Patents by Inventor John J. Gathers

John J. Gathers has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7671131
    Abstract: Polymer blends comprise at least an ethylene/?-olefin interpolymers and at least one polyolefin. The polyolefins can be homopolymers or interpolymers and have a melt strength of at least about 6 cN. The ethylene/?-olefin interpolymer is a block copolymer having at least a hard block and at least a soft block. The soft block comprises a higher amount of comonomers than the hard block. The block interpolymer has a number of unique characteristics disclosed here. The polymer blends can be profiled extruded to make profiles, gaskets, and other products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Morgan M. Hughes, Yunwa W. Cheung, Pankaj Gupta, John J. Gathers
  • Patent number: 6482886
    Abstract: Fibrous product is externally sized by applying to the material a basic aqueous dispersion of an interpolymer of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer and an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid comonomer. The preferred dispersions which have lower initial viscosities provide dispersion/starch dilute solutions with higher viscosities and improved external sizing effectiveness. Resulting fibrous products are adequately sized and exhibit excellent printability and strength properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Malcolm F. Finlayson, Kenneth E. Springs, John J. Gathers, James L. Cooper, Walter L. Vaughn, Brian H. Schumann, Stephen M. Oliver
  • Patent number: 6388014
    Abstract: A latex or fiber comprising a blend of polymeric materials consisting of one or more &agr;-olefin/ vinylidene monomer non-crosslinked substantially random interpolymers, wherein the distribution of the monomers of said interpolymers can be described by the Bernoulli statistical model or by a first or second order Markovian statistical model, and one or more homopolymers or copolymers of monomer components comprising aliphatic &agr;-olefins having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms, or aliphatic &agr;-olefins having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and containing polar groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Chung P. Park, Rene Broos, Johan Thoen, Martin J. Guest, Yunwa W. Cheung, John J. Gathers, Bharat I Chaudhary, Lawrence S. Hood
  • Patent number: 6329466
    Abstract: A foam comprising a blend of polymeric materials consisting of one or more &agr;-olefin/vinylidene monomer non-crosslinked substantially random interpolymers, wherein the distribution of the monomers of said interpolymers can be described by the Bernoulli statistical model or by a first or second order Markovian statistical model, and one or more homopolymers or copolymers of monomer components comprising aliphatic &agr;-olefins having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms, or aliphatic &agr;-olefins having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and containing polar groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Chung P Park, Rene Broos, Johan Thoen, Martin J. Guest, Yunwa W. Cheung, John J. Gathers, Bharat I Chaudhary, Lawrence S. Hood
  • Patent number: 6319577
    Abstract: A sheet, film, fiber, foam or latex prepared from a blend of polymeric materials comprising a plurality of substantially random interpolymers comprising vinyl aromatic and ethylene and/or alpha olefin monomers and wherein: a) the amount of polymer units derived from said vinyl aromatic monomer in any interpolymer component differs from that amount in another interpolymer component by at least 0.5 mole percent; b) the amount of polymer units derived from said vinyl aromatic monomer in the blend is greater than about 19 mole percent; and wherein c) the observed stress relaxation of the resulting blend is greater than the additive stress relaxation of the of the individual blend components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Martin J. Guest, John J. Gathers, Yunwa W. Cheung, Pak-Wing S. Chum
  • Patent number: 6184294
    Abstract: A fabricated article other than a film comprising a thermoplastic blend prepared from polymeric materials consisting of; (A) from 1 to 99 weight percent of at least one interpolymer made from monomer components comprising (1) from 0.5 to 65 mole percent of (a) at least one aromatic vinylidene monomer, or (b) at least one hindered aliphatic or cycloaliphatic vinylidene monomer, or (c) a combination of at least one aromatic vinylidene monomer and at least one hindered aliphatic or cycloaliphatic vinylidene monomer, and (2) from 99.5 to 35 mole percent of at least one aliphatic &agr;-olefin having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms; and (B) from 99 to 1 weight percent of at least one polymer made from monomer components comprising at least one &agr;-olefin having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms. These articles possess improved properties when compared to the properties of articles derived from the individual polymers comprising the blend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Chung P. Park, Johan Thoen, Rene Broos, Martin J. Guest, Yunwa W. Cheung, Bharat I Chaudhary, John J. Gathers, Lawrence S. Hood
  • Patent number: 6166145
    Abstract: Blends of polymeric materials comprising a plurality of substantially random interpolymers each interpolymer comprising:(1) from about 1 to about 65 mole percent of polymer units derived from either(a) at least one vinyl aromatic monomer or(b) at least one aliphatic or cycloaliphatic vinyl or vinylidene monomer, or(c) a combination of at least one vinyl aromatic monomer and at least one aliphatic or cycloaliphatic vinyl or vinylidene monomer, and(2) from about 35 to about 99 mole percent of polymer units derived from ethylene and/or at least one aliphatic alpha olefin having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms; and wherein:the amount of polymer units derived from vinyl aromatic monomer and/or aliphatic or cycloaliphatic vinyl or vinylidene monomer in any interpolymer component differs from that amount in another interpolymer component by at least 0.5 mole percent.These blends of interpolymer components give enhanced properties or processability when compared to the individual polymers comprising the blend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Martin J. Guest, Yunwa W. Cheung, John J. Gathers, Pak-Wing S. Chum
  • Patent number: 6087447
    Abstract: Blends of polymeric materials comprising (A) from about 1 to about 99 weight percent of at least one interpolymer containing (1) from about 1 to about 65 mole percent of (a) at least one vinylidene aromatic monomer, or (b) at least one hindered aliphatic vinylidene monomer, or (c) a combination of at least one vinylidene aromatic monomer and at least one hindered aliphatic vinylidene monomer, and (2) from about 35 to about 99 mole percent of at least one aliphatic .alpha.-olefin having from 2 to about 20 carbon atoms; and (B) from about 1 to about 99 weight percent of at least one homopolymer or interpolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and/or one or more hindered aliphatic vinylidene monomers. These blends have been observed to possess improved properties when compared to the individual polymers comprising the blend and to provide materials with enhanced processability and temperature ranges of performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: James C. Stevens, Francis J. Timmers, Martin J. Guest, John J. Gathers, Yunwa W. Cheung, Pak-Wing S. Chum, Chung P. Park, George P. Clingerman, Kevin D. Sikkema
  • Patent number: 5993604
    Abstract: The present pertains to an improved method of internally sizing a cellulosic article and an improved internally sized cellulosic article where a water-dispersible, water- and alkali-insoluble internal sizing agent from an interpolymer of an ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomer and an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid comonomer is applied to fiber stock or pulp slurry some amount of time subsequent to the instance of application of a retention aid. The invention also includes a novel internal sizing composition where the interpolymer is rendered water-dispersible by reaction with an inorganic neutralizing cationic compound. The improved method is particularly well suited for paper making wherein substantially improved sizing performance is obtainable. Internal sizing agents based on inorganic neutralizing cationic compounds such as, for example, potassium hydroxide, provide the surprising advantage of hard water resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Malcolm F. Finlayson, Kenneth E. Springs, John J. Gathers, James L. Cooper, Stephen M. Oliver
  • Patent number: 5739200
    Abstract: Properties of interpolymers of .alpha.-olefin/vinylidene aromatic monomer are enhanced with plasticizers selected from phthalate esters, trimellitate esters, benzoates, aliphatic diesters, epoxy compounds, phosphate esters, glutarates, polymeric plasticizers (polyesters of glycols and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids) and oils. These plasticized interpolymers are useful in a wide range of applications including films, sheet, adhesives, sealants and molded parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Yunwa W. Cheung, John J. Gathers, Martin J. Guest, James R. Bethea