Abstract: Rubber, hydrocarbons, i.e., resins, and other useful by-products are extracted from shrubs such as guayule and guayule-like shrubs by a procedure wherein the shrub, after being comminuted, is processed in an aqueous and/or a non-aqueous system. An optional water treatment step can be used to remove water solubles and/or facilitate processing and achieve increased yield of desired by-products.

Abstract: Rubber compositions are shown comprising diene rubber and salts of hydroxymethylsulfinic acid which exhibit improved green strength and/or tack properties. Treatment of diene rubber above 130.degree. C. with the same salts is shown to be effective in obtaining rubber compositions of improved properties.

Abstract: Auxiliary agents for chemical flooding of petroleum deposits and auxiliary agents used in well drilling fluids are water-soluble copolymers containing a statistical distribution of(a) 5 to 95% by weight of structural units of formula I ##STR1## (b) 0 to 30% by weight of structural units of formula II ##STR2## (c) 0 to 80% by weight of structural units of formula III ##STR3## (d) 5 to 60% by weight of structural units of formula IV ##STR4## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are the same or different and represent hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl or together are trimethylene to cyclic pentamethylene;R.sup.3 represents hydrogen or methyl;R.sup.4 represent a imidazolyl-(1) or imidazolyl-(2) moiety;Y is a single covalent bond or the formula --CO--NH--C(CH.sub.3).sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --; andX.sup.+ is a cation.

Abstract: An emulsifier useful for preparing an aqueous emulsion having a high viscosity which comprises a copolymer of (1) at least one monomer selected from a vinyl ester, vinyl alcohol, an alkyl acrylate and an alkyl methacrylate and (2) at least one monomer selected from an acrylic acid derivative of the general formula:CH.sub.2 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --CO--A--R.sup.2 --SO.sub.3 Mand a maleic acid derivative of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl group, R.sup.2 is an alkylene group, R.sup.3 is hydrogen, an alkyl group or an alkali metal, M is hydrogen or an alkali metal, and A is --O-- or --NR-- in which R is hydrogen, an alkyl group or --R.sup.2 SO.sub.3 M. Emulsions prepared by employing the above copolymer as emulsifier have very high viscosities and moreover excellent storage, freeze-thaw and dilution stabilities.

Abstract: A batch suspension of vinyl chloride is processed in a reaction zone with external cooling zone wherein the volume ratio of total monomer charge to water is more than 0.8 and dispersing agent is 0.03 to 0.1% based on monomers. Circulation of reaction mixture to cooling zone is initiated after conversion of monomer is at least 20%.

Abstract: Vinyl chloride-propylene copolymer resin having improved porosity as shown by an increased irreversible plasticizer take-up is produced by the suspension polymerization of vinyl chloride and propylene in the presence of a binary suspension system of a hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose having 19-30% methoxyl and 4-12% hydroxypropoxyl substitution and a 30-50 mole % hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol.

Abstract: A propylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer is produced by copolymerizing propylene and tetrafluoroethylene in a molar ratio ranging from 95/5 to 40/60 in an aqueous medium containing tertiary butanol ranging from 5 to 30 wt.%, an emulsifier ranging from 0.01 to 10 wt.% and a redox catalyst of a combination of (1) a water soluble persulfate, (2) a water soluble iron salt, (3) a hydroxymethanesulfinate and (4) ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or a salt thereof at pH of 8 to 10.5 and at a temperature of 0.degree. to 50.degree. C.

Abstract: A composition comprising 100 parts of an elastomer selected from the group consisting of EPDM, butyl rubber and a EPDM-butyl rubber mixture; 0.1 to 3.0 parts of a compound having the structural formula [(CH.sub.2).sub.n NCS].sub.2 S.sub.6, where n is 4 or 5; and 0 to 5.0 parts of a sulfur donor curative is disclosed. The composition has particular application as roof sheeting or flashing.

Abstract: A process for producing a conjugated diene polymer, characterized by polymerizing at least one conjugated diene with a catalyst consisting of (A) a reaction product of a Lewis base and a carboxylate of a rare earth element of the lanthanum series represented by Ln(R.sup.1 CO.sub.2).sub.3 wherein Ln is a rare earth element of the lanthanum series having an atomic number of 57 to 71 and R.sup.1 is a hydrocarbon substituent having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, (B) an organic aluminum compound represented by AlR.sup.2 R.sup.3 R.sup.4 wherein R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4, which may be identical or different, represent hydrogen atoms or hydrocarbon substituents having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, excluding the case where all of R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are hydrogen atoms at the same time, and (C) an (alkyl)aluminum halide represented by AlX.sub.n R.sup.5.sub.3-n wherein X is Cl, Br, F or I; R.sup.5 is a hydrocarbon substituent having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; and n has a value of 1, 1.

Abstract: In a process for producing a homopolymer or a copolymer of propylene comprising polymerizing propylene or copolymerizing propylene and at least one other unsaturated hydrocarbon monomer in liquid propylene using a catalyst system containing activated titanium trichloride (a) and an organoaluminum compound (b), the activated titanium trichloride (a) being prepared by reducing titanium tetrachloride with an organoaluminum compound followed by activation, to produce a polymer slurry; introducing the polymer slurry produced into the top of a counter-current washing tower; and washing the polymer slurry by counter-currently contacting the polymer slurry with liquid propylene introduced into the bottom of the washing tower, the improvement which comprises purifying the homopolymer or copolymer of propylene by feeding an epoxide in a molar amount of about 1 to about 15 times the molar amount of the total of activated titanium trichloride (a) and organoaluminum compound (b), to a part of said washing tower, thereby d

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the separation of solid polymer and liquid diluent comprising the use of a filter vessel from which a major portion of the diluent can be recovered directly as liquid for recycle to the polymerization process.

Abstract: A process for producing a vinyl chloride polymer which comprises polymerizing vinyl chloride monomer or a mixture of it with another monomer copolymerizable therewith in an aqueous medium or in bulk, characterized in that the inside of the polymerization reactor is coated beforehand with the product of reaction of an oily or waxy cyclopentadiene polymer and a phenolic compound with or without an aldehyde compound.

Abstract: A process is described for the two-stage mass polymerization of vinyl chloride, in which 0.1 to 3% by weight, relative to the monomer employed, of one or more of the following compounds which are known as heat stabilizers for polyvinyl chloride: monoalkyltin-IV or dialkyltin-IV compounds in which the residual valencies of the tin are attached to organic radicals via sulfur atoms, and/or aminocrotonic acid esters, are added to the polymerization mixture when a conversion of 65 to 85% has been reached. After thorough removal of the unreacted vinyl chloride from the resulting polymer, preferably at temperatures above the glass transition point of the polymer, products are obtained which have an improved color in comparison with polyvinyl chloride produced by conventional mass polymerization.

Abstract: The process is described for the continuous suspension polymerization of vinyl chloride in aqueous phase, in which the polymerization mixture is subjected, in 2 zones, to treatment employing different process parameters in respect of final conversion, dwell time, number of theoretical cascade stages and stirrer power applied. This procedure gives, at good space-time yields, very uniform products which have a narrow particle size distribution, a high bulk density, good flow and a low speck count. In spite of using standard kettle material, only a very low formation of deposit on the kettle walls is observed.

Abstract: The chemical stability of low ammonia natural rubber latices and latex compounds is improved by the addition of from 0.1 to 0.5 parts by weight solids, per 100 parts by weight of natural rubber solids, of a neutralized or partially neutralized anionic phosphate surfactant having a pH in a 20 percent aqueous solution of from 4 to 12. The resultant stabilized natural rubber latices or latex compounds are particularly suitable for use in preparing prevulcanized dipping compounds.

Abstract: A method is provided for making sulfonated aromatic organic polymers having aminoorganomercaptan groups attached to backbone sulfonyl radicals by covalent nitrogen-sulfur linkages. These sulfonated aromatic organic polymers can be used as an ion-exchange resin for making bisphenols.

Abstract: Water-soluble (meth)acrylic acid/methallysulfonate copolymers, containing less than 20% by weight of the methallylsulfonate comonomer, are well suited as scale inhibitors for aqueous environments, especially those comprising essentially equal amounts by weight of both acrylic and methacrylic acids.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for modifying accumulated cross-linked polymer in an apparatus used for the production of a vinylaromatic compound, comprising optionally softening the polymer with an organic solvent; precipitating the polymer with a light, polar non-solvent for the polymer and expanding the softened polymer by bringing the softened polymer in contact with steam whereby the polymer is converted into a state which enables it to be more easily removed from the apparatus.

Abstract: By emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate, methylacrylate, acrylic acid, monoolefinically unsaturated sulfoalkyl esters or amides and vinyl sulfonate and partial saponification of the resultant copolymer emulsion, an aqueous solution of a copolymer is obtained which greatly delays the polymerization of styrene in aqueous media.

Abstract: An improved vapor phase process for chlorosulfonation of polyethylene, particularly in a fluidized bed, is accomplished by treating a mixture of powdered polyethylene, and finely divided inorganic compounds having a dielectric constant of greater than about 40 and specific conductivity greater than 10.sup.-13 to less than 10.sup.-1 (.OMEGA..sup.-1 cm.sup.-1), such as titanium dioxide, with chlorine and sulfur dioxide, optionally under actinic light, at an initial temperature from about 20.degree. C. to about 70.degree. C. and raising the temperature of the reaction to at least about the crystalline melting point of the polyethylene and continuing the reaction until the polyethylene contains about 25 to 45 weight percent bound chlorine and 0.5 to 3 weight percent sulfur to provide improved vulcanizable elastomers.