apparatus which can create an oscillating magnetic field within a chamber,b) providing particulate magnetic material within the chamber of said apparatus while said oscillating field is active,c) having in the chamber within the oscillating magnetic field a liquid coating material and a particulate substrate to be coated with said liquid,d) and having said magnetic field form a fluidized bed of at least said particulate magnetic material, said liquid coating material coating the surface of the particulate substrate, ande) optionally continuously collecting the coated particulate substrate.The particulate magnetic material may be added to the chamber before or after the magnetic field has been activated to oscillate.

Abstract: Transactional items such as currency, credit cards, identification cards and the like can be provided with enhanced difficulty to forge or counterfeit by the inclusion of magnetic elements within the transactional item. The signal strength, period, amplitude and/or alignment of the magnetic field may be read as coded information by a magnetic reading head. The encoding of this information can be made increasingly difficult to imitate or forge by varying parameters within these (and other) mechanically readable inscriptions. Filaments coated with magnetic particles are particularly useful magnetic elements for inclusion in transactional items because of their ability to be physically aligned, extend across significant dimensions of the transactional item, and their ready inclusion into manufacturing processes for the transactional items.