Abstract: Thiochromanoylpyrazolone derivatives of the formula I where: A is an unsubstituted or substituted, saturated or unsaturated alkyl chain; R1 is cyano, thiocyanato, nitro, OR4, SR5, SOR6, S02R6, ONR6NR7, ON═CR6R8, NR9R10, P(O)R11R12, P(S)R11R12, COR, CO2R6, unsubstituted or substituted phenyl or heterocyclyl; R2 is alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy or haloalkoxy; R3 is hydrogen, alkyl or halogen; X is oxygen, sulfur, S═O, S(═O)2, CR13R14, C═O or C═NR15; m is 0, 1 or 2; n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4; R16 is substituted pyrazol-4-yl-carbonyl or substituted (4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-pyrazol-4-yl)methylidene; and their agriculturally useful salts; Processes for preparing the thiochromanoylpyrazolone derivatives, compositions comprising them, and the use of these derivatives or of the compositions comprising them for controlling undesirable plants are described.

Abstract: In a process for the preparation of block copolymers from vinylaromatic monomers and dienes, the monomers are polymerized in the presence of at least one alkali metal organyl or alkali metal alkoxide and at least one magnesium, aluminum or zinc organyl.

Abstract: Large-format composite relief printing plates are produced by applying individual photopolymerizable relief printing plates to a large-format substrate, by a process in which the image information is transmitted to the individual relief printing plates by means of a laser. The individual photopolymerizable relief printing plates are positioned on the substrate with the aid of a laser. A composite of relief printing plates comprises a substrate, a laser-structurable layer applied thereon and insoluble in printing inks and printing plate developers, and relief printing plates applied thereon and having an IR-ablatable layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of &agr;-chloronitriles by reaction of cyanohydrins of aldehydes or ketones with phosgene using a phosphine oxide as catalyst.

Abstract: Sulfinic derivatives such as zinc dithionite, sodium dithionite, zinc or sodium hydroxymethyl sulfinate or zinc or sodium hydroxy-ethyl sulfinate, their condensation products with ammonia, and aminoiminomethanesulfinic acid are stabilized to degradation by admixture of potassium carbonate.

Abstract: Composite fibers useful for preparing diaphragms are prepared by (a) mixing a PTFE or PTFE copolymer dispersion or powder with a finely divided inorganic material and a fiber forming material, (b) shear heating the resulting mixture to a temperature at which sheared to PTFE or PTFE copolymer becomes flowable without showing signs of decomposition while removing the dispersion medium, if a PTFE or PTFE copolymer dispersion is used, (c) cooling the mixture to below 70° C., (d) mix shearing the mixture at below 70° C. to form composite fibers.

Abstract: In a process for producing polyamides by polymerization of lactams in the presence of metal oxides as heterogeneous catalysts, the metal oxides are used in a form which permits mechanical removal from the reaction mixture and are removed from the reaction mixture in the course of or on completion of the polymerization.

Abstract: In a process for purifying crude pyrrolidine to give a pyrrolidine composition comprising more than 99% (m/m) of pyrrolidine and less than 0.3% (m/m) of water, crude pyrrolidine comprising from 40 to 98% (m/m) of pyrrolidine and having a water content of more than 2% (m/m) is subjected to continuous distillation at a pressure at the top of less than 950 hPa in a column having a stripping section and a rectifying section.

Abstract: A method for the continuous monitoring of the coating of a yarnlike dielectric material with assistants comprises applying a solution of said assistants dissolved in a polar solvent to said yarnlike material, then passing said yarnlike material between the electrodes of a downline capacitive measuring element, determining the capacity changes of said downline capacitive measuring element, and using said capacity changes to calculate the unevenness of the layer thickness of the applied solution.

Abstract: A process for the continuous recovery of (meth)acrylic acid from the reaction gases of a catalytic gas-phase oxidation by (I) absorption in a high-boiling solvent, (II) isolation of the (meth)acrylic acid from the mixture with the solvent and, if required, further purification of the (meth)acrylic acid isolated, (III) purification of the solvent and (IV) recycling of the purified solvent to absorption stage (I) is proposed, the temperature in each process stage not exceeding 155° C., in particular 140° C., preferably 120° C.

Abstract: Fungicidal mixtures comprise as active components a) an amide compound of the formula I A—CO—NR1R2  I  in which A is an aryl group or an aromatic or non-aromatic, 5- or 6-membered heterocycle which has from 1 to 3 hetero atoms which are selected from O, N and S;  where the aryl group or the heterocycle may or may not have 1, 2 or 3 substituents which are selected, independently of one another, from alkyl, halogen, CHF2, CF3, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl and alkylsulfonyl; R1 is a hydrogen atom; R2 is a phenyl or cycloalkyl group which may or may not have 1, 2 or 3 substituents which are selected, independently of one another, from alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, cycloalkyloxy, cycloalkenyloxy, phenyl and halogen, where the aliphatic and cycloaliphatic radicals may be partially or fully halogenated and/or the cycloaliphatic radicals may be substituted by from 1 to 3 alkyl groups and where the phenyl group

Abstract: In a process for the homopolymerization of vinylaromatic monomers or the copolymerization of vinylaromatic monomers and dienes in the presence of at least one alkali metal compound and at least one compound of an element of group 3a of the Periodic Table of the elements, the compounds contain, based on the sum of molar equivalents of alkali metal and elements of group 3a, in each case a) from 0.1 to 3.9 molar equivalents of oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen or phosphorus and b) from 0.1 to 3.9 molar equivalents of an organyl ligand.

Abstract: A catalyst comprising at least one metal of the 10th group of the Periodic Table of the Elements and at least one metal of the 11th group of the Periodic Table of the Elements on an aluminum oxide support, wherein the metal or metals of the 10th group is or are essentially concentrated in an outer layer close to the surface of the catalyst particle, the metal or metals of the 11th group is or are distributed essentially uniformly over the volume of the catalyst particle and the weight ratio of the metal or metals of the 11th group to the metal or metals of the 10th group is not more than 1.95.

Abstract: A process for distillative separation of pure (meth)acrylic acid from mixtures which include comprise (meth)acrylic acid and dimers and oligomers of (meth)acrylic acid and are essentially free from aldehydes and from components whose boiling point is lower than that of (meth)acrylic acid, using a distillation apparatus which has a thin-film evaporator, a condenser and a connection which contains a baffle device and links the thin-film evaporator and the condenser.

Abstract: The invention relates to open-celled melamine foams which have improved fire performance and whose cell-structure surface has been to some extent or entirely coated with an ammonium salt.

Abstract: A process for preparing 1,4-butanediol and, if desired, &ggr;-butyrolactone and THF by oxidizing butane or benzene to form a product stream including maleic anhydride, absorbing maleic anhydride from the product stream with a high-boiling inert solvent in an absorption stage to give a liquid absorption product, esterifying the liquid absorption product with a C1-C5 esterifying alcohol in an esterification stage to form an esterification product comprising the corresponding diester and high-boiling inert solvent, then hydrogenating the esterification product to give a hydrogenation product which comprises the products of value, 1,4-butanediol and, if desired, &ggr;-butyrolactone and tetrahydrofuran and the esterifying alcohol and which is separated by distillation into the products of value and the esterifying alcohol, and recycling the esterifying alcohol to the esterification zone, which comprises separating the esterification product into the diester and the inert solvent by distillation under reduced press

Abstract: In a process for preparing amines of the general formula I where R1,R2,R3,R4,R5,R6 are hydrogen, C1-C20-alkyl, C2-C20-alkenyl, C2-C20-alkynyl, C3-C20-cycloalkyl, C4-C20-alkyl-cycloalkyl, C4-C20-cycloalkyl-alkyl, aryl, C7-C20-alkylaryl or C7-C20-aralkyl, R1 and R2 are together a saturated or unsaturated divalent C3-C9-alkylene chain and R3 or R5 are C21-C200-alkyl, C21-C200-alkenyl or together a divalent C2-C12-alkylene chain, by reacting olefins of the general formula II where R3, R4, R5 and R6 are as defined above, with ammonia or primary or secondary amines of the general formula III where R1 and R2 are as defined above, at from 200 to 350° C. and pressures of from 100 to 300 bar in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst, the heterogeneous catalyst used is a zeolite having an NES structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of amines by hydrogenation of nitro compounds, which comprises carrying out the hydrogenation in a vertical reactor whose length is greater than its diameter, having a downward-facing jet nozzle arranged in the upper region of the reactor through which the starting materials and the reaction mixture are fed in, and having an outlet at any desired point of the reactor, through which the reaction mixture is fed back to the jet nozzle in an external circuit by means of a conveying means, and having flow reversal in the lower region of the reactor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a catalyst by activating a catalytic composition which comprises a) at least one metal of group IB or IIB or a compound thereof, b) where appropriate a carrier which comprises treating the composition with an alkyne of the general formula I R1—C≡C—R2  (I) in which R1 is alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy or alkoxyalkyl, R2 is a hydrogen atom, alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl, and a carbonyl compound of the general formula II in which R3 and R4 are, independently of one another, a hydrogen atom, alkyl, haloalkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl, to catalysts obtainable by this process, and to alkynylations and aminoalkylations employing these catalysts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing coated solid dosage forms by forming a plastic mixture from at least one thermoplastic physiologically tolerated polymeric binder and at least one active ingredient and extruding the plastic mixture, wherein the extrudate is subsequently treated with at least one liquid or vaporized coating agent, and the coated extrudate is shaped to the required dosage form.