Abstract: This invention relates to a method of producing modified vinyl ether polymers, wherein vinyl ether polymers comprising recurring units of general formula (I) where R represents a C2-C4 alkyl group and x denotes an integer from 10 to 1000, are partially transetherified with compounds of general formula Y—OH, wherein Y represents aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon groups comprising 5 to 30 carbon atoms, the hydrogen atoms of which can be replaced at least in part by halogen atoms and/or aryl radicals, and/or represents aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and/or aromatic groups with a molecular weight of up to 6000 which contain at least one ether group —O— or an ester group —COO— within the molecule, in the presence of compounds of the platinum metals with the release of the corresponding C2-C4 alcohols, wherein statistically at least one R radical is replaced by a Y radical per molecule of vinyl ether polymer.

Abstract: A highly water resistant tackifier resin comprising an acrylic (co)polymer incorporating therein while taking up at least part of a tackifying component as a raw material on or around seed particles of 0.05 to 15 &mgr;m in average particle size having polar groups on their surfaces. The above tackifier resin can be produced by a process comprising the steps of: dispersing a tackifying component as a raw material, an oil-soluble peroxide or oil-soluble azo initiator and an acrylic monomer in an aqueous medium in which seed particles of 0.05 to 15 &mgr;m in average particle size having polar groups at their surfaces are dispersed; and polymerizing the acrylic monomer while at least part of the tackifying component is incorporated in the acrylic (co)polymer on or around the seed particles so that the seed particles grow.

Abstract: Rheology-modified thermoplastic elastomer compositions are prepared by peroxide modification of a melt blend of an ethylene/&agr;-olefin polymer or a diene-modified ethylene/&agr;-olefin polymer and a high melting polymer such as polypropylene or a propylene/&agr;-olefin copolymer. The resulting compositions have an elastomeric phase, a non-elastomeric phase and certain physical properties that exceed those of a like composition that is not rheology-modified. The compositions can be used to make a variety of articles of manufacture via conventional procedures.

Abstract: The invention contains a process for the surface postcrosslinking of water-absorbing polymers in which the polymers are treated with a surface postcrosslinking solution and during or after the treatment are postcrosslinked by means of an increase in temperature and are dried, wherein the crossiinker comprises a bis-2-oxazolidinone or a poly-2-oxazolidinone comprising structural units of the formula in which R1 is branched or unbranched C1-C18-alkylene, branched or unbranched C2-C18-alkenylene, C5-C18-cycloalkylene, phenylene, naphthylene, anthracenylene, hydrocarbon-substituted phenylene, naphthylene or anthracenylene or another substituted or unsubstituted C6-C18-arylene radical, R2 is branched or unbranched C1-C18-alkylene and n is an integer from 1 to 50 or a mixture of bis-2-oxazolidinones and poly-2-oxazolidinones dissolved in an inert solvent.

Abstract: Curable fluoroelastomers comprising monomeric units formed by triazine iodinated derivative having general formula: wherein Y′ is independently H, Cl, F, CH3, or CF3, m′ and t′ are 0 or 1, and m′+t′=0 or 1, preferably m′+t′=0; p′ is an integer and is equal to 1 when t′=1, or p′=0; X′ is independently H, Cl, F, alkyl or perfluoroalkyl C1-C3, preferably F; n′ is an integer between 2 and 20, preferably between 4 and 12, more preferably between 4 and 8.

Abstract: The invention relates to thermoplastic polyolefin compositions having enhanced surface durability and products thereof which include a thermoplastic polyolefin base component at least one radiation-crosslinkable component present in an amount sufficient to enhance the surface durability of the thermoplastic polyolefin component when radiation-cured and at least one photoinitiator present in an amount sufficient to initiate crosslinking of the radiation-crosslinkable component upon exposure of the thermoplastic polyolefin composition to radiation.

Abstract: A thermosetting composition is provided comprising: (a) a crosslinking agent having at least two functional groups that are reactive with epoxides; and (b) a non-gelled, epoxy functional polymer prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization, in the presence of an initiator having at least one radically transferable group.

Abstract: A process for preparing polyolefins by polymerizing or coploymerizing an olefin or olefins in the presence of a catalyst comprising a solid catalyst component and an organometallic compound is provided.

Abstract: The present invention has for its object to provide an economical cement additive capable of reducing the amount of water to be added to cement compositions and still capable of providing cement compositions with high fluidity, good processability, and a proper level of air-entraining ability resulting from sufficient foaming prevention, at low addition levels, a cement composition in which the above cement additive is used, and a polycarboxylic acid polymer excellent in dispersing effects on cement particles or inorganic powders or pigments and capable of being used with advantage as a cement additive or a dispersant for various uses.

Abstract: A thermosetting composition comprising a co-reactable solid, particulate mixture of (a) capped polyisocyanate crosslinking agent, e.g., a trimer of 1-isocyanato-3,3,5 -trimethyl-5-isocyanatomethylcyclohexane capped with e-caprolactam or 1H-2,5-dimethyl pyrazole, and (b) hydroxy functional polymer, is described. The hydroxy functional polymer is prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization and has well defined polymer chain architecture and polydispersity index of less than 2.5. The thermosetting compositions of the present invention have utility as powder coatings compositions.

Abstract: A vinyl polymer having, at a molecular chain terminus, a structure represented by the general formula 1: (wherein R3 is a hydroxy, amino, epoxy, carboxylic acid, ester, ether, amide or silyl group, an alkenyl group having low polymerizability, an organic compound having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atom, a nitroxide or sulfide group or a cobalt porphyrin complex).

Abstract: Disclosed are thermosetting compositions which are comprised of a resinous phase dispersed in an aqueous medium, the resinous phase comprising (a) an ungelled active hydrogen group-containing polymer which contains onium salt groups, the polymer having been prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization in the presence of an initiator having at least one radically transferable group, and (b) a curing agent having at least two functional groups which are reactive with the active hydrogen groups of (a). The active hydrogen group-containing polymers of the thermosetting compositions, which are prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization, have narrow molecular weight distributions and well-defined, specifically tailored polymer architecture which can provide enhanced crosslink density and dispersibility of the thermosetting compositions. Also disclosed is a method of electrocoating a conductive substrate using the thermosetting compositions of the invention, and a substrate coated by this method.

Abstract: The present invention is related to melt-processable thermally crosslinkable compositions consisting of I) thermoprocessable copolymers of ethylene (E) with tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and/or chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), and acrylic monomers of formula CH2═CH—CO—O—R2 (a); and II) one or more crosslinking agents.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the gel or surface postcrosslinking of water-absorbing polymers in which the polymers are treated with a surface postcrosslinking solution and during or after the treatment are postcrosslinked and dried by means of an increase in temperature, the crosslinker being a compound of the formula in which R1 and R2 independently of one another are H, hydroxyl, phenyl or C1-C6-alkyl, R3 is hydrogen, C1-C12-alkyl, C1-C12-alkenyl or C6-C12-aryl and R4 and R5 independently of one another are C1-C12-alkyl, C1-C12-alkenyl, C6-C12-aryl, hydroxyl, C1-C12-alkoxy or hydrogen, dissolved in an inert solvent, to water-absorbing polymers which can be obtained by said process, and to their use in hygiene articles, packaging materials and nonwovens.

Abstract: Disclosed is a syndiotactic, polystyrenic resin composition comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of a component composed of (a) from 10 to 98% by weight of a styrene-based polymer having a syndiotactic configuration and (b) from 2 to 90% by weight of a polyolefin, (B) from 0.5 to 50 parts by weight of a styrene-olefin copolymer having a styrene content of from 40 to 85% by weight, and optionally (C) from 0.5 to 10.0 parts by weight, relative to 100 parts by weight of the component (a) of (A), of a polyphenylene ether (having an intrinsic viscosity in chloroform at 25° C. of 0.4 dl/g or higher) and/or (D) from 0 to 200 parts by weight, relative to 100 parts by weight of the component (b) of (A), of a styrene-olefin copolymer having a styrene content of from 5 to 35% by weight and/or (E) from 0 to 200 parts by weight, relative to 100 parts by weight of the component (b) of (A), of at least one selected from paraffinic oils, paraffinic waxes, mineral oils and siloxanic oils.

Abstract: Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein. The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.

Abstract: A process is described for reducing the residual monomer content in a liquid solution, mixture, melt, suspension or dispersion of a polymer by postpolymerization with addition of a redox initiator system at a reaction temperature appropriate to it and with an extremely short mixing time of the liquid system in the production reactor by metering—gradually, in portions or continuously—at least one of the redox initiator components required to initiate polymerization of the residual monomers over a period (metering time) which is from about 10 to 250 times the mixing time of the liquid system in said reactor.

Abstract: The use of polymers comprising as essential structural elements units of the formula I and/or II in which R1 is H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or aralkyl, R2 and R3 independently of one another are defined as for R1 or are selected from substituted alkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, substituted aryl or substituted aralkyl, the substituents being selected from OH, O-alkyl, O-aryl, SH, S-alkyl, S-aryl, NH2, NH-alkyl, NH-aryl, N(alkyl)2, in protonated form if desired, N(alkyl)3+Z31 , where Z is the radical of an organic or inorganic acid, COOH, COO-alkyl, CONH2, CONH-alkyl, CON(alkyl)2, CN and SO3H; and the indices x in each case independently of one another are an integer from 1 to 20, and their corresponding acid addition salts as biocides.

Abstract: This invention relates to novel resins, blends of the novel resins with base polymers and a process for producing a resin comprising combining a reactor feed blend comprising: (a) at least 2 weight % of isoprene, (b) at least 2 weight % of one or more of dicyclopentadiene, substituted cyclopentadienes and substituted dicyclopentadienes, (c) at least 2 weight % piperylene, (d) at least 1 weight % aromatic olefins, and (e) 0 to 92 weight % of additional aliphatic olefins, based upon the weight of the reactor feed blend, with a polymerization catalyst under polymerization conditions, preferably where the ratio of component (c) to component (b) is less than 8 and the ratio of component (a) to component (b) is less than 5.

Abstract: Film, molded articles and fibers prepared from ethylene/&agr;-olefin interpolymer compositions are disclosed. The interpolymer compositions are blends prepared by combining specified amounts of a narrow molecular weight distribution, narrow composition distribution breadth index interpolymer, and a broad molecular weight distribution, broad composition distribution breadth index interpolymer, with each blend component having a specified density, melt index and degree of branching.