A method of making an extruded granular absorbent is provided where the method includes providing an extruder and a starch-containing admixture, and pressurizing the starch containing admixture in the extruder under relatively high extrusion pressures to extrude the pressurized starch-containing admixture from the extruder, and producing a water absorbent and oil absorbent extrudate. The present invention further provides that the extruded granular absorbent may be combined with a non-extruded granular material with relatively high inert or cellulose content where there may be a greater proportion of extruded granular absorbent, and the extruded granular absorbent and non-extruded granular material agglutinate into a clump when wetted with water or urine.

Resin masterbatch compositions are provided as closed end pellets having a core including at least one additive and an outer layer comprising a polymer encapsulating the core, in which the thickness of the outer layer if from 0.001 mm to 1 cm. A stabilized composition is prepared from an organic material to be stabilized and the resin masterbatch composition. A process for producing the resin masterbatch composition includes co-extruding in tubular form a core material encapsulated by an outer layer, wherein the core material comprises at least one additive, and the outer layer comprises a polymer, to form a filled tube; passing the filled tube into a sealing device that cuts the filled tube into multiple discrete segments seals and simultaneously seals each end of each discrete segment, thereby forming closed end pellets; and cooling the closed end pellets.

A resin granule mass including a plurality of resin granules, and a proportion of resin granules to which a magnetic foreign matter of 50 m or greater is adhered in the plurality of resin granules is 30% or less.

A method for shaping a starting material of powdered plastic particles includes the following steps: a) providing powdered plastic particles as a starting material; b) heating the plastic particles in a first treatment space to a first temperature below the melting point of the plastic, the first temperature being determined such that the plastic particles do not yet stick to one another; c) transferring a directed current of the plastic particles thus heated into a second treatment space; d) heating the plastic particles in the second treatment space to a second temperature above the melting point of the plastic; and e) cooling the plastic particles to a temperature below the first temperature.

A sealing element (10) for use in a fluid-carrying pipeline (16) comprising a substantially central core (14) surrounded by a coating (12). The outer coating (12) is adapted to perform a partial extrusion through an opening (15) in a pipeline wall (16) to seal the opening (15). The density of the sealing element (10) is substantially the same as the density of the fluid (11) in the pipeline (16). The coating (12) comprises a two-part epoxy putty, and the core (14) is formed from a deformable material. A method of making the sealing element is also disclosed.

Spheroid polymer particles are prepared from non-spheroid particles by heating the non-spheroid particles in a liquid medium to a temperature that is above the glass transition temperature or the melting temperature of the polymer and then cooling.

A processes and precursor are provided for use in selective laser sintering (SLS) that can create uniform packing densities that create good prints of 3D articles with a decrease in voids and incomplete infill. The resulting articles are electrically conductivity owing to a graphene coating thereby rendering such articles amenable to electroplating, or electrostatic coating processes. The process and precursor provide small diameter filled polymeric materials for 3D printing that are commercially viable to produce an article in a cost effective manner that has superior properties compared to conventional parts owing to reduced void volume and less residual inter-particle stress. The distribution of particles is spherical in shape and have a mean size polydispersity that varies by less than 5% in diameter. As a result of the control of polydispersity, the particles have the attribute of spontaneously forming closed packed arrangements common to crystals.

Aromatic polyester particles which are formed from an aromatic polyester having a flow starting temperature of 400 C. or higher and have a circularity of a projected image of 0.80 or more and 1.00 or less.

A method for preparing an oblate polymer particle from a spherical polymer particle includes squeezing a polymer film including spherical polymer particles. A pair of polymer sheets are used to uniformly deform the film. With this method, more uniform oblate particles may be prepared, and a yield rate thereof may be improved.

A process for producing particles of a thermoplastic polymer in spherical form involves providing at least one thermoplastic polymer in a molten state and providing an aqueous solution of at least one surface-active substance. The aqueous solution is in a temperature range from 100 to 300 C. The process also involves dispersing the thermoplastic polymer in the aqueous solution to obtain an aqueous solution containing dispersed thermoplastic polymer, which is cooled down to a temperature below the solidification point of the thermoplastic polymer to obtain a suspension containing an aqueous solution and particles of the thermoplastic polymer suspended in a solid state and in spherical form. The particles can be separated from the suspension and, optionally, dried. The particles obtained from the process have a particle size distribution having a d[4,3] value of more than 10 m and a d.sub.90.3 value of more than 20 m.