A chitosan-latex binder comprising chitosan and latex binder in a weight ratio of chitosan to latex binder of from about 1:10 to about 1:15,000. A method of making a chitosan-latex binder, the method comprising (a) contacting chitosan with an acidic solution to form a chitosan solution, and (b) contacting at least a portion of the chitosan solution with a latex binder to form the chitosan-latex binder, wherein the chitosan-latex binder is characterized by a chitosan to latex binder weight ratio of from about 1:10 to about 1:15,000.

The present invention relates generally to wall repair compounds such as joint compounds, spackling compounds, and the like used to repair imperfections in walls or fill joints between adjacent wallboard panels. Particularly, the present invention relates to such a wall repair compound comprising a dust reduction additive that reduces the quantity of airborne dust generated when the hardened compound is sanded and also exhibits improved adhesive properties. The dust reduction additive also imparts adhesion to the wall repair compounds to which it is added, for example to a joint compound. The dust reduction additive is a powder prepared from colloidally-protected, wax-based microstructure dispersions.

The present invention is directed to packaging films having accelerated migration rates of an antimicrobial agent through a product-contact layer which extends the shelf-life of products packaged therein. The product-contact layer includes an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer having a melt flow index of greater than 6 dg/min at 190 C/2.18 kg, an antimicrobial agent and a wetting agent. In some preferred embodiments, greater than 30% of the initial amount of antimicrobial agent present in the product-contact layer can be released after 21 days upon contact with water. The packaging films can be converted into bags, pillow pouches, stand-up pouches, quad pouches, zipped pouches, over-wraps, lidding films, thermoformed trays, vacuum packages, vacuum skin packaging and the like. These films can be used for any product in which it would advantageous to reduce harmful microbial contaminants.

The present invention is directed to packaging films having accelerated migration rates of an antimicrobial agent through a product-contact layer which extends the shelf-life of products packaged therein. The product-contact layer includes an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer having a melt flow index of greater than 6 dg/min at 190 C/2.18 kg, an antimicrobial agent and a wetting agent. In some preferred embodiments, greater than 30% of the initial amount of antimicrobial agent present in the product-contact layer can be released after 21 days upon contact with water. The packaging films can be converted into bags, pillow pouches, stand-up pouches, quad pouches, zipped pouches, over-wraps, lidding films, thermoformed trays, vacuum packages, vacuum skin packaging and the like. These films can be used for any product in which it would advantageous to reduce harmful microbial contaminants.

A flame-retardant cable having a core is disclosed. The cable contains at least one conductor and a coating made from a low smoke zero halogen flame-retardant polymer composition. The polymer composition contains a halogen free base polymer added with a) less than 170 phr of at least one metal hydroxide; b) from 1 to 10 phr of a phyllosilicate clay; c) at least 1 phr and less than 10 phr of melamine or a derivative thereof; and d) an alkali or alkaline-earth metal carbonate. The cable has improved reaction to fire performances especially in that no dripping occurs during burning, which renders it compliant with the requirements of the more recent international standards.

A flame-retardant cable having a core is disclosed. The cable contains at least one conductor and a coating made from a low smoke zero halogen flame-retardant polymer composition. The polymer composition contains a halogen free base polymer added with a) less than 170 phr of at least one metal hydroxide; b) from 1 to 10 phr of a phyllosilicate clay; c) at least 1 phr and less than 10 phr of melamine or a derivative thereof; and d) an alkali or alkaline-earth metal carbonate. The cable has improved reaction to fire performances especially in that no dripping occurs during burning, which renders it compliant with the requirements of the more recent international standards.

The present invention relates to a buffer composition comprising a first and a second buffer component, an article comprising the buffer composition being an aqueous preparation and/or a solid article, a process for buffering an aqueous preparation and a solid article as well as the use of said buffer composition for maintaining the pH of article, preferably an aqueous preparation or a solid article, equal to or below 12.

The present invention relates to a composition formed of a hot melt adhesive having a colour-forming compound admixed therein. The invention further relates to a substrate or multi-layer substrate construction having the composition applied thereon or therein, and methods of forming colour and/or an image on and/or within the substrate or multi-layer substrate construction using said composition.

The present invention relates to a composition formed of a hot melt adhesive having a colour-forming compound admixed therein. The invention further relates to a substrate or multi-layer substrate construction having the composition applied thereon or therein, and methods of forming colour and/or an image on and/or within the substrate or multi-layer substrate construction using said composition.

A dispersion wherein dispersoid particles including colloidal silica and zinc cyanurate are dispersed in a liquid medium. The colloidal silica particles may have an average diameter of 5 to 500 nm, and the dispersion may contain 0.1 to 40% by mass of the particles in terms of SiO.sub.2 concentration. Primary particles of the zinc cyanurate may have a major axis length of 50 to 1000 nm, a minor axis length of 10 to 300 nm, and a ratio of major to minor axis length of 2 to 25, and the dispersion may contain 0.1 to 50% by mass of the particles in terms of solids content. A mass ratio of the colloidal silica to the zinc cyanurate particles may be 1:0.01 to 100, and total solids content may be 0.1 to 50% by mass. The liquid medium may be water or an organic solvent.