The present invention encompasses polyurethane compositions comprising aliphatic polycarbonate chains. In one aspect, the present invention encompasses polyurethane foams, thermoplastics and elastomers derived from aliphatic polycarbonate polyols and polyisocyanates wherein the polyol chains contain a primary repeating unit having a structure: ##STR00001## In another aspect, the invention provides articles comprising the inventive foam and elastomer compositions as well as methods of making such compositions.

A water-based primer composition is particularly suitable for the pre-treatment of polycarbonate substrates, and has a component K1 having an aqueous epoxy resin dispersion, an aqueous polyester-polyurethane dispersion and an aqueous polyacrylate dispersion, and optionally a water-miscible organic solvent, and a second component K2 containing a water-dispersible curing agent based on isocyanate. The primers provide a strong bonding of subsequently applied adhesives to polycarbonate substrates, and permit a processing with a significant reduction in VOC emissions and the prevention of the occurrence of stress-cracks.

A poly(arylether sulfone) polymer [(t-PAES) polymer, herein after], wherein more than 70% moles of the recurring units are recurring units (R.sub.t) of formula (St): -E-Ar.sub.1S0.sub.2-[Ar.sub.2-(T-Ar.sub.3).sub.nSO.sub.2]m-Ar.sub.4 (formula S.sub.t) wherein: n and m, equal to or different from each other, are independently zero or an integer of 1 to 5, each of Ar.sub.1, Ar.sub.2, Ar.sub.3 and Ar.sub.4 equal to or different from each other and at each occurrence, is an aromatic moiety, T is a bond or a divalent group optionally comprising one or more than one heteroatom; -E is of formula (E.sub.t), wherein each of R, equal to or different from each other, is selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, ether, thioether, carboxylic acid, ester, amide, imide, alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfonate, alkyl sulfonate, alkali or alkaline earth metal phosphonate, alkyl phosphonate, amine and quaternary ammonium; j is zero or is an integer from 1 to 4, and said (t-PAES) polymer having a number average molecular weight (M.sub.n) ranging from 41 000 to 90 000. ##STR00001##

The present invention provides bimetallic complexes having increased activity in the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and epoxides. Also provided are methods of using such metal complexes in the synthesis of polymers. According to one aspect, the present invention provides metal complexes comprising an activating species with co-catalytic activity tethered to a multidentate ligand that is coordinated to one or more active metal centers of the complex.

In an embodiment, a method for producing an aryl alkyl carbonate can comprise: reacting methanol with a dicarbonate in the presence of a catalyst to form a mixture comprising an aryl alkyl carbonate and a hydroxy compound, where methanol is in an acetone monomer mixture comprising acetone and at least one of diaryl carbonate and dihydroxy compound separating the aryl alkyl carbonate from the mixture.

Water soluble light harvesting multichromophores that have an ultraviolet absorption maximum are provided. In some embodiments, the multichromophores include a conjugated segment including a fused 6-5-6 tricyclic co-monomer and a UV absorbance-modifying co-monomer. The multichromophores may include an acceptor chromophore covalently linked to the multichromophore in energy-receiving proximity therewith. In some embodiments, a specific binding member is covalently linked to the multichromophore. Also provided are methods of evaluating a sample for the presence of a target analyte and methods of labelling a target molecule using compositions including the light harvesting multichromophores. Kits and systems for practicing the subject methods are also provided.

Eyewear uses a polarizing lens obtained by bending a multilayer polarizing sheet in which a sheet (A) including at least 50% by mass of an aromatic polycarbonate resin and having a retardation value of 2000 nm or less at a wavelength of 600 nm is layered on one side of a polarizing film, and a sheet (B) including a special polycarbonate resin obtained by carbonate bonding a dihydroxy compound through use of a carbonic acid diester, the polycarbonate resin being a compound in which 70-100 mol % of the dihydroxy compound is represented by general formula (1), is layered on the other side of the polarizing film. ##STR00001## (In general formula (1), R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.20 alkyl group, or the like. In general formula (1), X are each independently a C.sub.2-C.sub.8 alkylene group or the like.)

According to an embodiment, provided is a polycarbonate resin composition containing a polycarbonate resin, wherein a molded product of the polycarbonate resin composition has an integrated value of an amount of chemiluminescence derived from organic peroxide of 4,000 to 12,000 counts per mg of the molded product, and the integrated value of the amount of chemiluminescence is a value obtained by integrating the amount of chemiluminescence at a wavelength of 405 to 650 nm that is measured during 480 seconds in which under a nitrogen atmosphere the temperature is raised from 100 C. to 350 C. at a rate of 50 C./minute and thereafter is maintained at 350 C. for 180 seconds.

A continuous process comprising a) separating an epoxy novolac resin comprising oligomers having an average functionality of greater than 2.5 and a hydrolyzable chlorine content of less than 450 ppm with a continuous evaporator apparatus to form i) a first distillate vapor fraction comprising epoxy novolac resin having more than 75 weight percent of 2 functional components and wherein the mass of the first distillate vapor fraction is in the range of from 15 to 40 weight percent of the starting epoxy novolac resin; and ii) a first bottom fraction comprising epoxy novolac resin having less than 5 weight percent of 2 functional components and having a glass transition temperature of at least 15 C higher compared to the starting epoxy novolac resin when cured; b) recovering the first bottom fraction product; and c) condensing the first distillate vapor fraction to form a first condensed distillate vapor fraction; d) separating the first condensed distillate vapor fraction with a second continuous evaporator apparatus to form i) a second distillate vapor fraction wherein the mass of the second distillate vapor fraction is in the range of from 40 to 70 weight percent of the first condensed distillate vapor fraction; and ii) a second bottom fraction; e) recovering the second bottom fraction product; and f) condensing the second distillate vapor fraction to form a second condensed distillate vapor fraction product comprising at least 98 weight percent of 2 functional components with a total chlorine content less than 900 ppm, is disclosed.

A method for synthesizing poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) having a weight average molecular weight (M.sub.w) equal to or larger than 1.410.sup.5. The method employs biogenic guanidine (BG) as the main catalyst and includes: a) adding succinic acid (SA), 1.4-butanediol (BDO), and biogenic guanidine to a reactor, heating the reactor to a temperature of between 180 and 200 C. and conducting the esterification between succinic acid and 1.4-butanediol for 2 to 3 hours under atmospheric pressure until all of the water is distilled or boiled off; and b) adding a first cocatalyst, a second cocatalyst, and a third cocatalyst to the reactor, adjusting the absolute pressure in the reactor to be between 0.5 and 3 torr, and polycondensing the mixture in the reactor at the temperature between 210 and 230 C. over 20 to 30 hours.