Abstract: A method for producing a treated or modified polymer, the method comprising: combining a first liquid and at least one additive material to produce a first liquid and additive material mixture; agitating the first liquid and additive material mixture to disperse the at least one additive material throughout the first liquid; combining a second liquid and a polymer to wet the polymer to produce a wetted polymer; and combining the agitated first liquid and additive material mixture with the wetted polymer to produce a treated or modified polymer.

Abstract: A polymer composition that is loaded with clay is made by a process comprising the steps of: providing a mixture of a liquid, such as water, and clay, in which the clay is dispersed in the liquid, and treating the mixture to ensure that the clay is exfoliated; contacting particles of polymer with the mixture of liquid and exfoliated clay, at an elevated temperature at which the surface of the polymer particles is modified to enhance adhesion of the clay to the polymer particles; then separating the resulting polymer particles from the liquid; and then subjecting the separated polymer particles to a processing step to form a polymer/clay composition. The exfoliation of the clay may be ensured by ultrasonic treatment of the liquid and clay mixture, and by having a low concentration of clay in the liquid. The final composition, which may be formed by extrusion, has clay platelets distributed throughout the polymer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a treated or modified polymer, which process comprises the steps of: (I) providing a mixture comprising a liquid, an additive and a polymer, wherein the additive is dispersed in the liquid; and (II) heating the mixture obtained in step (I) to soften the surface of the polymer so that the additive attaches to the polymer.

Abstract: A platinum/Rhodium resistance thermal probe is used as an active device which acts both as a highly localized heat source and as a detector to perform localized differential calorimetry, by thermally inducing and detecting events such as glass transitions, meltings, recystallizations and thermal decomposition within volumes of material estimated at a few &mgr;m3. Furthermore, the probe is used to image variations in thermal conductivity and diffusivity, to perform depth profiling and sub-surface imaging. The maximum depth of the sample that is imaged is controlled by generating and detecting evanescent temperature waves in the sample.

Abstract: A platinum/Rhodium resistance thermal probe is used as an active device which acts both as a highly localized heat source and as a detector to perform localized differential calorimetry, by thermally inducing and detecting events such as glass transitions, meltings, recystallizations and thermal decomposition within volumes of material estimated at a few .mu.m.sup.3. Furthermore, the probe is used to image variations in thermal conductivity and diffusivity, to perform depth profiling and sub-surface imaging. The maximum depth of the sample that is imaged is controlled by generating and detecting evanescent temperature waves in the sample.