Abstract: Disclosed is a method including (A) melt blending first components including (a-1) a poly(trimethylene terephthalate) homopolymer or copolymer resin; and (a-2) one or more ionomer polymers or a combination of one or more ionomer polymers and acid polymers; to provide a first melt blend; and (B) melt blending said first melt blend with one or more Group B polymeric toughener(s) selected from the group consisting of an ethylene copolymers of the formula E/X/Y wherein: E is the radical formed from ethylene; X is selected from the group consisting of radicals formed from CH2?CH(R1)—C(O)—OR2 Y is one or more radicals formed from selected monomers with the proviso that Y must include at least one radical formed from monomers selected from the group consisting of maleic anhydride, (meth)acrylic acid, maleic acid, maleic acid monoesters, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, fumaric acid monoesters, salts of said preceding acids, and glycidyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, and glycidyl vinyl ether.

Abstract: Painted composite articles having good mechanical properties and smooth surface appearance comprising a reinforced thermoplastic polymeric components, a film, and a coating.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermoplastic melt-mixed composition including a) a polyamide resin; b) about 1.0 to about 5.0 weight percent of an amino acid thermal stabilizer; c) 10 to 60 weight percent reinforcing agent; and, optionally, 0 to 30 weight percent polymeric toughener; and molded or extruded thermoplastic articles made therefrom.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermoplastic melt-mixed composition including a) a polyamide resin b) about 1.0 to about 5.0 weight percent of a hydroxy amino acid thermal stabilizer, c) 10 to 60 weight percent reinforcing agent; and, optionally, 0 to 30 weight percent polymeric toughener; and molded or extruded thermoplastic articles made therefrom.

Abstract: Disclosed are toughened, antistatic resin composition and an article comprising the composition wherein the composition comprises or consists essentially of poly(hydroxyalkanoic acid), such as polylactic acid; an impact modifier comprising an ethylene copolymer; and an ion conducting polymer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermoplastic composition including (A) a polyamide resin independently selected from the group consisting of Group (I) Polyamides having a melting point of at least 260° C., and comprising (a) greater than 95 mole percent semiaromatic repeat units and (b) less than 5 mole percent aliphatic repeat units; (B) 0 to 60 weight percent of one or more reinforcement agents; and (C) 0 to 50 weight percent of one or more a polymeric tougheners; wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of said thermoplastic composition; and wherein said polyamide resin has at least 50 meq/Kg of acid ends.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an optical disk drive in which laser beams are emitted to an optical disk in a state of not rotated, and simultaneously an objective lens which collects the laser beams is moved to a direction approaching the optical disk at a constant speed, a time length required for moving a focused position of the laser beams from a surface of the optical disk to a recording layer is measured by observing a reflected light from the optical disk, and a type of the optical disk is determined based on the time Tdet thus measured, includes a control means which executes, a calculating process which calculates an additional travel time Tadd, based on the Tdet and an in-periphery maximum surface wobbling amount Vd of the optical disk, a moving process which further moves the objective lens for the additional travel time Tadd at the constant speed after the laser beams are focused on the recording layer, a rotating process which rotates the optical disk, a move-away process which moves the ob

Abstract: Poly(trimethylene terephthalate compositions comprising (a) molding resin comprising a poly(trimethylene terephthalate) resin and 0.1 to 4 weight percent of one or more ionomer polymers or a combination of the ionomer polymers and acid copolymers; (b) 0 to about 50 weight percent of one or more fillers, based on the total weight of the molding resin; and (c) about 1.0 to about 5 weight percent of one or more Group A polymeric tougheners based on the total weight of components (a) and (c); wherein: each ionomer polymer and acid copolymer has: C3 to C8 carboxylic acid repeat units; a weight percent, W, based on the weight of components (a) and (c); a weight fraction of C3 to C8 carboxylic acid repeat units, Z, based on the weight of each ionomer or acid copolymer; and a neutralization ratio, N, ranging in value from 0 to 1.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method including (A) melt blending first components including (a-1) a poly(trimethylene terephthalate) homopolymer or copolymer resin; and (a-2) one or more ionomer polymers or a combination of one or more ionomer polymers and acid polymers; to provide a first melt blend; and (B) melt blending said first melt blend with one or more Group B polymeric toughener(s) selected from the group consisting of an ethylene copolymers of the formula E/X/Y wherein: E is the radical formed from ethylene; X is selected from the group consisting of radicals formed from CH2?CH(R1)—C(O)—OR2 Y is one or more radicals formed from selected monomers with the proviso that Y must include at least one radical formed from monomers selected from the group consisting of maleic anhydride, (meth)acrylic acid, maleic acid, maleic acid monoesters, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, fumaric acid monoesters, salts of said preceding acids, and glycidyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, and glycidyl vinyl ether.

Abstract: Provided is an optical disc device for reading a signal recorded on an optical disc medium, which detects surface reflection at a surface of the optical disc medium, a fake signal generated based on the surface reflection, and light reflected by a data recording layer of the optical disc medium while an objective lens is moved relative to the surface of the optical disc medium, and discriminates a type of the optical disc medium based on a ratio of a first time period between an instant when the surface reflection is detected and an instant when the fake signal is detected, and a second time period between the instant when the surface reflection is detected and an instant when light reflected by the data recording layer is detected.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermoplastic composition including (A) a polyamide resin independently selected from the group consisting of Group (IV) Polyamides comprising (aa) about 50 to about 95 mole percent semiaromatic repeat and (bb) about 5 to about 50 mole percent aliphatic repeat units; and Group (VI) Polyamides having no melting point, (B) about 0.25 to about 15 weight percent of one or more polyhydric alcohols having more than two hydroxyl groups and a having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of less than 2000; (C) 0 to 60 weight percent of one or more reinforcement agents; and (D) 0 to 50 weight percent of a polymeric toughener wherein said polyamide resin has at least about 70 meq/Kg of amine ends.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermoplastic composition including A) a polyamide resin having a melting point and/or glass transition; B) 0.25 to 20 weight percent of at least one polyhydric polymer; C) 0 to 3 weight percent of one or more co-stabilizer(s); and, D) 0 to about 60 weight percent of one or more reinforcement agents, wherein said polyamide resin is selected from the group consisting of Group (III) Polyamides having said melting point of at least 210° C., and including about 20 to about 35 mole percent semiaromatic repeat units, Group (IV) Polyamides comprising about 50 to about 95 mole percent semiaromatic repeat units, Group (V) Polyamides having said melting point of at least 260° C., and including greater than 95 mole percent semiaromatic repeat units, and Group (VI) Polyamides having no melting point; with the proviso that when less than 10 weight percent said one or more reinforcement agent(s) is present, at least 0.1 weight % of said one or more co-stabilizer(s) also is present.

Abstract: Disclosed are toughened, antistatic resin composition and an article comprising the composition wherein the composition comprises or consists essentially of poly(hydroxyalkanoic acid), such as polylactic acid; an impact modifier comprising an ethylene copolymer; and an ion conducting polymer.

Abstract: An optical disk unit, for reading signals stored on an optical disk medium, is provided with an optical pickup 23 selectively irradiating light of one wavelength, from several mutually different wavelengths, to an optical disk medium by means of a single objective lens and outputting signals based on light reflected by the optical disk medium, a drive section for causing relative movement of the objective lens of the optical pickup with respect to a surface of the optical disk medium, wherein a peak level of a fake signal generated in the received light signal based on surface reflection at the optical disk surface while the objective lens is being moved relative to the optical disk medium surface by the drive section is detected, and the received light signal is compared with a threshold value that is set based on the detected peak level, to detect reflected light of a data storage layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermoplastic composition including a molding resin including (a-1) a poly(trimethylene terephthalate) resin, (a-2) 0 to 20 weight % of one or more organic additives; and (a-3) 0.1 to 4 weight % of one or more ionomer polymers or a combination of one or more ionomer polymers and acid copolymers; said ionomer polymers and acid copolymers having C3 to C8 carboxylic acid repeat units, and each ionomer and acid copolymer having: a weight %, W; a weight fraction of C3 to C8 carboxylic acid repeat units, Z, based on the weight of each ionomer or acid copolymer; and a neutralization ratio, N, equal to any value from 0 to 1.

Abstract: When first and second ignition switches are turned from on to off, a first or second CPU determines whether an abnormality has occurred in an electronically controlled brake system. When the first or second CPU determines that an abnormality has occurred, the first and second CPUs immediately turn off first and second main relays, respectively. When both the first and second CPUs determine that operation is normal and an occupant detection switch is off, the first and second CPUs keep the first and second main relays on for a predetermined period of time as a self-maintaining process during normal operation. In this self-maintaining process during normal operation, the period during which the first and second main relays are kept on is changed according to the voltage of a vehicle battery.

Abstract: One of the objects of the invention is to provide an optical disc apparatus capable of focusing on a signal surface regardless of appearance of a fake signal. The optical disc apparatus includes: an optical pickup for outputting a signal on the basis of reflection light of the optical disc, the optical pickup including an objective lens; a driving section for moving the objective lens of the optical pickup relative to an optical disc surface; and a focus controlling section for carrying out a focus detecting operation by detecting a reflection signal on a signal surface of the optical disc from the output signal of the optical pickup within a predetermined range of distance between the objective lens and the optical disc surface while the objective lens is being moved relative to the optical disc surface by means of the driving section.

Abstract: Disclosed is a molded or extruded thermoplastic article including a polyamide composition including (a) a polyamide resin (b) 0.1 to 10 weight percent of one or more polyhydric alcohols (c) 0 to 3 weight percent of a co-stabilizer selected from the group consisting of secondary aryl amines, hindered amine light stabilizers, and mixtures thereof; (d) 0 to less than 10 weight percent of one or more reinforcement agents; and (e) 0 to 50 weight percent polymeric toughener including a reactive functional group and/or a metal salt of a carboxylic acid; and wherein 4 mm test bars prepared from the polyamide composition, and exposed at an test temperature of 150° C. for a test period of about 1000 hours, have, on average, a retention of strain at break of greater than 80 percent compared with a control exposed at the said test temperature for 72 hours.

Abstract: Disclosed is a molded or extruded thermoplastic article including a polyamide composition including (a) a polyamide resin having a melting point and/or glass transition; (b) 0.1 to 10 weight percent of one or more polyhydric alcohols having more than two hydroxyl groups and having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of less than 2000; (c) 0.1 to 3 weight percent of one or more co-stabilizer(s) selected from the group consisting of secondary aryl amines and hindered amine light stabilizers, and mixtures thereof; (d) 10 to 60 weight percent of one or more reinforcement agents; and (e) 0 to 50 weight percent of a polymeric toughener including a reactive functional group and/or a metal salt of a carboxylic acid; wherein 4 mm test bars prepared from said polyamide composition, exposed at a test temperature at 170° C. for a test period of 500 hours have a retention of tensile strength, on average, of at least 50 percent, as compared with that of unexposed control of identical composition and shape.

Abstract: Disclosed is a molded or extruded thermoplastic article having high heat stability, including a thermoplastic polyamide composition including (a) a polyamide resin; (b) 0.25 to 20 weight percent of one or more polyhydroxy polymer(s) having a number average molecular weight of at least 2000; (c) 0.1 to 3 weight percent of one or more co-stabilizer(s) selected from the group consisting of secondary aryl amines, hindered amine light stabilizers, hindered phenols, and mixtures thereof; (d) 0 to less than 10 weight percent of one or more reinforcement agents; and (f) 0 to 20 weight percent of a polymeric toughener; wherein molded 4 mm test bars prepared from said polyamide composition, and exposed in an oven at an test temperature of at least 150° C.