The invention relates to an apparatus for cooling a plurality of preforms made of thermoplastic material which continuously move on a conveyor belt. The apparatus includes a cylindrical casing with a vertical extension formed by two coaxial cylinders, such a casing contains a guide crossed by a chain or a cable for transporting the preforms therein. The guide, which forms a closed path, comprises a first helical stretch, which raises from the lower plane starting from a station in which the preforms coming from a conveying device are hooked by the chain or by the cable, a second straight stretch, which returns the preforms to the lower plane once they have reached the upper plane, and a third flat stretch at the height of the lower plane, which returns the preforms to the arrival station. The helical stretch of the guide is contained within a cooling tunnel formed in the gap between the two walls of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder of said casing. The cooling air is conveyed within the cooling tunnel by a specific manifold which is located within the casing.

The present invention provides a method for granulating a polyamide or a polyamide composition, whereby it becomes possible to granulate even a polyamide that has such a melt viscosity that the polyamide cannot be pelletized into a strand-like shape easily. In the present invention, a polyamide, whose melt viscosity at glass transition temperature+160 C. and a shear rate of 100 s.sup.1 is 3 Pa.Math.s to 200 Pa.Math.s and whose terminal amino group concentration is 5 eq/g to 70 eq/g, is melted by heating to a range of glass transition temperature+160 C. to glass transition temperature+180 C. of the polyamide, and then is solidified by dropping the molten polyamide in the form of granules onto a metallic belt, thereby producing granules.

The present invention provides a method for granulating a polyamide or a polyamide composition, whereby it becomes possible to granulate even a polyamide that has such a melt viscosity that the polyamide cannot be pelletized into a strand-like shape easily. In the present invention, a polyamide, whose melt viscosity at glass transition temperature+160 C. and a shear rate of 100 s.sup.1 is 3 Pa.Math.s to 200 Pa.Math.s and whose terminal amino group concentration is 5 eq/g to 70 eq/g, is melted by heating to a range of glass transition temperature+160 C. to glass transition temperature+180 C. of the polyamide, and then is solidified by dropping the molten polyamide in the form of granules onto a metallic belt, thereby producing granules.

A method for the production of granulate suitable for the production of extrusion-blow-molded hollow bodies, comprising: sorting by type, washing, and comminuting PET articles originating from a post-consumer collection of plastic packaging, removing contaminants from the PET articles, premixing PET material from various types of the sorted PET articles so that a Trouton ratio of mixed PET material at a shear rate of 50 to 200 s.sup.?1 is less than 4, drying the PET material, melting the dried PET material, pressing the PET material through a filter, dividing the PET material into individual melt streams, cooling and solidifying the melt streams in a water bath and separating the solidified melt flows into pellets, wherein the pellets have an intrinsic viscosity of 0.5 to 0.75 dl/g, crystallizing the pellets, and drying and condensing the crystallized pellets in a solid-phase polycondensation reactor until they reach an intrinsic viscosity of 1.0 to 1.7 dl/g.

A method for the production of granulate suitable for the production of extrusion-blow-molded hollow bodies, comprising: sorting by type, washing, and comminuting PET articles originating from a post-consumer collection of plastic packaging, removing contaminants from the PET articles, premixing PET material from various types of the sorted PET articles so that a Trouton ratio of mixed PET material at a shear rate of 50 to 200 s.sup.?1 is less than 4, drying the PET material, melting the dried PET material, pressing the PET material through a filter, dividing the PET material into individual melt streams, cooling and solidifying the melt streams in a water bath and separating the solidified melt flows into pellets, wherein the pellets have an intrinsic viscosity of 0.5 to 0.75 dl/g, crystallizing the pellets, and drying and condensing the crystallized pellets in a solid-phase polycondensation reactor until they reach an intrinsic viscosity of 1.0 to 1.7 dl/g.

A wax composition that improves at least one of traction or a grip of sporting equipment comprises: 1-98 wt. % of a primary wax component, wherein the primary wax component is not derived from petroleum, is not synthetic, is not derived from a mineral, is not derived from an animal, and is not derived from an annual plant; 1-40 wt. % of a softening agent; and at least one of a) above 0-40 wt. % of a tackifier or b) above 0-70 wt. % of a filler.

A wax composition that improves at least one of traction or a grip of sporting equipment comprises: 1-98 wt. % of a primary wax component, wherein the primary wax component is not derived from petroleum, is not synthetic, is not derived from a mineral, is not derived from an animal, and is not derived from an annual plant; 1-40 wt. % of a softening agent; and at least one of a) above 0-40 wt. % of a tackifier or b) above 0-70 wt. % of a filler.

To provide a polyarylene sulfide (PAS) resin composition and a PAS resin molded article that are excellent in mechanical strengths such as impact resistance while maintaining excellent heat resistance of the PAS resin, and methods for producing the PAS resin composition and the PAS resin molded article. Specifically, provided are a method for producing a long fiber-reinforced PAS resin molded article, the method including obtaining a long fiber-reinforced PAS resin composition containing a PAS resin and a fiber reinforcing material having a fiber length of more than 5 mm, subsequently subjecting the resin composition and a PAS resin to dry blending, and subsequently subjecting the dry-blended substance to melting and subsequently to melt-molding; the long fiber-reinforced PAS resin composition; and a method for producing the long fiber-reinforced PAS resin composition.

To provide a polyarylene sulfide (PAS) resin composition and a PAS resin molded article that are excellent in mechanical strengths such as impact resistance while maintaining excellent heat resistance of the PAS resin, and methods for producing the PAS resin composition and the PAS resin molded article. Specifically, provided are a method for producing a long fiber-reinforced PAS resin molded article, the method including obtaining a long fiber-reinforced PAS resin composition containing a PAS resin and a fiber reinforcing material having a fiber length of more than 5 mm, subsequently subjecting the resin composition and a PAS resin to dry blending, and subsequently subjecting the dry-blended substance to melting and subsequently to melt-molding; the long fiber-reinforced PAS resin composition; and a method for producing the long fiber-reinforced PAS resin composition.

The present invention relates to self-foaming hot melt adhesive compositions and methods of making and using the same. Self-foaming hot melt adhesive compositions are formed by admixing a dispersion concentrate including a chemical blowing agent and a compatible carrier (liquid or molten) with a molten base hot melt adhesive composition at a temperature below the decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent. The resolidified material is processed through a device that heats the material above the decomposition temperature of the chemical agent and cools it below such temperature before being dispensed. The device preferably includes sensors and a controller configured to prevent the material from accumulating an adverse thermal history during processing.