Patents Examined by Kara Boyle
  • Patent number: 8978449
    Abstract: A composition comprising a fluid, and a material dispersed in the fluid, the material made up of particles having a complex three dimensional surface area such as a sharp blade-like surface, the particles having an aspect ratio larger than 0.7 for promoting kinetic boundary layer mixing in a non-linear-viscosity zone. The composition may further include an additive dispersed in the fluid. The fluid may be a thermopolymer material. A method of extruding the fluid includes feeding the fluid into an extruder, feeding additives into the extruder, feeding a material into the extruder, passing the material through a mixing zone in the extruder to disperse the material within the fluid wherein the material migrates to a boundary layer of the fluid to promote kinetic mixing of the additives within the fluid, the kinetic mixing taking place in a non-linear viscosity zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ecopuro, LLC
    Inventor: William L. Johnson, Sr.
  • Patent number: 8975342
    Abstract: Compositions are described that are blends of a grafted copolymer and a polyamide. Methods of making the blended compositions are also described. The grafted copolymers are the reaction product of (1) a first compound having both an aziridinyl group and a polymeric group with (2) a second polymeric material having an acidic group. Blending the grafted copolymer with the polyamide can be used, for example, to increase the cohesive strength of the grafted copolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Jason D. Clapper, Kevin M. Lewandowski, Craig E. Hamer
  • Patent number: 8975305
    Abstract: A thermoplastic composition that contains a rigid renewable polyester and a polymeric toughening additive is provided. The toughening additive can be dispersed as discrete physical domains within a continuous matrix of the renewable polyester. An increase in the deformation force and elongational strain causes debonding to occur in the renewable polyester matrix at those areas located adjacent to the discrete domains. This can result in the formation of a plurality of voids adjacent to the discrete domains that can help to dissipate energy under load and increase impact strength. To even further increase the ability of the composition to dissipate energy in this manner, an interphase modifier may be employed that reduces the degree of friction between the toughening additive and renewable polyester and thus enhances the degree and uniformity of debonding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Vasily A. Topolkaraev, Neil T. Scholl, Ryan J. McEneany, Thomas A. Eby
  • Patent number: 8974882
    Abstract: Provided is a hollow foamed blow-molded article having a high heat resistance, employing a thermoplastic resin composition containing a mixed resin of a polyphenylene ether resin and a polystyrene resin, as a base resin. The foamed blow-molded article, may be produced by extruding a foamable molten resin composition obtained by kneading the thermoplastic resin composition and a blowing agent to form a foamed parison, and blow molding the foamed parison. A glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic resin composition is 110° C. or higher. A melt viscosity of the thermoplastic resin composition at a temperature of the glass transition temperature+80° C. and at a shear rate of 100/sec is 3000 to 9500 Pa·s. The physical blowing agent is a blowing agent containing a hydrocarbon compound having 3-5 carbon atoms. A blending amount of the physical blowing agent is 0.4 to 1 mol per kg of the thermoplastic resin composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: JSP Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Koizumi, Masahiro Gomibuchi
  • Patent number: 8969466
    Abstract: Nanocomposite compositions based on expandable thermoplastic polymers which comprise: a) a polymeric matrix produced by the polymerization of a base comprising one or more polymerizable monomers; b) 1-10% by weight, calculated with respect to the polymer (a), of an expanding agent englobed in the polymeric matrix; c) 0.004-15% by weight, calculated with respect to the polymer (a), of an athermanous filler comprising nano-scaled graphene plates with a thickness (orthogonal to the graphene sheet) not greater than 150 nm, an average dimension (length, width, or diameter) not greater than 10 micrometers and a surface area>50 m2/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: versalis S.p.A.
    Inventors: Riccardo Felisari, Olga Valentino, Alessandro Casalini
  • Patent number: 8946331
    Abstract: Disclosed is a polypropylene resin composition including: 100 parts by weight of (A) a propylene-based block copolymer including polymer components (I) and (II), wherein the polymer component (I) is a propylene polymer having an intrinsic viscosity [?]I of 0.1-5 dl/g, the polymer component (II) is a propylene polymer comprising propylene units and units of at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene and ?-olefins having 4-12 carbon atoms and having an intrinsic viscosity [?]II of from 1-20 dl/g and the content of the polymer component (II) is 1-70% by weight; and 0.001-5 parts by weight of (B) a nucleating agent composed of particles having an average particle diameter, as measured by the laser diffraction method, of 0.01-3 mm wherein particles having particle diameters of not less than 10 mm account for less than 5% by weight of all the particles of the nucleating agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Oobayashi, Tsuyoshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8937132
    Abstract: Provided is a material that can be easily biaxially oriented, homogeneously stretched even with a high draw ratio, and formed into a PTFE porous membrane with low pressure loss. The present invention relates to a polytetrafluoroethylene mixture comprising: a fibrillable modified polytetrafluoroethylene; and a fibrillable polytetrafluoroethylene homopolymer, the polytetrafluoroethylene homopolymer having strength at break of 25 N or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Sawada, Shunji Kasai, Taku Yamanaka, Yoshiyuki Shibuya, Kunihiko Inui, Shinichi Chaen
  • Patent number: 8933137
    Abstract: Expandable composite resin particles for frozen storage comprising: composite resin particles of a polyolefin-based resin and a polystyrene-based resin; 7.5 to 11% by weight of volatile blowing agent contained in the composite resin particles and containing pentane; and 0.5 to 1.5% by weight of moisture attached to surfaces of the composite resin particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Sekisui Plastics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasutaka Tsutsui, Masahiko Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8921436
    Abstract: Microporous polyolefin and microporous polydicyclopentadiene (polyDCPD) based aerogels and methods for preparing and using the same are provided. The aerogels are produced by forming a polymer gel structure within a solvent from a olefin or dicyclopentadiene monomer 5 via Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) reactions, followed by supercritical drying to remove the solvent from the aerogel. Other aerogels are prepared by sequentially (1) mixing at least one dicyclopentadiene monomer, at least one solvent at least one catalyst and at least one inorganic and/or organic reinforcing material, (2) gelling the mixture, (3) aging, and (4) supercritical drying. Aerogels provided herein are inexpensive to prepare, possess desirable 10 thermal, mechanical, acoustic, chemical, and physical properties and are hydrophobic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Aspen Aerogels, Inc.
    Inventors: Je Kyun Lee, George L Gould
  • Patent number: 8915996
    Abstract: A filler composition for use in a casting formulation, where the filler composition includes a mineral filler, hollow plastic microspheres, and a food grade and non-flammable liquid, and where when the filler composition is mixed with a casting resin an OSHA 8-hour Permissible Exposure Limit set for Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated is not exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Arizona Cultured Stone Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory S. Novak, John P. Simmons, II, Stephen Gleason
  • Patent number: 8912251
    Abstract: A process comprising heating an aqueous dispersion of first structured polymer particles at a temperature of at least about 155° C., optionally in the presence of a base and/or a swelling agent, to produce an aqueous dispersion of heat treated structured polymer particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: OMNOVA Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Melinda H. Keefe, James G. Galloway, Ray E. Drumright, Michael J. Devon, Dwayne J. Nicholson
  • Patent number: 8912296
    Abstract: Provided is a process for preparing polystyrene having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) in the range of 120,000-160,000 g/mol, a polydispersity in the range of 4-6 and a melt flow rate of at least 40 g/10 minutes by feeding styrene into a reaction system through which the styrene passes as a component of a reaction mixture as it is polymerized, the reaction system including an initial reaction zone (100) and a downstream reaction zone (200), comprising the steps of: polymerizing styrene in the initial reaction zone to form polystyrene having a Mw of greater than 300,000 g/mol and a polydispersity in the range 1.5-2.5, 10-30 wt. % of the styrene fed to the initial reaction zone being polymerized there, —and polymerizing styrene remaining in the reaction mixture in the downstream reaction zone, a chain transfer agent being mixed with the reaction mixture at the commencement of this reaction zone and optionally at one or more additional locations within this reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Styron Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Gilbert Bouquet, Ulrich Reifert, Nicolaas M. A. Hermans
  • Patent number: 8912243
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a composition or set of compositions and method for producing cellular, foamed, or blown fluoropolymers such as perfluoropolymers and other thermoplastics to create a lower cost communications cable, conductor separator, conductor support-separator, jacketing, tape, wire insulation and in some cases a conduit tube as individual components or combined configurations that exhibit improved electrical, flammability and optical properties. Specifically, the foamable or blown perfluoropolymer cellular insulation composition comprises; talc and the selected fluoropolymers such as perfluoropolymers. Compounded pellets including inorganic and organic fillers resulting in products in cellular or foamable form with and without solid skin surfaces has also been realized by providing melt combinations within the pellets primarily comprising talc and a perfluoropolymer, and additives as needed to provide desired property differentiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Cable Components Group, LLC
    Inventor: Charles A. Glew
  • Patent number: 8901199
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to compositions for natural and artificial nail coatings, and particularly, but not by way of limitation, to polymerizable compositions that provide improved adhesion-promoting and improved solvent-susceptibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Creative Nail Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Thong Vu, Chad Conger, Diane Marie Larsen, David Valia, Douglas D. Schoon
  • Patent number: 8901183
    Abstract: Expandable composite resin particles for long-term storage, comprising 500 to 5000 ppm of water and 7.5 to 11.0% by weight of pentane in composite resin of polyolefin-based resin and polystyrene-based resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Sekisui Plastics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasutaka Tsutsui, Masahiko Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8895635
    Abstract: The present invention relates to foam products made with blowing agent compositions comprising at least one hydrochlorofluoroolefin (HCFO) used in the preparation of Namable thermoplastic compositions. The HCFOs of the present invention include, but are not limited to, 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HCFO-1233zd), particularly the trans-isomer, 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HCFO-1233xf), dichloro-fluorinated propenes, and mixtures thereof. The blowing agent compositions of the present invention are used with coblowing agents including carbon dioxide, atmospheric gases, hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), hydrofluoroolefins (HFO), alkanes, hydrofluoroethers (HFE), and mixtures thereof. Preferred HFCs used as coblowing agents in the present invention include, but are not limited too, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a), 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a), 1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HFC-143a), pentafluorethane (HFC-125), difluoromethane (HFC-32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Arkema Inc.
    Inventors: Brett L. Van Horn, Maher Y. Elsheikh, Benjamin Bin Chen, Philippe Bonnet
  • Patent number: 8889797
    Abstract: Disclosed are a polylactide stereocomplex with improved thermal stability and thus improved processability and a method for preparing the same. In order to confer flexibility to polymer chains, D-type polylactide polymer containing a small amount of caprolactone (poly D-lactide-caprolactone copolymer) is synthesized and it is uniformly mixed with L-type single-phase polylactide to prepare a flexible polylactide stereocomplex. Since the polylactide stereocomplex having flexible polymer chains has superior heat resistance and mechanical stability and experiences little decrease of the degree of stereocomplex formation even after thermal processing, the polylactide stereocomplex having improved thermal stability can be advantageously used for engineering plastics requiring high strength and good thermal stability, alternative materials for general-use plastics, high-performance medical materials, or the like because of its remarkably improved processability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Chae Hwan Hong, Do Suck Han, Soo Hyun Kim, Young Mee Jung
  • Patent number: 8889753
    Abstract: Extrusion blown film comprising a polypropylene composition, said polypropylene composition comprises a random propylene copolymer, a high melt strength polypropylene, a polypropylene and optionally a clarifier, wherein • the random propylene copolymer comprises units derived from propylene and at least another C2 to C20 ?-olefin, • the high melt strength polypropylene has a branching index g? of less than 1.0, the polypropylene (B) has a MFR2 (230° C.) of at least 400 g/10 min, • the clarifier comprises at least one ?-nucleating agent, and wherein further • the branching index g? of the random propylene copolymer and the branching index g? of the polypropylene are higher than the branching index g? of the high melt strength polypropylene, • the random propylene copolymer has lower melt flow rate MFR2 (230° C.) than the polypropylene, • the extrusion melt blown film and/or the polypropylene composition (i) fulfill(s) the equation (I) Tm?Tc<30 (I) wherein Tm is the melting tempareture [° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Borealis AG
    Inventors: Klaus Bernreitner, Peter Niedersuss, Markus Gahleitner
  • Patent number: 8889750
    Abstract: Polypropylene resin expanded particles comprises a polypropylene resin as a base material resin, the polypropylene resin having at least three melting peaks on a DSC curve for a second temperature rise measured at a heating rate of 10 g/min with use of a heat flux differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), the at least three melting peaks including (i) a lowest temperature melting peak of 100° C. to 130° C. and (ii) a highest temperature melting peak of 140° C. to 160° C., the polypropylene resin having a resin DSC ratio change rate of 0.5%/° C. to 3.0%/° C., the expanded particles having two melting peaks in a DSC measurement made at a first temperature rise at the heating rate of 10 g/min, the two melting peaks including, (i) on a lower temperature side, a melting peak temperature of 100° C. to 130° C. and, (ii) on a higher temperature side, a melting peak temperature of 140° C. to 160° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Senda
  • Patent number: 8883869
    Abstract: This invention relates to impact absorbing foams. These foams comprise a polymeric foam and ceramic particulates dispersing the foam. These foams have numerous uses, including, for example, as interior pads for football helmets, and the like, for reducing head injuries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Provee Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Schofalvi, Ji Seung Kim, Christopher James Durning