Abstract: A bend stiffener comprises a (i) a flexible polymeric sleeve having an axial bore for receiving an elongated flexible member and (ii) attachment means for attaching the sleeve to a support. At least a portion of the flexible polymeric sleeve is a polyurethane elastomer produced in a reaction of an isocyanate-terminated prepolymer and a curing agent at an isocyanate index of 90 to 120. The isocyanate-terminated prepolymer has an isocyanate content of 7 to 15% by weight and is a reaction product of at least one aromatic polyisocyanate and at least one polyether polyol having a hydroxyl equivalent weight of 350 to 2000 and a nominal functionality of 2 to 2.3. The curing agent is one or more chain extenders having an equivalent weight per isocyanate-reactive group of up to 125 or a mixture of one or more such chain extenders and one or more polyether polyols having a hydroxyl equivalent weight of 350 to 2000 and a nominal functionality of 2 to 2.3.

Abstract: A bend stiffener comprises a (i) a flexible polymeric sleeve having an axial bore for receiving an elongated flexible member and (ii) attachment means for attaching the sleeve to a support. At least a portion of the flexible polymeric sleeve is a poly-urethane elastomer produced in a reaction of an isocyanate- terminated prepolymer and a curing agent at an isocyanate index of 90 to 120. The isocyanate-terminated prepolymer has an isocyanate content of 7 to 15% by weight and is a reaction product of at least one aromatic polyisocyanate and at least one polyether polyol having a hydroxyl equivalent weight of 350 to 2000 and a nominal functionality of 2 to 2.3. The curing agent is one or more chain extenders having an equivalent weight per isocyanate-reactive group of up to 125 or a mixture of one or more such chain extenders and one or more polyether polyols having a hydroxyl equivalent weight of 350 to 2000 and a nominal functionality of 2 to 2.3.

Abstract: A system and method for handling laboratory information includes a graphical user interface with a plurality of windows. A palette of icons is provided in a first one of the windows, each icon representing a predetermined task to be executed by a processor in communication with the graphical user interface. The processor is also in communication with a database containing static laboratory data (such as the type of sample to be analysed) as well as dynamic laboratory data (such as the name of the specific sample to be tested and the results of that test). A user can select icons from the first window and “drag and drop” them into a second window. A sequence of tasks may thus be built up, in the form of a tree structure, and when run the processor executes the sequence of tasks in turn by reference to the static and dynamic laboratory data.