Abstract: A melt phase process for making a polyester polymer melt phase product by adding an antimony containing catalyst to the melt phase, polycondensing the melt containing said catalyst in the melt phase until the It.V. of the melt reaches at least 0.75 dL/g. Polyester polymer melt phase pellets containing antimony residues and having an It.V. of at least 0.75 dL/g are obtained without solid state polymerization. The polyester polymer pellets containing antimony residues and having an It.V. of at least 0.70 dL/g obtained without increasing the molecular weight of the melt phase product by solid state polymerization are fed to an extruder, melted to produce a molten polyester polymer, and extruded through a die to form shaped articles. The melt phase products and articles made thereby have low b* color and/or high L* brightness, and the reaction time to make the melt phase products is short.

Abstract: A melt phase process for making a polyester polymer melt phase product by adding an antimony containing catalyst to the melt phase, polycondensing the melt containing said catalyst in the melt phase until the It.V. of the melt reaches at least 0.75 dL/g. Polyester polymer melt phase pellets containing antimony residues and having an It.V. of at least 0.75 dL/g are obtained without solid state polymerization. The polyester polymer pellets containing antimony residues and having an It.V. of at least 0.70 dL/g obtained without increasing the molecular weight of the melt phase product by solid state polymerization are fed to an extruder, melted to produce a molten polyester polymer, and extruded through a die to form shaped articles. The melt phase products and articles made thereby have low b* color and/or high L* brightness, and the reaction time to make the melt phase products is short.

Abstract: A process to produce polyester product from alkylene oxide and carboxylic acid. More specifically this process relates to a process to produce polyethylene terephthalate where terephthalic acid and ethylene oxide are reacted to form a partially esterified terephthalic acid product and then the partially esterified product is further reacted with ethylene glycol to produce polyethylene terephthalate.

Abstract: A method is disclosed.

Abstract: A method for increasing recording format reliability in a tape drive system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes identifying a default media information region (MIR) on a media, wherein the default MIR includes MIR information divided into segments, reading the MIR information, rotating the MIR information into a first rotation MIR information by rotating the segments by one segment; and writing the first rotation MIR information into a first MIR on the media. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for contiguously appending data onto media in a tape drive system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes reading existing data recorded on a media, determining an append point on the media, and contiguously appending new data on the media starting at the append point such that any end pad is eliminated and no intermediate pads are resulted. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of crystallizing a plurality of polymeric pellets includes a step of introducing the pellets into a pneumatic conveying system with an initial average temperature. The plurality of polymeric pellets are pneumatically transferred from the inlet to an outlet with a conveying gas. While residing within the conveying system, the pellets have a sufficient temperature for crystallization to occur. A pneumatic conveying system implementing the methods of the invention is also provided.

Abstract: A method of crystallizing a plurality of crystallizable polymer pellets includes a step in which the pellets passed through regions that are temperature adjusted by a heat transfer jacket. The heat transfer jacket adjusts the temperature of the pellets by having a temperature sufficient to allow at least partial crystallization of the plurality of polymeric pellets while maintaining the average pellet temperature of the plurality of pellets below the melting temperature of the pellets. A crystallizer implementing the methods of the invention is also provided.

Abstract: A method of crystallizing a plurality of crystallizable polymer pellets includes a step in which the pellets are contacted with a temperature adjusting fluid in a crystallizer. The fluid adjusts the temperature of the pellets by having a temperature sufficient to allow at least partial crystallization of the plurality of polymeric pellets while maintaining the average pellet temperature of the plurality of pellets below the melting temperature of the pellets. A crystallizer implementing the methods of the invention is also provided.

Abstract: A method of crystallizing polymeric pellets includes a step in which a plurality of polymeric pellets are introduced into a crystallizer. While within the crystallizer, the plurality of pellets is contacted with a plurality of solid additives for the purpose of adjusting the average pellet temperature. The plurality of solid additives adjusts the temperature of the pellets by having a temperature sufficient to allow at least partial crystallization of the plurality of polymeric pellets while maintaining the average pellet temperature below the melting temperature. Finally, the plurality of polymer pellets is removed from the outlet of the crystallizer.

Abstract: Energy savings are realized during the commercial production of polyethylene terephthalate by partially cooling polyethylene terephthalate pellets exiting a solid stating reactor by contact with water, and using the residual heat stored in the pellets to vaporize associated water to form dry pellets.

Abstract: Strands of molten polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from a PET polycondensation reactor are solidified, pelletized, and cooled only to a temperature in the range of 50° C. to a temperature near the polymer Tg by contact with water. The still hot pellets are conveyed, optionally followed by drying to remove water, to a PET crystallizer. By avoiding cooling the amorphous pellets to room temperature with water and cool air, significant savings of energy are realized.

Abstract: Considerable energy savings may be realized by recovering heat from hot PET pellets exiting a solid state polymerization reactor, and using this heat to heat cool pellets entering the crystallizer or solid state polymerization reactor. The heat may be transferred from hot to cool pellets employing a heat exchanger.

Abstract: A self-extracting service module for piping infrastructures comprises a platform on which is mounted equipment for controlling and or monitoring the flow of liquid or gaseous media throughout the piping infrastructures. A first remote-controllable pipe coupling system is interconnected with the equipment inlet and a second pipe coupling system is interconnected to the equipment outlet. The platform is attached to actuators positioned near each corner of the platform. The actuators cooperate with at least one pressure-driven device. The service module is extracted from the piping infrastructure by isolating the equipment from the flow of liquid media after which, the pipe coupling systems are remotely disengaged from the piping infrastructure inlet and outlet. The actuators are operated to move the platform from within the piping infrastructure to a position where service work is easily performed on the equipment without the attendant hazards and constrictions associated with confined spaces.

Abstract: A self-extracting service module for piping infrastructures comprises a platform on which is mounted equipment for controlling and or monitoring the flow of liquid or gaseous media throughout the piping infrastructures. A first remote-controllable pipe coupling system is interconnected with the equipment inlet and a second pipe coupling system is interconnected to the equipment outlet. The pipe coupling systems are remotely manipulable for engaging and disengaging the equipment with piping infrastructure inlets and outlets. The platform is attached to actuators positioned near each corner of the platform. The service module is extracted from the piping infrastructure by first isolating the equipment from the flow of liquid media after which, the pipe coupling systems are remotely disengaged from the piping infrastructure inlet and outlet. The actuators are then operated to move the platform from within the piping infrastructure to a position where service work is easily performed on the equipment.

Abstract: In various aspects, the present teaching provide systems for providing sample ions, methods for providing sample ions, and sample support handling mechanisms. The sample support handling mechanisms of the present teachings comprising a sample support transfer mechanism portion and a sample support changing mechanism portion, where the sample support changing mechanism portion is disposed in a vacuum lock chamber. In various embodiments, the sample support handling mechanism facilitates providing consistent positioning of a sample support for subsequent ion generation by MALDI.

Abstract: There are disclosed polyester processes using a pipe reactor and corresponding apparatuses. In particular, there are disclosed processes and corresponding apparatuses including an esterification pipe reactor operated in an upflow or downflow mode, especially in a regime including stratified flow.

Abstract: A method is provided for detecting a tracer in a preparation by precipitating a coloring agent from a sample of the preparation, especially where the coloring agent otherwise interferes with detection of the tracer. A sample of the preparation may be contacted with an effective amount of a precipitating agent to precipitate the coloring agent in the sample, yielding a sample supernatant having a reduced concentration of coloring agent compared to the preparation. Detection of the tracer in the supernatant may produce a result which may be evaluated to assist in quality validation in a process of manufacturing the preparation or authenticating the preparation.

Abstract: A tape drive for use with magnetic tapes includes a housing for receiving a magnetic tape having multiple parallel tracks, and a tape head for reading and writing the parallel tracks of the magnetic tape. A plurality of partial response maximum likelihood (PRML) equalization/detection channels are provided for processing the data signals to determine the data stream for each data signal. The plurality of PRML equalization/detection channels includes at least one PRML equalization/detection channel pre-assigned to each track. The plurality of PRML equalization/detection channels further includes at least one floating PRML equalization/detection channel dynamically assignable on an as-needed basis. The invention also contemplates an ASIC, a generic drive, and a PRML method.

Abstract: A method and system for determining degradation of a tape drive and tape includes generating a count signal indicative of the number of data blocks read from tape having more than a predetermined threshold of data bytes in error. A degradation signal indicative of tape drive and tape degradation is generated if the ratio of corrected blocks versus the total number of blocks read from the tape is above a predetermined ratio. The degradation signal is indicative of tape drive degradation if the ratio of blocks having more than a predetermined number of error data bytes along a single track versus total number of blocks is above a predetermined ratio, and is indicative of tape degradation if the ratio of blocks having more than a predetermined number of tracks for a given data byte being in error versus total number of blocks read is above a predetermined ratio.