Abstract: Hydrophobic substantially non-absorbent, substantially non-water wettable granular material suitable for use as a bedding for animals or for use as litter material in a waste receptacle for animals comprises particle-form granular material coated and/or impregnated with wax or paraffin or similar hydrophobic non-water wettable material and provided with an additional top coating or layer of a substantially non-water wettable material. A particularly useful material comprises granulated corn cob initially coated or impregnated with paraffin wax and subsequently coated or layered with a top coating or layer of a cured epoxy resin.

Abstract: Waste receptacles for use by animals, such as laboratory animals and household pets, are provided with an odor barrier of lightweight, non-absorbent, non-water-wettable, granular material, such as paraffin wax coated corn cob granules. The buoyant, non-absorbent, lightweight granular material is also useful as an odor barrier in liquid-containing portable human toilets and generally as an odor barrier for pools or sumps or open containers of odoriferous materials, such as aqueous offal wastes, aqueous waste from food processing plants and odoriferous wastes from other sources, such as industial sources, e.g., paper mills, chemical plants, manufacturing plants and the like. The non-absorbent granular material in animal toilet applications is conveniently retained on a foraminous tray which, in turn, is mounted on a collecting tray for collection of liquid waste percolating downwardly from the granular material into which the liquid waste was originally deposited.

Abstract: Solid particle-form, polymerizable or cross-linkable, multi-functional polymeric material containing blocked isocyanate groups wherein the blocked isocyanate groups making up said polymeric material comprise only a portion of the total isocyanate groups to produce said polymeric material, such as extrudable, thermosettable powdered blocked polyurethane (PBP) has been prepared. This material is useful per se for the manufacture of articles and may be added in combination with other materials, such as thermoplastic resin, e.g. polyethylene, polyvinyl cloride, for improving the usefulness, versatility and physical and/or chemical properties thereof. The polymeric material, such as PBP, is useful as a coating on metal and non-metallic surfaces, e.g. glass or fibrous surfaces, either as a protective coating or for the purpose of laminating such surfaces to another surface.

Abstract: Polymeric materials are prepared by polymerizing an organic compound containing at least two labile hydrogens in the presence of a zirconium, hafnium or titanium halide. The labile hydrogen atoms are provided by amides, including aminoplasts, carboxylic acids, polyhydroxy compounds or other compounds capable of forming reactive complexes with zirconium, hafnium and titanium halides. Aqueous media can be employed.

Abstract: Solid particle-form, polymerizable or cross-linkable, multi-functional polymeric material containing blocked isocyanate groups wherein the blocked isocyanate groups making up said polymeric material comprise only a portion of the total isocyanate groups to produce said polymeric material, such as extrudable, thermosettable powdered blocked polyurethane (PBP) has been prepared. This material is useful per se for the manufacture of articles and may be added in combination with other materials, such as thermoplastic resins, e.g. polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, for improving the usefulness, versatility and physical and/or chemical properties thereof. The polymeric material, such as PBP, is useful as a coating on metal and non-metallic surfaces, e.g. glass or fibrous surfaces, either as a protective coating or for the purpose of laminating such surfaces to another surface.