Patents Examined by A. Toscano
  • Patent number: 7339008
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a hydrophilic, biocompatible and biodegradable elastomer membrane or film for the selective separation of a gas mixture. Accordingly, processes for selective gas separation of a gas mixture are provided in which a gas mixture is contacted with such a membrane such that a selective portion of the gas mixture passes through the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: José-Grégorio Sanchez, Philippe Gramain
  • Patent number: 7332548
    Abstract: A process to produce polyester product from alkylene oxide and carboxylic acid. More specifically this process relates to a process to produce polyethylene terephthalate where terephthalic acid and ethylene oxide are reacted to form a partially esterified terephthalic acid product and then the partially esterified product is further reacted with ethylene glycol to produce polyethylene terephthalate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: Alan Wayne White, Michael Paul Ekart, Larry Cates Windes, Richard Gill Bonner, Alan George Wonders
  • Patent number: 7321012
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an intrinsically conductive polymer crosslinking at least a portion of an intrinsically conductive polymer precursor in the solid state, the swollen state, or combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing states, wherein the swollen state is characterized as being one wherein the intrinsically conductive polymer precursor increases in volume upon exposure to a solvent without completely dissolving in the solvent. In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a pattern comprises casting a film of an intrinsically conductive polymer precursor on a substrate; and crosslinking at least a portion of the film by oxidation, wherein the crosslinking occurs in the solid state, the swollen state or combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: The University of Connecticut
    Inventor: Gregory A. Sotzing
  • Patent number: 7314850
    Abstract: Improved methods and compositions for treating subterranean formations penetrated by well bores are provided. A method for breaking a gelled hydrocarbon fluid comprised of a hydrocarbon liquid, a ferric iron or aluminum polyvalent metal salt of a phosphonic acid ester or dialkylphosphinic acid is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert S. Taylor, Gary P. Funkhouser
  • Patent number: 7303821
    Abstract: This invention provides a chemically coated surface for the electrophoretic separation application. The surface comprises of block copolymers prepared from addition monomers selected from a group consisting of acrylates and its derivatives, metharylates and its derivatives, styrene and its derivatives, acrylamide, methacrylamide, dimethacrylamide, N-monosubstituted acrylamide, N-monosubstituted methacrylamide, N,N-bissubstituted acrylamide, N,N-bissubstituted methacrylamide, vinyl acetate, vinyl pyrolidone, vinyl ether, acrylic acid and methacrylic acid. This invention also provides a chemical process for making the chemically coated surface for the electrophoretic separation application. The process comprises: (a) contacting the support surface with a coupling agent solution, then (b) contacting the support surface with a first living radical polymerizing solution, and optionally (c) contacting the support surface with a second living radical polymerizing solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Sepax Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Xueying Huang
  • Patent number: 7294671
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a reactive carrier that forms no by-products during melt injection of polymer into articles such as sheets, films, fibers and containers. The reactive carrier is used to mix additives into the polymer resin. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of one or more cyclic anhydrides or substituted cyclic anhydrides as the reactive carrier. The polymer can be polyester or polyamide. Suitable cyclic anhydrides are those with a melt point of less than the polyester or polyamide, preferably less than about 160° C., and more preferably less than about 125° C. Most preferable are cyclic anhydrides with a melt point less than about 100° C. and especially suitable are those that are liquid at room temperature (25° C.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Invista North America S.a.r.L.
    Inventors: Jayendra H. Bheda, Banks M. Moore, IV
  • Patent number: 7288603
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to obtain a novel polymeric material capable of forming a solid polymer electrolyte excellent not only in processability, solvent resistance and durability/stability but also in ion conductivity by introducing sulfonic acid group or phosphonic acid group into a polybenzazole compound having excellent properties in view of heat resistance, solvent resistance, mechanical characteristics and the like. Means attaining the object of the present invention is a polybenzazole compound including an aromatic dicarboxylic acid bond unit having sulfonic acid group and/or phosphonic acid group and satisfying either a condition that inherent viscosity measured in concentrated sulfuric acid is in the range of 0.25 to 10 dl/g or a condition that inherent viscosity measured in a methanesulfonic acid solution is in the range of 0.1 to 50 dl/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Toyo Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimitsu Sakaguchi, Kota Kitamura, Hiroaki Taguchi, Junko Nakao, Shiro Hamamoto, Hiroshi Tachimori, Satoshi Takase
  • Patent number: 7276573
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing mono- or diesters of polytetrahydrofuran or of tetrahydrofuran copolymers by polymerizing tetrahydrofuran in the presence of at least one telogen and/or of a comonomer over an acidic catalyst, wherein the polymerization reactor is started up using a mixture of polytetrahydrofuran, the mono- or diesters of polytetrahydrofuran and/or of the THF copolymers, tetrahydrofuran, any comonomer and at least one carboxylic acid and/or one carboxylic anhydride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rolf Pinkos, Achim Gerstlauer, Martin Haubner, Stephan Schlitter, Stefan Käshammer, Klaus-Peter Pfaff
  • Patent number: 7273910
    Abstract: Process for the preparation of a functionalized polymer containing an additive, in which process there is formed a compound that contains, besides at least one blocked isocyanate group, a free amino, hydroxy or carboxy group; this compound is linked to an additive via the free amino, hydroxy or carboxy group in the additive; this additive linked to the compound mentioned is contacted with a polymer that contains at least one free amino or hydroxyl group, at a temperature above the polymer's melting point and at least above 150° C., such that the blocked isocyanate group reacts with the free amino or hydroxy group of the polymer to form the functionalized polymer. The invention also relates to the intermediate products formed in the process and in the preparation thereof. Lastly, the invention relates to functionalized polymers and polymer compositions containing the functionalized polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: DSM IP Assets B.V.
    Inventors: Jacobus Antonius Loontjens, Bartholomeus Johannes Margretha Plum, Albert Arnold Van Geenen, Weihua Ming
  • Patent number: 7273919
    Abstract: High heat polyethersulfone compositions are provided which possess unexpectedly high glass transition temperatures. The polyethersulfone compositions comprise structural units derived from phthalimide bisphenols such as 3,3-bis(4 -hydroxyphenyl)-N-phenylphthalimide, and structural units derived from at least one biphenyl-bissulfone such as 4,4?-bis((4-chlorophenyl)sulfonyl)-1,1?-biphenyl. The novel polyethersulfone compositions may further comprise structural units derived from one or more biphenols such as 4,4?-biphenol, bisphenols such as BPA, or other electrophilic sulfone monomers, such as bis(4-chlorophenyl)sulfone. In one embodiment, the polyethersulfone composition of the present invention comprises structural groups derived exclusively from 3,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-N-phenylphthalimide, and 4,4?-bis((4-chlorophenyl)sulfonyl)-1,1?-biphenyl and exhibits a single glass transition of greater than 300° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Steiger, Farid Fouad Khouri, Daniel Joseph Brunelle, Amy Beth Koren
  • Patent number: 7214742
    Abstract: Compounds of the general formula I? in which R1 is H, C1–C12alkyl; C5–C12cycloalkyl; C2–C18alkyl which is interrupted by one or more O; SR4; OR5; or is a group of formula II or III R2, R21 and R3 independently of one another, are H or —Y—T as defined in claim 1, where T is a reactive group selected from OH, acryl- and methacryloxy and arylcarbonate groups, and further symbols are as defined in claim 1, are effective as crosslinking agents for polymeric networks, especially as in flexographic printing plates, coatings, and plastic containers or films. Further provided is a method of protecting the content of a clear or lightly colored plastic container or film against the deleterious effects of ultraviolet radiation, which method comprises permanently and covalently bonding one or more UV absorbing moieties of a durable s-triazine UV absorber via condensation to a suitable polymer component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas Bolle, Andreas Valet, David George Leppard, Stephen Mark Andrews, Ramanathan Ravichandran, Markus Grob, Dirk Simon