Abstract: A battery assembly for an electric vehicle including a first battery unit, a DC/DC converter, and a battery receptacle for selectively receiving a second battery unit. The first battery unit is electrically connected to the DC/DC converter. Moreover, a first electric connection interface is positioned in the battery receptacle and is electrically connected to the DC/DC converter. Additionally, a vehicle including such a battery assembly is presented. Furthermore, a method for operating an electric vehicle is explained. A first operational mode includes electrically connecting the first battery unit to an electric traction machine and electrically connecting the second battery unit to the first battery unit. A second operational mode includes electrically connecting the second battery unit to the electric traction machine.

Abstract: A process for producing an unsaturated cyclic compound, comprising the steps of hydrochlorinating a terpene to produce a hydrochlorinated terpene, and subjecting the hydrochlorinate terpene to elimination of hydrogen chloride to form an unsaturated cyclic compound. The terpene is preferably &agr;-pinene, &bgr;-pinene, camphene or suitable turpentine fraction. The cyclic compounds can be used as monomers and by means of the invention it is thus possible to produce plastics from renewable raw material sources.

Abstract: A process for producing 2,6-dimethylnapthalene from 1-(p-tolyl)-2-methylbutane, 1-(p-tolyl)-2-methylbutene or a mixture thereof by dehydrocyclization in the presence of a catalyst, comprising using non-acidic activated carbon as a catalyst.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for the preparation of norbornene and substituted norbornene compounds via a Diels-Alder reaction, in which a cyclic diene is reacted with an olefinic compound in order to prepare a norbornene compound. According to the invention a cyclic diene is gradually added to react with an olefinic compound, in order to keep the concentration of the cyclic diene in the reaction mixture as low as possible during the reaction. It is possible to obtain a very pure product, high yield, short reaction time and high concentrations of the exo diastereomer with the method of the invention.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing a polymer blend wherein a first phase containing a polyacrylate polymer prepared by radical polymerization and a source of radicals, and a second phase containing a polyolefin polymer are compounded by melt processing.