A method of manufacturing tubing suitable for use as a component of a medical device, such as a catheter body, and the real-time adjustment of characteristics of the tubing as it passes from one reel to another reel during manufacture. Thus, a length of tubing is manufactured that includes a plurality of segments of different flexibilities and the length of tubing is then cut into a plurality of sub-lengths of tubing that are suitable for use as a component of a medical device. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a length of catheter tubing comprises: extruding a base layer; overlaying a braided layer on the base layer; overlaying a sub-jacket layer over the braided layer; overlaying an outer jacket on the jacket sub-layer; and heating at least a portion the jacket sub-layer to change a characteristic of the length of catheter tubing.

An amorphous polylactic acid polymer having a weight average molecular weight in the range of about 35,000 to 180,000 is described. The polylactic acid polymer composition can be hammer milled without cryogenics result in the form of particles wherein 90% of the particles have particle size of about 250 m or less and the material has a glass transition temperature of between about 55 C. to about 58 C. and a relative viscosity of about 1.45 to about 1.95 centipoise. The polymer composition can be used to form an aqueous suspension. The material is ideally suited for use in preparing particleboard. A method is disclosed for preparing such polylactic acid polymers. The method involves obtaining an amorphous polylactic acid polymer having a weight average molecular weight of between about 115,000 to about 180,000. Treating the polylactic acid polymer to reduce the molecular weight to between about 35,000 to 45,000 such that it has a glass transition temperature of between about 55 C. and 58 C. and a relative viscosity of about 1.45 to about 1.95. Material can be formed into particles in a commercial hammer mill with bypass such that 90% of the initial mass results in the particles which can pass thru a sieve having a pore size of about 250 m. During particle board formation the temperature of around 140-140 C being reached to optimally activate the adhesive; Bond strengths and throughput rates of resulting particle boards can be controlled thereafter, with variable combination of particle sizes, adhesive loading and initial moisture content.

An amorphous polylactic acid polymer having a weight average molecular weight in the range of about 35,000 to 180,000 is described. The polylactic acid polymer composition can be hammer milled without cryogenics result in the form of particles wherein 90% of the particles have particle size of about 250 m or less and the material has a glass transition temperature of between about 55 C. to about 58 C. and a relative viscosity of about 1.45 to about 1.95 centipoise. The polymer composition can be used to form an aqueous suspension. The material is ideally suited for use in preparing particleboard. A method is disclosed for preparing such polylactic acid polymers. The method involves obtaining an amorphous polylactic acid polymer having a weight average molecular weight of between about 115,000 to about 180,000. Treating the polylactic acid polymer to reduce the molecular weight to between about 35,000 to 45,000 such that it has a glass transition temperature of between about 55 C. and 58 C. and a relative viscosity of about 1.45 to about 1.95. Material can be formed into particles in a commercial hammer mill with bypass such that 90% of the initial mass results in the particles which can pass thru a sieve having a pore size of about 250 m. During particle board formation the temperature of around 140-140 C being reached to optimally activate the adhesive; Bond strengths and throughput rates of resulting particle boards can be controlled thereafter, with variable combination of particle sizes, adhesive loading and initial moisture content.

A solvent-containing coating compound for varnish coatings, in particular for building varnishes or components thereof, containing or consisting of at least one oxidatively drying organic binder, selected from the group consisting of at least one oxidatively drying middle oil and/or long oil alkyd resin, in particular an oxidatively drying long oil alkyd resin, at least one primary drier based on iron, in particular comprising or consisting of at least one organic salt of iron and/or a coordination complex of iron, in particular a complex salt of iron, at least one first secondary drier, in particular comprising or consisting of at least one organic and/or inorganic salt or a compound of zirconium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, lithium or aluminium, at least one solvent, and optionally, at least one conventional additive, wherein the coating compound is substantially free from amorphous silicon dioxide and SiO.sub.2-based compounds.

A solvent-containing coating compound for varnish coatings, in particular for building varnishes or components thereof, containing or consisting of at least one oxidatively drying organic binder, selected from the group consisting of at least one oxidatively drying middle oil and/or long oil alkyd resin, in particular an oxidatively drying long oil alkyd resin, at least one primary drier based on iron, in particular comprising or consisting of at least one organic salt of iron and/or a coordination complex of iron, in particular a complex salt of iron, at least one first secondary drier, in particular comprising or consisting of at least one organic and/or inorganic salt or a compound of zirconium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, lithium or aluminium, at least one solvent, and optionally, at least one conventional additive, wherein the coating compound is substantially free from amorphous silicon dioxide and SiO.sub.2-based compounds.

A polyester resin composition including an ionic liquid that can dissolve an acid component monomer and/or oligomers of a polyester terephthalate, and a copper element that exhibits a reduced amount of production of the acid component monomer and/or oligomers of the polyester. Examples of the ionic liquid include 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and tetrabutyl ammonium bromide. In one polyester resin composition, the surface roughness Ra of a capture plate is less than 0.150 m, as measured when a sample of the polyester resin composition is melt at 300 C. for 60 minutes under a nitrogen atmosphere, quickly cooled and thermally treated at 220 C. for 8 hours to form scattered products which are then attached to the capture plate and a gelation ratio after a 6-hour melting treatment at 300 C. under an atmosphere with an oxygen concentration of 1% is 5% or less.

A polyester resin composition including an ionic liquid that can dissolve an acid component monomer and/or oligomers of a polyester terephthalate, and a copper element that exhibits a reduced amount of production of the acid component monomer and/or oligomers of the polyester. Examples of the ionic liquid include 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and tetrabutyl ammonium bromide. In one polyester resin composition, the surface roughness Ra of a capture plate is less than 0.150 m, as measured when a sample of the polyester resin composition is melt at 300 C. for 60 minutes under a nitrogen atmosphere, quickly cooled and thermally treated at 220 C. for 8 hours to form scattered products which are then attached to the capture plate and a gelation ratio after a 6-hour melting treatment at 300 C. under an atmosphere with an oxygen concentration of 1% is 5% or less.

An amorphous polylactic acid polymer having a weight average molecular weight in the range of about 35,000 to 180,000 is described. The polylactic acid polymer composition can be hammer milled without cryogenics result in the form of particles wherein 90% of the particles have particle size of about 250 m or less and the material has a glass transition temperature of between about 55 C. to about 58 C. and a relative viscosity of about 1.45 to about 1.95 centipoise.

An amorphous polylactic acid polymer having a weight average molecular weight in the range of about 35,000 to 180,000 is described. The polylactic acid polymer composition can be hammer milled without cryogenics result in the form of particles wherein 90% of the particles have particle size of about 250 m or less and the material has a glass transition temperature of between about 55 C. to about 58 C. and a relative viscosity of about 1.45 to about 1.95 centipoise.

A toughened polyester composite comprising: (i) a polyester matrix and (ii) droplets of a high boiling point liquid having a boiling point of at least 140 C. dispersed in said polyester matrix, wherein the high boiling point liquid is present in an amount of 0.1-10 wt % by weight of the toughened polyester composite, and wherein the composite may further include: (iii) a modifier selected from polycarboxylic, polyol, and polyamine compounds, wherein the modifier is present in an amount of 0.1-10 wt % by weight of the toughened polyester composite. Methods for producing the polyester composite are also described.