Abstract: The invention relates to the chemical bonding of a polymer/or polymers onto non-metallic substrates such as cellophane by ultrasonic techniques. The cellophane film is preactivated by contacting with silver nitrate solution followed by treatment with potassium hydroxide solution whereby particles of silver and silver oxide are uniformly distributed, in situ, over the surface of cellophane film. The pretreated cellophane film when contacted with grafting solution, that contains monomers, prepolymers, catalyst, graft initiator and other ingredients of the composition, which is being agitated with ultrasonic energy results in polymerization of monomer/prepolymer onto the surface of the cellophane film.

Abstract: The invention relates to the chemical bonding of a polymer or polymers onto a non-metallic substrate such as cellophane by contacting the substrate with a grafting solution that contains monomers, prepolymers, catalysts and possibly other ingredients, to obtain graft polymerization onto the substrate with intimate bonding of the polymer onto the substrate surface, and curing the polymer on the substrate by microwave, laser or ultrasonic energy. The invention provides a method where the bonding of the polymer is effected solely by physical rather than chemical means by eliminating the use of silver nitrate in the pretreatment step and using microwave, laser or ultrasonic energy to polymerize the monomers and binding the resulting polymer to the substrate, with the resulting grafted polymer having the same characteristics as if the bonding was effected chemically with silver ions or colloidal silver.

Abstract: The invention relates to the chemical bonding of a polymer or polymers onto a non-metallic substrate such as cellophane by contacting the substrate with a silver nitrate solution followed by treatment with an alkali hydroxide such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, whereby particles of silver or silver oxide are uniformly distributed in situ throughout the surface of the substrate, contacting the thus treated substrate with a grafting solution that contains monomers, prepolymers, catalysts and possibly other ingredients, to obtain graft polymerization onto the substrate with intimate bonding of the polymer onto the substrate surface, and curing the polymer on the substrate by microwave or laser energy.

Abstract: Pyritic sulfur, organic sulfur and elemental sulfur are removed from coal by subjecting an aqueous slurry of coal to flotation for removal of most of the pyritic sulfur after which the coal obtained from the flotation is treated with dilute nitric acid which oxidizes any remaining pyritic sulfur and most of the organic sulfur, thus solubilizing the sulfur and reducing the sulfur content thereof. This coal can be filtered, washed and dried, if desired. Further reduction of organic sulfur is obtained by chemical treatment with unsaturated hydrocarbons which bind the organic sulfur thus lowering the sulfur content of the coal sufficiently so that the final product meets all requirements for use for power plants as well as for the metallurgical industry.

Abstract: The evolution of hydrogen in rechargeable silver-zinc batteries is reduced by the incorporation into the zinc electrode of a minor proportion of a lead oxide, e.g. either lead oxide (PbO) or lead dioxide (PbO.sub.2). The invention further relates in general to electrodes for batteries, said electrodes consisting mainly of zinc oxide and having a small amount of lead oxide or lead dioxide distributed therethrough.