Patents Examined by Alicia M. Toscano
  • Patent number: 7582590
    Abstract: Methods of treating a portion of a subterranean formation comprising: providing an aqueous treatment fluid comprising an aqueous fluid and a friction reducing copolymer that comprises acrylamide and 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)-ethyl acrylate and introducing the aqueous treatment fluid into the portion of the subterranean formation. Methods of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising: providing an aqueous treatment fluid comprising an aqueous fluid and a friction reducing copolymer that comprises acrylamide and 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)-ethyl acrylate and introducing the aqueous treatment fluid into the subterranean formation at or above a pressure sufficient to create one or more fractures in the subterranean formation. Aqueous treatment fluids comprising: an aqueous fluid and a friction reducing copolymer that comprises acrylamide and an acrylic acid ester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Hanes, Jr., David E. McMechan, Karen L. King, Jiten Chatterji
  • Patent number: 7579405
    Abstract: The present invention provides a primer for a thermoplastic and/or elastomeric substrate, the primer comprising a film of an epoxy-modified polymer selected from the group consisting of an epoxy-modified-thermoplastic polymer, an epoxy-modified-thermoplastic polymeric composite, an epoxy-modified-elastomeric polymer, an epoxy-modified-elastomeric polymeric composite, a blend thereof, and any mixture thereof. Also provided are methods of repairing, inserting, assembling and coating a thermoplastic or elastomeric substrate using the primer of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: National Research Council of Canada
    Inventors: Minh-Tan Ton-That, Kenneth C. Cole, Johanne Denault
  • Patent number: 7572865
    Abstract: The present invention is a polyester film obtained by blending 10-90 wt % of polyester (A) containing ethylene terephthalate as a main constituent component and 90-10 wt % of crystalline polyester (B) different from this polyester (A), which has a half value width of a recrystallization peak obtained by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) by lowering temperature of not more than 0.25. The crystalline polyester (B) is preferably a polyester selected from polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) and polyethylene 2,6 naphthalate (PEN).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Toyo Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuya Itoh, Shinya Higashiura, Toru Kotani, Shinji Fujita
  • Patent number: 7572756
    Abstract: A water-base fluid for use in drilling, cementing, workover, fracturing and abandonment of subterranean wells through a formation containing shale which swells in the presence of water. In one illustrative embodiment, the drilling fluid is composed of an aqueous based continuous phase, a weighting agent, and a shale hydration inhibition agent. The shale hydration inhibition agent should have the general formula: in which R and R? independently selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or propyl, and X has a value from 1 to 6. The shale hydration inhibition agent is present in sufficient concentration to substantially reduce the swelling of shale drilling cuttings upon contact with the drilling fluid. The drilling fluid may be formulated to include a wide variety of components of aqueous based drilling fluids, such as weighting agents, fluid loss control agents, suspending agents, viscosifying agents, rheology control agents, as well as other compounds and materials known to one of skill in the art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: M-I L.L.C.
    Inventors: Arvind D. Patel, Emanuel Stamatakis
  • Patent number: 7557167
    Abstract: Crosslinked polymer compositions have backbones with first and second divalent saturated aliphatic moieties, a divalent saturated aliphatic secondary alcohol moiety, and a trivalent saturated aliphatic moiety. Hydrolytically labile ester bonds joined together these moieties. These polyesters may be polycondensation reaction products of a diol, a triol and a diacid. A molar ratio of the first divalent saturated aliphatic moiety, the divalent saturated aliphatic secondary alcohol moiety, and the trivalent saturated aliphatic moiety to the second divalent saturated aliphatic moiety is in the range of about 0.85 to about 1.5. Preferably, these polyesters are non-cytotoxic, biocompatible, bioabsorbable, or exhibit shape memory behavior with at least one transition temperature of greater than about 30° C. and less than about 100° C. and most preferably exhibit each of these qualities. The compositions may be adapted for a wide variety of uses, including medical applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Gore Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Swetlin, Kenneth A. Mazich, Shaun Adkins Leone
  • Patent number: 7550542
    Abstract: A synthetic polymer has a water-soluble or water-swellable polymer backbone and terminal groups and/or intermediate groups of blocks of hydrophobes of alkyl- or aryl compounds containing a polymerizable cyclic monomer or a polymerizable double bond (or alkene) group or derivatives thereof. The blocks of hydrophobes are composed of two or more units of the same or different hydrophobes. These synthetic polymers are used as rheology modifiers, especially in latex paints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: Kirill N. Bakeev, De-Kai Loo, Angie H. Ma, Tuyen T. Nguyen, Jeffrey K. Politis
  • Patent number: 7550412
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing guar gum, the method comprising the steps of: (a) sizing husk from guar seed into larger pieces and smaller pieces, (b) washing the larger pieces, (c) soaking the larger pieces, and (d) flaking the larger pieces to obtain guar gum. The invention also provides a method for processing undehusked guar splits, the method comprising the steps of: (a) dehusking undehusked guar splits to obtain dehusked guar splits and husk, and (b) sizing the husk into larger pieces and smaller pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronnie G. Morgan, Lewis R. Norman, Rickey L. Morgan
  • Patent number: 7544747
    Abstract: The present invention relates to fullerene derivatives including a pendant group that may be reacted to prepare a composition including a plurality of covalently bound fullerenes. The pendant group may be a cyclic ether, such as an epoxide. The present invention also relates to compositions including reaction products of these fullerene derivatives and photovoltaic devices including such polymeric compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Konarka Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Russell Gaudiana, Savvas Hadjikyriacou, David Waller, Zhengguo Zhu
  • Patent number: 7538165
    Abstract: The invention provides an electrically conductive polyaniline composition comprising polyaniline which contains at least one of novolac resins selected from the group consisting of phenolsulfonic acid novolac resin and naphtholsulfonic acid novolac resin as a dopant. The electrically conductive polyaniline composition is obtained by contacting polyaniline with an aqueous solution of the novolac resin to dope the polyaniline with the novolac resin. The invention further provides an electrically conductive polyaniline film which comprises the polyaniline containing the novolac resin as a dopant. The electrically conductive polyaniline film is obtained by contacting film of polyaniline with an aqueous solution of the novolac resin to dope the polyaniline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Abe
  • Patent number: 7521398
    Abstract: A method of using a water-base wellbore fluid in subterranean wells that penetrate through a subterranean formation containing a shale which swells in the presence of water. The well bore fluid includes, an aqueous based continuous phase, and a shale hydration inhibition agent. One illustrative shale hydration inhibition agent is preferably the reaction product of a hydrogenation reaction of the product of the reaction of an aromatic amine with an aldehyde, preferably formaldehyde. Alternatively the shale hydration inhibition agent may be the reaction product of a hydrogenation reaction of the product of the reaction of aniline and formaldehyde. In one illustrative embodiment, the shale hydration inhibition agent is selected from the class of compounds known as polycycloaliphatic amines. Further the shale hydration inhibition agent may be present in the form of a free-base or in the form of an acid salt of the disclosed amine compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: M-I L.L.C.
    Inventors: Arvind D. Patel, Emanuel Stamatakis
  • Patent number: 7517937
    Abstract: The present invention relates a biodegradable resin composition comprising an L-lactic acid unit-containing resin (1) and a D-lactic acid unit-containing resin (2). Also disclosed is a biodegradable resin molded article obtained from the biodegradable resin composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Nishikawa Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Yano, Nobuyuki Sakuda
  • Patent number: 7517924
    Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a composition as obtained from a melt comprising esterified starch, preferably having a degree of substitution of at least about 1.5, and preferably an amylose content of at least about 50% by weight with respect to that of the starch, and a linear polyester. The invention further provides the composition in the form of a melt or when shaped into articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Japan Corn Starch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Stephen Rimsa, Paul Tatarka
  • Patent number: 7514392
    Abstract: A water-base wellbore fluid for use in subterranean wells that penetrate through a subterranean formation containing a shale which swells in the presence of water. The well bore fluid includes, an aqueous based continuous phase, and a shale hydration inhibition agent. One illustrative shale hydration inhibition agent is preferably the reaction product of a hydrogenation reaction of the product of the reaction of an aromatic amine with an aldehyde, preferably formaldehyde. Alternatively the shale hydration inhibition agent may be the reaction product of a hydrogenation reaction of the product of the reaction of aniline and formaldehyde. In one illustrative embodiment, the shale hydration inhibition agent is selected from the class of compounds known as polycycloaliphatic amines. The shale hydration inhibition agent may be present in the form of a free-base or preferably in the form of an acid salt of the disclosed amine compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: M-I L.L.C.
    Inventors: Arvind D. Patel, Emanuel Stamatakis
  • Patent number: 7507695
    Abstract: A composition for inhibiting or preventing the formation of emulsions in the presence of treating acids during the acid stimulation of hydrocarbon wells is provided. The composition includes an alkyl aryl sulfonic acid or salt thereof, an acetylenic alcohol, an alkyl diphenyl oxide sulfonic acid or derivative thereof, in an alkyl alcohol solvent. The disclosed compositions can be used in an acid treatment solution, such as 15% hydrochloric acid, to prevent and resolve live acid and spent acid emulsions for a wide range of crude oils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: BJ Services Company
    Inventor: Malcolm Stuart Knopp
  • Patent number: 7504366
    Abstract: Methods of treating a portion of a subterranean formation, comprising: providing an aqueous treatment fluid comprising water, and a friction reducing copolymer that comprises acrylamide and an acrylic acid ester; and introducing the aqueous treatment fluid into the portion of the subterranean formation. Methods of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising: providing an aqueous treatment fluid comprising water, and a friction reducing copolymer that comprises acrylamide and an acrylic acid ester; and introducing the aqueous treatment fluid into the subterranean formation at or above a pressure sufficient to create one or more fractures in the subterranean formation. Aqueous treatment fluids comprising: an aqueous fluid and a friction reducing copolymer that comprises acrylamide and an acrylic acid ester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Hanes, Jr., David E. McMechan, Karen L. King, Jiten Chatterji
  • Patent number: 7498385
    Abstract: Crosslinked polymer compositions have backbones with first and second divalent saturated aliphatic moieties, a divalent saturated aliphatic secondary alcohol moiety, and a trivalent saturated aliphatic moiety. Hydrolytically labile ester bonds joined together these moieties. These polyesters may be polycondensation reaction products of a diol, a triol and a diacid. A molar ratio of the first divalent saturated aliphatic moiety, the divalent saturated aliphatic secondary alcohol moiety, and the trivalent saturated aliphatic moiety to the second divalent saturated aliphatic moiety is in the range of about 0.85 to about 1.5. Preferably, these polyesters are non-cytotoxic, biocompatible, bioabsorbable, or exhibit shape memory behavior with at least one transition temperature of greater than about 30° C. and less than about 100° C. and most preferably exhibit each of these qualities. The compositions may be adapted for a wide variety of uses, including medical applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Gore Enterprise Holdings
    Inventors: Brian J. Swetlin, Kenneth A. Mazich
  • Patent number: 7494958
    Abstract: A water-base wellbore fluid for use in subterranean wells that penetrate through a subterranean formation containing a shale which swells in the presence of water. The well bore fluid includes, an aqueous based continuous phase, and a shale hydration inhibition agent. One illustrative shale hydration inhibition agent is preferably the reaction product of a hydrogenation reaction of the product of the reaction of an aromatic amine with an aldehyde, preferably formaldehyde. Alternatively the shale hydration inhibition agent may be the reaction product of a hydrogenation reaction of the product of the reaction of aniline and formaldehyde. In one illustrative embodiment, the shale hydration inhibition agent is selected from the class of compounds known as polycycloaliphatic amines. The shale hydration inhibition agent is present in sufficient concentration to substantially reduce the swelling of shale drilling cuttings upon contact with the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: M-I L.L.C.
    Inventors: Arvind D. Patel, Emanuel Stamatakis
  • Patent number: 7488783
    Abstract: A process for the production of polylactide, the stages of which for the production and purification of lactide, starting from an aqueous solution of lactic acid or of its derivatives, includes evaporation of water with formation of oligomers, depolymerization to give lactide, condensation and then crystallization of the crude lactide product to give purified lactide, aqueous treatment of the residual fractions from the crystallization and polymerization of purified and/or prepurified lactide to give polylactide in an extruder and in the presence of catalysts. An alternative process includes carrying out the aqueous treatment before the crystallization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Brussels Biotech
    Inventors: Philippe Coszach, Jean-Christophe Bogaert, Frederic Van Gansberghe
  • Patent number: 7462671
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermoplastic resin composition which contains a thermoplastic polymer (A) containing a glutaric anhydride-containing component shown in the following general formula (1), where R1 and R2 are the same or different and each represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and a rubber-containing polymer compound (B), and satisfies the following conditions of (I) and/or (II), (I) a total light transmittance per 2 mm of the thickness of the thermoplastic resin composition is more than 90%, (II) a weight-average molecular weight of a thermoplastic polymer (A) is from 30,000 to 150,000 and a glass transition temperature is at least 130° C. According to the present invention, a thermoplastic composition having high heat resistance, superior mechanical properties, colorless transparency, optical isotropy and moldability, as well as solvent resistance, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideki Matsumoto, Daisuke Sato, Akiko Tanaka, Toru Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 7432230
    Abstract: A superior powder form of a metallic soap for enhancing the properties of an invert emulsion drilling fluid may be prepared by a dry process saponification reaction. The process includes mixing a source of metal cations with the product of a Diels-Alder reaction of dienophiles with fatty acids and/or resin acids and allowing the mixture to react. Heating the mixture increases the rate of reaction. The solid product is ground to form a powder. The properties of the drilling fluid that may be improved by adding the soap include filtration control, fluid loss control, emulsification and emulsion stability, and electrical stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Service, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey J. Miller