Abstract: A polarizing beamsplitter is provided, comprising two wedge-shaped prisms of a birefringent material, the prisms forming a plan-parallel plate, wherein an incident light beam is separated into two partial beams being arranged parallel to the incident beam when emerging from the beamsplitter, the partial beams having a lateral distance with respect to each other, which is continuously changeable.

Abstract: The invention relates to an interferometric method for measuring a height of a first region on a first surface, the first surface having first areas having first optical properties and second areas having second optical properties, the method comprising the steps of generating of first and second coherent light beams, reflecting at least the first coherent light beam from the first region into a first return beam and reflecting the second coherent light beam from a second region into a second return beam, measuring at least a first reflectivity of the first region, determining a topography-dependent phase shift of the first and second return beams for the height measurement based on the first reflectivity.

Abstract: Water-soluble or water-swellable crosslinked copolymers consisting essentially of structural units of the formula 1 or a mixture of the structural units of the formula 1 with structural units of the formula 2 and structural units of the formula 3 where R, R1, R2, R3, Z and n are as defined in the description. These copolymers are crosslinked with compounds which contain at least two olefinic double bonds. These crosslinked copolymers are suitable as thickeners, in particular for cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations.

Abstract: The invention provides water-soluble or water-swellable copolymers obtained by free-radical copolymerization of A) acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurates, B) optionally, one or more olefinically unsaturated, optionally crosslinking comonomers containing at least one oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or phosphorus atom and possessing a molecular weight of less than 500 g/mol, C) one or more at least monofunctional, silicon-containing components capable of free-radical polymerization, the copolymerization D) taking place in the presence of at least one polymeric additive having number-average molecular weights of from 200 g/mol to 109 g/mol. The water-soluble or water-swellable copolymers of the present invention are useful in paper processing, laundry detergents, textile processing, petroleum extraction and formulating cosmetics.

Abstract: The invention relates to deodorants and antiperspirants comprising at least one copolymer. The copolymer is obtained by free-radical copolymerization of A) acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurates, and B) optionally, one or more further olefinically unsaturated, noncationic comonomers, C) optionally, one or more olefinically unsaturated, cationic comonomers, D) optionally, one or more silicon-containing component(s), E) optionally, one or more fluorine-containing component(s), F) optionally, one or more macromonomers, G) optionally, the copolymerization taking place in the presence of at least one polymeric additive, H) with the proviso that component A) is copolymerized with at least one component selected from one of the groups D) to G).

Abstract: A polarizing beamsplitter is provided, comprising two wedge-shaped prisms of a birefringent material, the prisms forming a plan-parallel plate, wherein an incident light beam is separated into two partial beams being arranged parallel to the incident beam when emerging from the beamsplitter, the partial beams having a lateral distance with respect to each other, which is continuously changeable.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, an optical inspection apparatus as well as a computer program product for optical inspection of a surface. The optical inspection apparatus can be effectively applied for optical inspection of periodic structures on e.g. a semi-conductor wafer for the purpose of quality control. By effectively splitting a light beam into a plurality of spatially separated light beams and by selective usage of these light beams, various surface segments of the surface can be inspected simultaneously by superposition of respective images. A resulting superposition image can then be compared with a reference image for detection of defects of the surface.

Abstract: The invention provides water-soluble or water-swellable copolymers obtained by free-radical copolymerization of A) acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurates, B) if desired, one or more other olefinically unsaturated, optionally crosslinking comonomers containing at least one oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or phosphorus atom and possessing a molecular weight of less than 500 g/mol, the copolymerization C) taking place in the presence of at least one polymeric additive having a number-average molecular weight of from 200 g/mol to 109 g/mol. The water-soluble or water-swellable copolymers of the present invention are useful in paper processing, laundry detergents, textile processing, petroleum extraction and formulating cosmetics.

Abstract: The invention relates to an interferometric method for measuring a height of a first region on a first surface, the first surface having first areas having first optical properties and second areas having second optical properties, the method comprising the steps of generating of first and second coherent light beams, reflecting at least the first coherent light beam from the first region into a first return beam and reflecting the second coherent light beam from a second region into a second return beam, measuring at least a first reflectivity of the first region, determining a topography-dependent phase shift of the first and second return beams for the height measurement based on the first reflectivity.

Abstract: Liquid bleaching composition components are claimed which comprise 1) amphiphilic copolymers which include structural units which are derived from a) acryloyldimethyltauric acid in free, partially neutralized or completely neutralized form with mono- or divalent inorganic or organic cations and b) at least one hydrophobic comonomer based on ethylenically unsaturated polyalkylene alkoxylates and optionally c) further at least monovinylically unsaturated comonomers different from a) and b), and 2) at least one bleach activator, bleach catalyst or oxygen transfer agent.

Abstract: An optical device has a rotatable birefringent crystal. The crystal is rotatable around a first axis (4; 42) and has a crystallographic-optical axis (6; 44) in a plane that is perpendicular to the first axis. In addition, the crystal is rotated around the first axis in order to control a displacement (?x) of a light beam in the plane when the light beam is polarized within the plane and directed onto the crystal.

Abstract: The invention provides water-soluble or water-swellable copolymers obtained by free-radical copolymerization of A) acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurates, B) optionally, one or more other olefinically unsaturated, noncationic, optionally crosslinking comonomers containing at least one oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or phosphorus atom and possessing a molecular weight of less than 500 g/mol, C) one or more mono- or polyolefinically unsaturated, optionally crosslinking macromonomers each possessing at least one oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or phosphorus atom and having a number-average molecular weight of greater than or equal to 200 g/mol, and D) one or more olefinically unsaturated, cationic comonomers containing at least one oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or phosphorus atom and possessing a molecular weight of less than 500 g/mol, the copolymerization E) taking place in the presence or absence of at least one polymeric additive having number-average molecular weights of from 200 g/mol to 109 g/mol.

Abstract: The invention relates to compositions comprising copolymers based on acryloyldimethyltaurine and also synergistic additives selected from anionic, cationic, nonionic, and betaine surfactants. The compositions exhibit a pronounced thermoassociative behavior and are outstandingly suitable as thickeners. The copolymers of the present invention are useful in formulating cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and oil field chemicals.

Abstract: Water-soluble and/or water-dispersible comb polymers consisting of a polymer main chain and polyester side-arms which contain sulphone groups and are linked to said polymer main chain via ester groups.

Abstract: The invention provides acidic cosmetic, dermatological, and pharmaceutical agents comprising at least one copolymer obtainable by free-radical copolymerization of A) acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurates, B) optionally, one or more further olefinically unsaturated, noncationic comonomers, C) optionally, one or more olefinically unsaturated, cationic comonomers, D) optionally, one or more silicon-containing component(s), E) optionally, one or more fluorine-containing component(s), F) optionally, one or more macromonomers, G) the copolymerization taking place if desired in the presence of at least one polymeric additive, H) with the proviso that component A) is copolymerized with at least one component selected from one of the groups D) to G).

Abstract: The invention relates to cosmetic, dermatological, and pharmaceutical products containing an electrolyte. The products are obtained by free-radical copolymerization of A) acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurates, and B) optionally, one or more further olefinically unsaturated, noncationic comonomers, C) optionally, one or more olefinically unsaturated, cationic comonomers, D) optionally, one or more silicon-containing component(s), E) optionally, one or more fluorine-containing component(s), F) optionally, one or more macromonomers, G) optionally, the copolymerization taking place in the presence of at least one polymeric additive, H) with the proviso that component A) is copolymerized with at least one component selected from one of the groups D) to G).

Abstract: A process for the preparation of alk(en)ylphosphoric ester salts of the formula (I) and/or of the formula (II) is described, in which R1 and R2 are identical or different and, independently of one another, are a linear or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 30 carbon atoms or are a linear or branched alkenyl radical having 2 to 30 carbon atoms and Xn+ is a cation with the valence n, which comprises reacting alk(en)ylphosphoric esters of the formula (III) and/or of the formula (IV) in which R1 and R2 have the meaning given above, in an aprotic solvent or aprotic solvent mixture with a base from which the cation Xn+ comes.

Abstract: The invention provides water-soluble or water-swellable copolymers obtained by free-radical copolymerization of A) acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurates, B) optionally, one or more other olefinically unsaturated, noncationic, optionally crosslinking comonomers containing at least one oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or phosphorus atom and possessing a molecular weight of less than 500 g/mol, C) one or more mono- or polyolefinically unsaturated, optically crosslinking macromonomers each possessing at least one oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or phosphorus atom and having a number-average molecular weight of greater than or equal to 200 g/mol, and D) taking place in the presence of at least one polymeric additive having number-average molecular weight of from 200 g/mol to 109 g/mol. The water-soluble or water-swellable copolymers of the present invention are useful in formulating cosmetics.

Abstract: A polarizing beamsplitter is provided, comprising two wedge-shaped prisms of a birefringent material, the prisms forming a plan-parallel plate, wherein an incident light beam is separated into two partial beams being arranged parallel to the incident beam when emerging from the beamsplitter, the partial beams having a lateral distance with respect to each other, which is continuously changeable.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method of detecting impurities in a cylindrically shaped transparent medium, wherein the cylindrically shaped transparent medium is illuminated with electromagnetic radiation, and the radiation having components emerging radially from the medium, and at least some of the components are received by a detector for detecting impurities of the medium. The components are detected at a multiplicity of relative angular positions around the symmetry axis of the cylinder, so as to form an impurity diagram that may be analyzed to detect and measure impurities in the medium.