Abstract: Disclosed is a urological device comprising a polymeric prosthesis coated on its surface by a grafted or interpenetrated hydrogel copolymer comprising 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, methacrylic acid, and a crosslinking agent, wherein each constituent of said copolymer is present in an amount selected from a defined range of mole fraction %. The hydrogel exhibits a shrink/swell behavior which varies with changing urine composition such that the polymer undergoes swelling and collapse in rapid response to said change and thereby prevents calcium encrustation. Also disclosed is a method for making the device.

Abstract: The instant invention is directed to a method for preparing free-flowing, water-soluble polymer gels comprising:(a) reducing the size of water-soluble polymer gels by a size-reduction means, so as to produce polymer gel particles which are less than 1/2 inch in their longest dimension; and(b) adding to the size-reduced polymer gels of Step (a) 0.001 to 20 percent, by weight, of an amphipathic compound, thereby reducing the adhesion of said gel particles to themselves and other substances.The instant invention is also directed to a free-flowing, water-soluble polymer gel admixture comprising:(a) size-reduced, water-soluble polymer gel particles, wherein said gel particles are less than 1/2 inch in their longest dimension; and(b) an amphipathic compound.

Abstract: A liquid-filled polyurethane elastomer gel is fabricated from water, organic glycol and a polyisocyanate prepolymer. The prepolymer is formed from organic di-isocyanate and organic diol or triol having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 10,000 and containing at least 40 percent by weight ethylene oxide adducts. The prepolymer is mixed with 3 to 20 times its weight of aqueous reactant including 25 to 65 percent by weight water and 75 to 35 percent by weight organic polyol. The resulting stable gel contains aqueous solutions or emulsions dispersed therein as small droplets comprising 75 to 95 percent of the weight of the resulting article. The liquid-filled polyurethane elastomer gel can be cast into shapes or can be formed into globs of random shape.

Abstract: Water-soluble polyesters useful in the preparation of bioerodible hydrogels are described. The polyesters are formed by condensing three monomers: a first monomer which is either an unsaturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid or an unsaturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic diol; a second monomer which is a water-soluble polyglycol; and a third monomer which is a dicarboxylic acid having an electron-withdrawing group placed vicinally to a carbonyl group of the acid. Water-soluble polyesters with molecular weights ranging from about 5000 to about 30,000 are disclosed.

Abstract: Water absorbent compositions exhibiting increased gel strengths comprise a water-swellable hydrophilic polymer and an inorganic powder and are prepared by physically blending the polymer and powder. The compositions can be incorporated into film laminates and can be employed in preparing improved disposable diapers.

Abstract: A sealing composition prepared by reacting water-soluble polyurethane prepolymer with water containing latex to provide a gelled viscous mass which will cure to a cross-linked latex-reinforced gel capable of preventing or inhibiting leakage in various structures, when applied at the site of the leakage in the viscous state. The sealing composition of the invention also preferably contains up to 60% by weight of fillers of the total weight of the composition to provide a high compressive strength, shrink-resistant sealing composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the gelation or viscosification of hydrocarbon fluids, wherein a polymer having the structure xB-[AB].sub.n -yA wherein the A block is hydrophobic and the B block is hydrophilic, n is an integer .gtoreq.1, x and y are 0 to 1 and y is 1 when n is 1, is mixed with an aqueous phase at a critical concentration level of about 0.001 to about 5.0 grams of polymer per 100 ml. of the aqueous phase, more preferably about 0.01 to about 3.0, and most preferably about 0.01 to about 1.0, thereby obtaining a turbid suspension of the polymer in the aqueous phase; adding with stirring about 0.1 to about 15.0 wt. % of a cosolvent to the turbid suspension, more preferably about 2.0 to about 15.0, and most preferably about 5.0 to about 15.

Abstract: Aqueous dispersions of fluorocarbon polymers in combination with the water-borne reaction product of (a) carboxyl-functional polymers, (b) polyepoxides and (c) tertiary amines are provided. Such dispersions can be applied to a variety of substrates by either conventional coating techniques or electrodeposition, and provide coatings that exhibit excellent release properties and high lubricity.

Abstract: A sound deadening material is obtained with a very high loading of sound damping materials such as barium sulfate, calcium carbonate or metal powders. These materials are mixed with water and are bound together by adding a water-miscible isocyanate-terminated prepolymer which reacts with the water to form a cross-linked binder.

Abstract: A hydrous gel consisting essentially of a water-in-oil dispersion cured with a crosslinking agent. The dispersion comprises a rubber component in which water is dispersed in the form of droplets in the presence of a surfactant. The rubber component is based on a liquid polyisoprene rubber having a cis-1,4 content of not less than 70% and a molecular weight of 8,000 to 120,000 or a modified polyisoprene rubber which is an adduct of the above-mentioned liquid polyisoprene rubber and maleic anhydride or a derivative thereof. The hydrous gel provides cold- and heat-retaining materials, perfume-retaining materials, adhesives for medical use, poultices and shock-absorbing materials.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for forming a polymeric solution or gel having a viscosity of at least about 50,000 cps which includes the steps forming a solvent system of an organic liquid and a polar cosolvent, the polar cosolvent being less than about 15 wt. % of the solvent system, a viscosity of the solvent system being less than about 1000 cps; dissolving to form a solution, a concentration of the neutralized sulfonated polymer in the solution being about 0.1 to about 20 wt. %, a viscosity of the solution being less than about 20,000 cps; and admixing or contacting said solution with about 5 to about 500 vol. % water, the water being immiscible with the solution and the polar cosolvent transferring from the solution phase to the water phase thereby causing the viscosity of said solution to increase rapidly from less to 20,000 cps to greater than 50,000 cps.

Abstract: Aqueous dispersions of fluorocarbon polymers in combination with the water-borne reaction product of (a) carboxyl-functional polymers, (b) polyepoxides and (c) tertiary amines are provided. Such dispersions can be applied to a variety of substrates by either conventional coating techniques or electrodeposition, and provide coatings that exhibit excellent release properties and high lubricity.

Abstract: A novel slow-curing water-curable urethane prepolymer composition obtained by reacting (A) a hydrophilic urethane prepolymer which is a reaction product of a polyisocyanate and a hydrophilic polyol prepolymer and has at least two --NCO groups and (B) a blocking agent selected from a class consisting of heterocyclic compounds having an ##STR1## structure in the molecule thereof, hydroxypyridines and hydroxyquinolines in the proportion that the equivalent ratio of the .dbd.NH groups of the --OH groups in the blocking agent (B) to the --NCO groups in the hydrophilic urethane prepolymer (A), that is, --OH or .dbd.NH/--NCO ratio, is 0.05 to 2 is disclosed. This composition is remarkably useful as a grouting material, for forming hydrogel which is effective as a fixative or carrier of various materials, as a vehicle for coating materials, and as a stabilizer and thickener for aqueous resin emulsions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for forming a polymeric solution or gel having a viscosity of less than about 50,000 cps which includes the steps of forming a solvent system of an organic liquid and a polar cosolvent, the polar cosolvent being less than about 15 wt. % of the solvent system, a viscosity of the solvent system being less than about 1,000 cps: dissolving a neutralized sulfonated polymer in the solvent system to form a solution, a concentration of the neutralized sulfonated polymer in the solution being about 0.5 to about 20 wt. %, a viscosity of the solution being about 5 to about 5,000 cps; and adding about 1 to about 500 vol. % water to the solution having a viscosity less than about 5,000 cps, the water being immiscible with the solution and the polar cosolvent transferring from the solution phase to the water phase thereby causing the viscosity of said solution to increase by a factor of at least 2 to less than 50,000 cps.

Abstract: A method for producing a hydrophilic gel comprising polymerizing acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol to obtain a polymer (A) which is then subjected to neutralization followed by heat treatment or to heat treatment followed by neutralization, or polymerizing a neutralized product of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol to obtain a polymer (B) which is then subjected to heat treatment, wherein said polymerization is carried out in an aqueous solution having a total concentration of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid or its neutralized product (the weight of the neutralized product is converted to the acid basis) and polyvinyl alcohol of 10 to 60% by weight, said heat treatment temperature is 50.degree. to 150.degree. C., and the weight ratio of polyvinylalcohol is acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid or its salt (the weight of the neutralized product is converted to the acid basis) is 5 to 95: 95 to 5.