Patents Examined by Vasu S. Jagannathan
  • Patent number: 5498672
    Abstract: Novel polymer compositions that comprise high 1,2-enrichment are described herein. Said polymer compositions have up to about 50% by weight of 1,2 units wherein about 25% to about 75% by weight of all 1,2 units are present in the polymer backbone. Additionally a novel process is disclosed for producing polymer compositions by dissolving a polydiene in a monomeric diene during emulsion polymerization conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dwain M. White, Janet L. Gordon
  • Patent number: 5494971
    Abstract: A multistaged polymer containing a hydrophilic core fully encapsulated with a hydrophobic shell without a tiecoat layer is disclosed. A method is also disclosed for encapsulating hydrophilic polymers including the steps of:(1) emulsion polymerizing a hydrophilic core polymer from about 5% by weight to about 100% by weight, based on the total weight of the core polymer, of a hydrophilic monoethylenically unsaturated monomer and from 0% by weight to about 95% by weight, based on the total weight of the core polymer, of at least one nonionic monoethylenically unsaturated monomer;(2) emulsion polymerizing, in the presence of the core polymer, at least one shell polymer from about 90% by weight to about 99.9% by weight, based on the total weight of shell polymer, of at least one nonionic monoethylenically unsaturated monomer and from about 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Company
    Inventor: Robert M. Blankenship
  • Patent number: 5494508
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for improving the erasability of erasable marking compositions, while maintaining the opacity of the coating and without producing burnishing, by incorporating into the compositions voided latex particles having a shell polymerized from either:(1) at least about 25% by weight, based on the weight of the shell, of a crosslinking comonomer;(2) at least about 5% by weight, based on the weight of the shell, of a crosslinking comonomer, when at least about 50% by weight of methyl methacrylate is used as a comonomer in the shell.An improved liquid marking composition is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Company
    Inventor: Martin Vogel
  • Patent number: 5494973
    Abstract: In a first step of this process an elastomer latex is prepared in aqueous emulsion in the presence of at least one ionic surfactant and at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer; then in a second step at least one vinyl monomer, which is insoluble in water or sparingly soluble in water, is added to the latex thus obtained and the ionic charges introduced by the said latex are neutralised by adding to the mixture of latex and monomer at least one transfer agent carrying ionic charges opposite to those of the surfactant used in the first step, in order to effect the transfer of particles of the latex into the vinyl monomer; then in a third step the aqueous phase is separated from the organic phase comprising the latex and the vinyl monomer; and in a fourth step the bulk polymerisation of the organic phase is carried out in such a way as to obtain the cast sheet after cooling and release from the mould.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Elf Atochem S.A.
    Inventors: Philippe Heim, Patrice Gaillard
  • Patent number: 5494962
    Abstract: Thermoplastic composition comprising at least:a polyolefin (A),a thermoplastic polymer (B), andat least one compound (C) derived from functional compound(s) (D) containing one or more groups chosen from carbon-carbon double and triple bonds and substituted carboxylic groups, obtained by melt blending the polymers (A) and (B) in the presence of the compounds (D).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Solvay (Societe Anonyme)
    Inventors: Fernand Gauthy, Eric Vandevijver, Ardechir Momtaz
  • Patent number: 5494974
    Abstract: Disclosed is a reactive particulate resin which is characterized by each particle thereof having a core of three-dimensionally crosslinked resin having a degree of crosslinking from 0.05 to 2.0 mmol/g, and a shell formed thereon having a radical-polymerizable ethylenic unsaturated bond and is formed by polymerization of one or more polyfunctional monomers (A) and one or more non-aromatic radical-polymerizable monomers (B), the polyfunctional monomer (A) having in the molecule (a) at least one species of 1-monosubstituted and 1,1-disubstituted radical-polymerizable ethylenic unsaturated bonds and also (b) at least one of at least one species of 1,2-disubstituted, 1,1,2-trisubstituted, and 1,1,2,2-tetrasubstituted radical-polymerizable ethylenic unsaturated bonds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignees: Ferro Enamels (Japan) Limited, Nippon Paint Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasumasa Asanaka, Hiroshi Takeuchi, Masanori Ohiwa, Tohru Nakatsuka, Shuhei Yamoto
  • Patent number: 5489648
    Abstract: A modified polyolefin prepared from an aqueous suspension containing (a) a crystalline polyolefin, (b) 1 to 500 parts by weight of a vinyl monomer per 100 parts by weight of the crystalline polyolefin, and (c) 0.01 to 10 parts by weight of a radical polymerization initiator per 100 parts by weight of the vinyl monomer by impregnating the crystalline polyolefin (a) with the vinyl monomer (b) and heating the aqueous suspension to polymerize the vinyl monomer (b) at a temperature equal to or higher than a temperature at which the crystal region of the polyolefin (a) begins to substantially melt, which has an excellent effect of improving processability of other polyolefins and provides a polyolefin composition having excellent properties such as processability, impact resistance, rigidity and surface properties when the modified polyolefin is incorporated into polyolefins optionally with a core-shell graft copolymer and/or an inorganic filler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Kanegafuchi Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Okimura, Taizo Aoyama, Hiroki Kobayashi, Akinori K. Shu, Kazuhiro Hara
  • Patent number: 5489629
    Abstract: Disclosed are a rubber-modified polystyrene resin composition which comprises a polystyrene resin serving as a matrix and soft component particles as dispersed therein, the composition fulfilling the following requirements (a) to (d):(a) the polystyrene resin as the matrix satisfies the following requirements:150,000.ltoreq.Mw.ltoreq.500,000wherein Mw is the weight average molecular weight, and2.ltoreq.Bn(Mz).ltoreq.20wherein Bn(Mz) is the branch count or the number of branching points in the Z-average molecular weight (Mz),(b) the soft component particles in the composition have an average particle diameter (Dp) of 0.1 to 10 .mu.m,(c) the soft component particles in the composition have a swelling index in the range of 3 to 30, and(d) the proportion of the soft component particles in the composition is in the range of 5 to 30% by weight, as well as an injection-molded article formed from the composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Ishii, Hayato Kihara, Shuji Yoshimi, Hiroshi Miyagi
  • Patent number: 5489652
    Abstract: Disclosed are a rubber-modified polystyrene resin composition which comprises a polystyrene resin serving as a matrix and soft component particles as dispersed therein, the composition fulfilling the following requirements (a) to (d):(a) the polystyrene resin as the matrix satisfies the following requirements:150,000.ltoreq.Mw.ltoreq.500,000wherein Mw is the weight average molecular weight, and2.ltoreq.Bn(Mz).ltoreq.20wherein Bn(Mz) is the branch count or the number of branching points in the Z-average molecular weight (Mz),(b) the soft component particles in the composition have an average particle diameter (Dp) of 0.1 to 10 .mu.m,(c) the soft component particles in the composition have a swelling index in the range of 3 to 30, and(d) the proportion of the soft component particles in the composition is in the range of 5 to 30% by weight, as well as an injection-molded article formed from the composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Ishii, Hayato Kihara, Shuji Yoshimi, Hiroshi Miyagi
  • Patent number: 5489657
    Abstract: A bulk process is provided for making maleimide copolymers. The process involves reacting a monomer mixture comprising a maleimide monomer compound, a vinyl aromatic compound and a vinyl cyanide compound in a continuous stirred tank reactor, and then further reacting the material in a plug flow reactor to obtain a desired conversion level, and then devolatizing the product. The process provides enhanced oligomer control and enhanced levels of glass transition temperature and other properties. The maleimide copolymer obtained by the process may be further blended with impact modifiers to produce thermoplastic compositions which are useful for making molded articles such as automotive parts for under the hood applications, such as distributor caps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chen-Youn Sue, Gregory R. Prince, Stephen M. Campbell
  • Patent number: 5489649
    Abstract: Novel star-branched polymers in which the arms are each a polymer of an anionically polymerizable monomer consisting of monoethylenically unsaturated compounds comprising p-tert-butylstyrene (t-BS) coupled with a polyalkenyl coupling agent. Certain of the foregoing star-branched polymers, e.g., wherein the arms are a homopolymer of t-BS and the coupling agent is divinylbenzene (DVB), are useful as additives to functional fluids, particularly hydrocarbon lubricating oils, for the purpose of improving their viscometric properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Wan-Li Liu, Frederick C. Loveless
  • Patent number: 5489642
    Abstract: Repulpable contact adhesive based on a graft polymer in which 3-20% by weight of vinyl compounds having sulphonic acid salt groups are grafted onto a copolymer of (meth)acrylates and (meth)acrylic acid and which is rendered tacky by means of water-soluble plasticizers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Peter Gleichenhagen, Andreas Westphal
  • Patent number: 5484850
    Abstract: Copolymers crosslinkable by a free radical method and having a number average molecular weight of from 1500 to 6000 and a molecular weight distribution corresponding to a polydispersity of from 1 to 4.0 are obtainable by polymer-analogous reaction ofA) a copolymer (A) which is composed ofa1) from 50 to 85 mol % of a monomer (a1) containing the structural element of methacrylic acid anda2) from 15 to 50 mol % of another monomer (a2) undergoing free radical polymerization,a3) from 5 to 50 mol % of the total amount of the monomers (a1) and (a2) being monomers (a3) which carry functional groups and whose functional groups are capable of undergoing a condensation or addition reaction,and is obtainable by free radical mass or solution polymerization at from 140.degree. to 210.degree. C. and with an average residence time of from 2 to 90 minuteswithB) an olefinically unsaturated monomer (B) which carries a functional group which is complementary to the functional groups of the monomers (a3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Fritz E. Kempter, Wolfgang Reich, Ulrich Jager, Eckhard Korona
  • Patent number: 5480940
    Abstract: Process for making a polymer and the resultant polymer wherein polymer particles, preferably those having a core and a shell structure, most preferably wherein the core comprises polybutadiene and the shell comprises polymethylmethacrylate, are included in metathesis polymerizable mixtures to provide the resultant polymer with improved resistance to oxidation and greater retention of mechanical properties upon thermal aging, and to toughen the resultant polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Metton America, Inc.
    Inventors: Nitya P. Khasat, Douglas Leach
  • Patent number: 5478890
    Abstract: The olefin polymer composition according to the invention comprises [I] an (.alpha.-olefin/polyene copolymer-containing polymer in an amount of 0.005 to 99 by weight, said .alpha.-olefin/polyene copolymer-containing polymer comprising (i) an .alpha.-olefin/polyene copolymer and (ii) a polyethylene, and [II] a polyethylene in an amount of 1 to 99.995% by weight. The olefin polymer composition comprising the .alpha.-olefin/polyene copolymer-containing polymer [I] and the olefin polymer [II] has a high melt tension and an excellent moldability in an inflation molding, and further it can be molded into a large sized container, etc. by means of a blow molding or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Mitsui Petrochemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsunori Shinozaki, Mamoru Kioka
  • Patent number: 5475060
    Abstract: Cycloolefin block copolymers and a process for their preparation Cycloolefin block copolymers, which in particular are suitable as phase promoters, are preferably obtained by copolymerization of polycyclic olefins, such as norbornene, with acyclic olefins, such as ethylene, by, at a molecular weight distribution M.sub.w /M.sub.n of the polymer block forming of less than 2, changing the reaction conditions one or more times in such a way that the monomer/comonomer ratio changes by at least 10% or a further polymerizable monomer is metered into the monomer or the monomers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: Hoechst AG
    Inventors: Michael-Joachim Brekner, Frank Osan, Jurgen Rohrmann
  • Patent number: 5461113
    Abstract: Propylene copolymers grafted with .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid or carboxylic acid derivatives and consisting of a random propylene copolymer (I) with from 0.1 to 15% by weight of polymerized C.sub.2 -C.sub.10 -alk-1-enes and a random propylene copolymer (II) with from 15 to 80% by weight of polymerized C.sub.2 -C.sub.10 -alk-1-enes, are obtainable by reacting the graft monomer with the propylene copolymer at from 1 to 300 bar, from 0.01 to 1.0% by weight, based on the propylene copolymer, of the graft monomer being mixed with the molten propylene copolymer in the absence of a free radical initiator, and the grafting reaction being carried out at from 200.degree. to 350.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bernd L. Marczinke, Patrik Mueller, Juergen Kerth
  • Patent number: 5457161
    Abstract: There is disclosed a linear block copolymer comprising at least one triblock I--B--I, wherein I is a block of a polymerized conjugated diene of at least 5 carbon atoms, such as isoprene, and B is a block of a polymer of a conjugated diene, different from that of formula (1), of at least 4 carbon atoms, such as 1,3-butadiene. The B block is selectively hydrogenated, while each of the I blocks retains a sufficient amount of its original unsaturation to vulcanize the copolymer. There is also disclosed an alternative linear block copolymer containing at least one triblock of the first polymer block made from an aryl-substituted olefin, such as styrene, and the conjugated diene used to polymerize the block I, the second middle polymer block of the diene used to polymerize the block B, and the third polymer block which is the same as the first polymer block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas S. Coolbaugh, Frederick C. Loveless, Demetreos N. Matthews
  • Patent number: 5453467
    Abstract: A graft polymer obtainable by grafting a polymer substrate with a compound of formula (I), in which the groups R are the same or different and each is a straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group; X is an aryl group or a straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkylene group, optionally containing one or more carbon-carbon double or triple bonds, ether linkages or aryl groups; the aryl groups being unsubstituted or substituted by one or more C.sub.1-4 alkyl groups; n is from 2 to 4; and A is a reactive group, is useful as a biocompatible material in contact lenses, biomedical devices and blood-containing devices. In a preferred embodiment A is a polymerizable group and the graft polymer is produced by radical initiated polymerization of the compound of formula (I) on the substrate which is initiated by a radical-forming group on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Biocompatibles Limited
    Inventors: Clement H. Bamford, Kadem G. Al-Lamee, Yiannakis Yianni, Martin C. Wiles, Trevor O. Glasbey
  • Patent number: 5451639
    Abstract: Propylene copolymers grafted with .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids or carboxylic acid derivatives and consisting ofa.sub.1) a random propylene copolymer (A.sub.1) containing from 0.1 to 15% by weight of polymerized C.sub.2 -C.sub.10 -alk-1-enes or ofa.sub.2) a propylene copolymer (A.sub.2) comprising a random propylene copolymer (I) containing from 0.1 to 15% by weight of polymerized C.sub.2 -C.sub.10 -alk-1-enes and a random propylene copolymer (II) containing from 15 to 80% by weight of polymerized C.sub.2 -C.sub.10 -alk-1-enes or ofa.sub.3) a propylene copolymer (A.sub.3) comprising a propylene homopolymer (III) and a random propylene copolymer (IV) containing from 15 to 80% by weight of polymerized C.sub.2 -C.sub.10 -alk-1-enes,are obtainable by reacting the monomer to be grafted with the propylene copolymer (A.sub.1), (A.sub.2) or (A.sub.3) at from 1 to 300 bar, from 0.01 to 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bernd L. Marczinke, Juergen Kerth, Patrik Mueller, Horst Baumgartl, Peter Ittemann