Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for distilling an aqueous polymethylol mixture which comprises a polymethylol of the formula (I) (HOCH2)2—C—R2??(I) in which each R is independently a further methylol group or an alkyl group having 1 to 22 carbon atoms or an aryl or aralkyl group having 6 to 22 carbon atoms, a tertiary amine, water and the adduct of tertiary amine and formic acid (amine formate), which comprises performing the distillation in a distillation column which is connected at the bottom to an evaporator, the bottom temperature being above the evaporation temperature of the monoester of formic acid and polymethylol (polymethylol formate) which forms during distillation. The present invention further relates to a composition comprising polymethylol and 1 to 10 000 ppm by weight of polymethylol formate, and to the use thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing isocyanates by reacting the corresponding amines with phosgene in the gas phase, optionally in the presence of an inert medium, in which phosgene and amine are first evaporated and then superheated further to reaction temperature, and the superheated phosgene and amine are mixed and fed to a reactor in which the phosgene and the amine are converted to the isocyanate, wherein the residence time of the phosgene at temperatures greater than 300° C. is not more than 5 s, and/or the temperature of heat transfer surfaces in contact with phosgene is not more than 20 K above the phosgene temperature to be established. The invention further relates to an apparatus for preparing isocyanates by reacting the corresponding amines with phosgene in the gas phase.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the combined use of synthetic fungicides and biological control agents for controlling harmful fungi. To be more precise, the invention relates to a method for controlling harmful fungi, which comprises at least two treatment blocks, where in at least one treatment block the plants are treated with at least one synthetic fungicide and in at least one treatment block the plants are treated with at least one biological control agent, with the proviso that the last treatment block comprises subjecting the plants to at least one treatment with at least one biological control agent.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing isocyanates by reacting the corresponding amines with phosgene, optionally in the presence of an inert medium, in which phosgene and amine are first mixed and converted to the isocyanate in a reactor, and in which a reaction gas which comprises isocyanate and hydrogen chloride leaving the reactor is cooled in a quench by adding a liquid quench medium to form a mixture of reaction gas and quench medium as the product stream. The walls of the quench are essentially completely wetted with a liquid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multicoat color and/or effect paint system comprising, lying above one another in this order, (1) at least one first basecoat comprising basecoat material (A), (2) preferably a second color and/or effect basecoat comprising basecoat material (B), and (3) optionally at least one transparent coating comprising clearcoat material (C), wherein the basecoat material (A) forming the first basecoat comprises at least one binder (a.1), at least one color and/or effect pigment (a.2), and at least one water-soluble or water-dispersible, oligomeric or polymeric component (a.3) which comprises a parent structure (GK) having at least two repeating monomer units (ME) and also at least one uni- and/or multidentate, potentially anionic ligand (L) which is still capable of forming complexes after the multicoat paint system has been thermally cured.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid pigment preparation comprising, all based on the total weight of the preparation, (A) at least 60% by weight of a pigment component comprising at least one pigment and/or a filler, (B) 1% by weight to 29% by weight of a surface-active additive component based on at least a phosphoric or phosphonic ester, which may be anionic or nonionic; (C) 1% by weight to 29% by weight of at least one nonionic surface-active additive based on polyethers selected from the group consisting of propylene oxide homopolymers; ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymers wherein the terminal blocks consist of propylene oxide units; ethylene oxide adducts onto mono- or bifunctional amines or alcohols wherein the length of the ethylene oxide chain is chosen such that the adduct is water-insoluble; and ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymer adducts onto mono- or bifunctional amines or alcohols wherein the terminal block consists of propylene oxide units; (D) 0% by weight to 20% by

Abstract: The present invention refers to a process for the preparation of pyrazole derivatives of formula (I) wherein W is nitrogen or CR1, R1, R2, R4 and R5 are each independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, C1-C6-alkyl, C1-C6-haloalkyl, C1-C6-alkoxy, C1-C6-haloalkoxy, R7S(O)n, nitro, cyano, and pentafluorothio; R3 is hydrogen, halogen, C1-C6-alkyl, C1-C6-haloalkyl, C1-C6-alkoxy, C1-C6-haloalkoxy, R7S(O)n, nitro, cyano, pentafluorothio or phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by 1 to 5 members of the group consisting of halogen, C1-C6-alkyl, C1-C6-haloalkyl, C1-C6-alkoxy, C1-C6-haloalkoxy, R7S(O)n, nitro, cyano, and pentafluorothio which are the same or different; R7 is C1-C6-alkyl or C1-C6-haloalkyl; and n is 0, 1, or 2; characterized in that hydrazines of formula (II) wherein W, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are as defined for pyrazole derivatives of formula (I), are reacted with a compound of formula (III)

Abstract: A fuel additive composition comprising (A) polyisobutyl-based nitrogen-containing dispersants with MN of the polyisobutyl group of from 650 to 1800 Dalton, (B) carrier oils substantially free of nitrogen and (C) polyisobutyl-based dispersant boosters with MN of the polyisobutyl group of from 200 to 650 Dalton, with the proviso that the difference between the MN of the polyisobutyl group of component (A) and the MN of the polyisobutyl group of component (C) is more than 100 Dalton. Said component (C) is especially useful as an intake valve clean-up booster in gasoline-operated port fuel injection internal combustion engines.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of fine chemicals in a microorganism, a plant cell, a plant, a plant tissue or parts thereof. The invention furthermore relates to nucleic acid molecules, polypeptides, nucleic acid constructs, vectors, antisense molecules, antibodies, host cells, plant tissue, propagtion material, harvested material, plants, microorganisms as well as agricultural compositions and to their use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pillared silicate compound comprising a layered silicate structure, and bridging metal atoms located between adjacent silicate layers of the silicate structure, wherein said bridging metal atoms form at least one covalent bond to each of the adjacent silicate layers, as well as a process for the preparation of a pillared silicate compound, and further includes a pillared silicate compound obtainable and or obtained according to said process, as well as a method of catalyzing a chemical reaction comprising the step of contacting one or more chemical compounds with the any of the aforementioned pillared silicate compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multilayer catalyst for preparing phthalic anhydride which has a plurality of catalyst layers arranged in succession in the reaction tube, with the individual catalyst layers having alkali metal contents which decrease in the flow direction. The present invention further relates to a process for the oxidation of naphthalene or o-xylene/naphthalene mixtures over such a multilayer catalyst and the use of such multilayer catalysts for the oxidation of naphthalene or o-xylene/naphthalene mixtures to phthalic anhydride.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a polymer by free-radical polymerization of at least one ethylenically unsaturated monocarboxylic acid and/or a salt thereof, at least one ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid and/or an anhydride and/or a salt thereof, in the presence of hypophosphorous acid and/or a salt thereof. The invention also relates to a polymer composition obtainable by this process. The invention also relates to the use of such a polymer composition as detergent additive, e.g. as dispersant, scale inhibitor or sequestrant for laundry detergents.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process for producing a photoelectric conversion device comprising a dye-sensitized metal oxide semiconductor which is treated with an essentially transparent hydroxamic acid or an essentially transparent salt thereof. The invention also relates to a photoelectric conversion device obtainable by the process of the invention and to a photoelectric cell, especially a solar cell, comprising the photoelectric conversion device. Moreover, the invention relates to the use of an essentially transparent hydroxamic acid or an essentially transparent salt thereof for enhancing the energy conversion efficiency ? of dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for separating at least one first material from a mixture comprising this at least one first material, at least one second material and at least one third material, which comprises at least the following steps: (A) contacting of the mixture comprising at least one first material, at least one second material and at least one third material with at least one hydrocarbon in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.

Abstract: Thermoplastic molding compositions comprising A) from 10 to 99.94% by weight of a polyamide, B) from 0.05 to 5% by weight of a polyethyleneimine homo- or copolymer, C) from 0.01 to 20% by weight of iron powder, and D) from 0 to 70% by weight of further additives, where the total of the percentages by weight of A) to D) is 100%.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for converting aliphatic hydrocarbons having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms into aromatic hydrocarbons, which comprises the steps: a) reaction of a feed stream E comprising at least one aliphatic hydrocarbon having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the presence of a catalyst under nonoxidative conditions to give a product stream P comprising aromatic hydrocarbons and hydrogen and b) electrochemical removal of at least part of the hydrogen formed in the reaction from the product stream P by means of a gastight membrane-electrode assembly comprising at least one selectively proton-conducting membrane and at least one electrode catalyst on each side of the membrane, where at least part of the hydrogen is oxidized to protons over the anode catalyst on the retentate side of the membrane and the protons are, after passing through the membrane on the permeate side, reacted with oxygen to form water over the cathode catalyst, with the oxygen originating from an oxygen-comprising stream O whi

Abstract: A process for the preparation of an isomorphously substituted layered silicate comprising (1) providing a mixture containing silica or a precursor thereof, at least one structure directing agent (SDA) allowing for the crystallization of the layered silicate, and water; (2) heating the mixture obtained according to (1) under hydrothermal conditions; (3) adding at least one source at least one element suitable for isomorphous substitution; (4) heating the mixture obtained according to (3) under hydrothermal conditions.

Abstract: Process for preparing tri-n-propylamine (TPA), wherein di-n-propylamine (DPA) is reacted in the presence of hydrogen and a copper-comprising heterogeneous catalyst. An integrated process for preparing TPA, which comprises the following operations: I) reaction of n-propanol with ammonia in a reactor in the presence of an amination catalyst and optionally hydrogen to form a mixture of mono-n-propylamine, DPA and TPA, II) separation of unreacted ammonia, unreacted n-propanol and possibly hydrogen from the reaction product mixture and recirculation of at least the ammonia and propanol to the reactor in I) and also separation of the n-propylamine mixture by distillation and isolation of the TPA, III) reaction of the DPA obtained in the separation by distillation in II) in a reactor in the presence of hydrogen and a copper-comprising heterogeneous catalyst to form TPA and IV) feeding of the reactor output from III) to operation II).

Abstract: A multilayer effect pigment includes a transparent substrate, a layer of high refractive index material on the substrate, and alternating layers of low refractive index and high refractive index materials on the first layer, the total number of layers being an odd number of at least three, all adjacent layers differing in refractive index by at least about 0.2 and at least one of the layers having an optical thickness which is different from all of the other layers. The resulting multilayer effect pigment is not a quarter-wave stack. The present effect pigments may be used in cosmetic and industrial applications.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for the identification and use of introns with gene expression enhancing properties. The teaching of this invention enables the identification of introns causing intron-mediated enhancement (IME) of gene expression. The invention furthermore relates to recombinant expression construct and vectors comprising said IME-introns operably linked with a promoter sequence and a nucleic acid sequence. The present invention also relates to transgenic plants and plant cells transformed with these recombinant expression constructs or vectors, to cultures, parts or propagation material derived there from, and to the use of same for the preparation of foodstuffs, animal feeds, seed, pharmaceuticals or fine chemicals, to improve plant biomass, yield, or provide desirable phenotypes.