Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a film forming, fractionated novolak resin, by:a) condensing formaldehyde with one or more phenolic compounds, and thereby producing a novolak resin;b) adding a photoresist solvent, and optionally a water-soluble organic polar solvent;c) feeding the mixture into a liquid/liquid centrifuge and feeding a C.sub.5 -C.sub.8 alkane, water or aromatic hydrocarbon solvent into the liquid/liquid centrifuge at a ratio of optional water-soluble organic polar solvent and photoresist solvent to C.sub.5 -C.sub.8 alkane, water or aromatic solvent, of from 5:1 to 0.5:1;d) rotating the liquid/liquid centrifuge containing the mixture at a speed of at least 500 rpm and thereby separating the mixture into two phases, collecting the two phases;e) optionally separating the lighter phase (L) into two second phases;f) removing residual C.sub.5 -C.sub.

Abstract: The invention relates to processes for treating acidic crudes or fractions thereof to reduce or eliminate their acidity by addition of effective amounts of crosslinked polymeric amines. The process has utility for crude processing.

Abstract: The use of falling-film evaporation and a concentration means such as centrifugal separation to dehydrate and concentrate a water-in-oil polymer emulsion or suspension is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a water-in-oil polymer composition containing less than about 25% active polymer solids is dehydrated in falling-film evaporator to produce an evaporator concentrate containing less than about 5.0% water. The evaporator concentrate then flows to a separation device such as a centrifuge, wherein oil is removed to produce a composition that is substantially a polymer and emulsifying surfactant-in-oil composition containing in excess of about 60 weight % polymer solids. The centrifuge raffinate may optionally be treated in a second separation means to capture additional polymer solids, with optional recycle of the oil-rich raffinate. The concentrated polymer composition is preferably stabilized with a steric stabilizer to produce a free flowing liquid product.

Abstract: A process for finishing latex to form a dry resin and the resulting product. The process includes coagulating a latex of a thermoplastic polymer at a temperature at or just above the agglomeration temperature of the resin, dewatering the resin slurry to form a resin cake, drying the resin cake using extrusion technology to form a resin melt and solidifying the resin melt to form the resin. Preferred processes of the invention also include finishing the resin, such as by pelletizing and/or grinding it. More preferred processes of the invention include collecting and neutralizing the aqueous liquid byproducts from the dewatering and drying steps of the process. One embodiment of the invention includes utilizing water to solidify the resin melt, pelletizing the resin and drying the pellets.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for recovering polyhydroxyalkanoate from a biological source material containing the polyhydroxyalkanoate, the process comprising: a) comminuting the biological source material; b) suspending the comminuted biological source material in a fluid; c) partitioning the polyhydroxyalkanoate from the other components of the biological source material by centrifugal fractionation to form a solid-solid separation; and d) recovering the polyhdroxyalkanoate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for recovering polyhydroxyalkanoate from biological source material containing the polyhydroxyalkanoate, the process comprising: a) comminuting the biological source material; b) suspending the comminuted biological source material in a fluid; c) partitioning the polyhydroxyalkanoate from the other components of the biological source material by centrifugal fractionation to from a solid-solid separation; and d) recovering the polyhydroxyalkanoate.

Abstract: Photoimageable polyquinoline compositions comprise a polyquinoline polymer, a diazonaphthoquinone and optionally a photosensitizer. The composition is prepared by dissolving the polyquinoline polymer, diazonaphthoquinone and photosensitizer in a solvent to form a solution, coating the solution onto a substrate and thereafter removing the solvent to form a film. The film is exposed to light through a photomask and developed by immersion in a selective solvent to yield a photopatterned dielectric film.

Abstract: A process for preparing a polymer cement which is relatively free of alkali metal salt by preparing the polymer cement with a polymerization terminating agent which is a diketone which leaves alkali metal salt in the cement which is readily removable by centrifugation.