Ophthalmic device molds made from at least one water-soluble vinyl alcohol copolymer, ophthalmic devices such as ocular inserts and contact lenses and including silicone hydrogel devices formed using these molds, packaged ophthalmic devices present in a solution comprising the at least one water-soluble vinyl alcohol copolymer, and related methods are described. The methods of manufacturing ophthalmic devices can use wet demolding processes, or wet delensing processes or both wet demolding and wet delensing processes involving dissolving the molds in water or an aqueous solution.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising a stable aqueous dispersion of polymer particles comprising structural units of a polymerizable amino acid and structural units of an acid monomer or a salt thereof. The composition of the present invention is useful in improving lipstick stain resistance in coatings compositions.

The present invention provides an aqueous urethane resin composition containing (A) a urethane resin, (B) an organic solvent having a boiling point of 150 to 350 C., and (C) an aqueous medium, the aqueous urethane resin composition being characterized in that the organic solvent (B) has a Hansen solubility parameter in which a dispersion member (d) is 15.5 MPa.sup.0.5 or more and less than 20 MPa.sup.0.5, a polar member (p) is 4.5 MPa.sup.0.5 or more and less than 12 MPa.sup.0.5, and a hydrogen-bonding member (h) is 3 MPa.sup.0.5 or more and less than 10.5 MPa.sup.0.5. The aqueous urethane resin composition has excellent film formability, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, and substrate adhesiveness, and is capable of forming a low-toxic coating film.

The present invention relates to tackifier compounds and methods of using the same. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a tackifier compound including independently substituted or unsubstituted fused rings A and B each independently chosen from (C.sub.5-C.sub.10)cycloalkyl and (C.sub.2-C.sub.10)heterocyclyl. Fused ring A is substituted with (R.sup.1).sub.1-8 and fused ring B is substituted with (OC(O)RC(O)R.sup.2).sub.1-8. At each occurrence R is independently chosen from (C.sub.2-C.sub.10)alkanylene, (C.sub.2-C.sub.10)alkenylene, (C.sub.2-C.sub.10)alkynylene, C.sub.5-C.sub.20(arylene), and (C.sub.1-C.sub.20)heteroarylene, wherein R is unsubstituted or substituted. At each occurrence R.sup.1 is independently selected from OH, OR.sup.3, and OC(O)RC(O)R.sup.2. At each occurrence R.sup.2 is independently chosen from OH, OR.sup.3, NH.sub.2, NHR.sup.3, and NR.sup.3.sub.2. At each occurrence R.sup.3 is independently chosen from (C.sub.1-C.sub.10)alkanyl, (C.sub.2-C.sub.10)alkenyl, (C.sub.2-C.sub.10)alkynyl, C.sub.5-C.sub.20(aryl), and (C.sub.1-C.sub.20)heteroaryl, wherein R.sup.3 is unsubstituted or substituted.

Provided are a rubber composition for treads which achieves a balanced improvement in fuel economy, abrasion resistance, and wet grip performance while offering good processability, and a pneumatic tire formed from the rubber composition. The present invention relates to a rubber composition for treads containing: a polybutadiene; and a terpene resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 40 C. to 90 C., the polybutadiene satisfying the following conditions (A), (B) and (C): (A) a ratio (Tcp/ML.sub.1+4, 100 C.) of 5% by mass toluene solution viscosity (Tcp) to Mooney viscosity (ML.sub.1+4, 100 C.) is 0.9 to 2.3; (B) a stress relaxation time (T80) is 10.0 to 40.0 seconds, which is a time required for torque to decay by 80%, where 100% represents torque at the end of a ML.sub.1+4, 100 C. measurement; and (C) a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) is 2.50 to 4.00.

The present disclosure is directed to an ultra-high solids emulsion comprising a plurality of multiphase polymer particles, in which the multiphase particles comprises an acrylic-based copolymer derived from monomers comprising an alkyl methacrylate; an alkyl acrylate; a hydroxyalkyl acrylate; at least one or more acids; a vinyl aromatic compound; and a vinyl ester or vinyl lactam, a copolymerizable surfactant, at least one or more alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE) free nonionic surfactants, and at least one or more APE free anionic surfactants in aqueous medium in the presence of an initiator and a buffer. Additionally, methods for preparing such ultra-high solids emulsion and applications of such emulsion in coatings and adhesives are disclosed.

Provided are a smoothness improving additive for a calendering process and a polyvinylchloride-based composition including the same. More particularly, a smoothness improving additive allowing, even in the case of using a plasticizer in a smaller amount than the conventional amount used, excellent productivity and excellent processability in a calendering process to accelerate a production speed, excellent mechanical physical properties such as glass transition temperature and tensile strength of a molded body, and manufacture of a molded body having better smoothness is provided.

An adhesive mixture comprising an organic slurry dispersion for use in the manufacture of wood-based composites is described herein. The adhesive mixture includes an adhesive resin; water; one or more fillers, and an organic slurry dispersion. The organic slurry dispersion includes water; a natural biopolymer insoluble in the water, the natural biopolymer comprising lignocelluloses, lignocellulosic agricultural residue, lignin materials, lignin derivatives or mixtures thereof; and a defoamer. During manufacturing, the components of the organic slurry dispersion are combined and mixed by imparting a high degree of shear and mixing. The adhesive mixture may be applied to wood material for use in manufacturing a wood-based composite product.

The invention describes a method for manufacture of plasticized homopolymeric polyvinyl alcohol, the method including the steps of introducing a polyvinyl alcohol polymer or a blend thereof having a degree of hydrolysis in the range of 93 wt % to 98 wt % into a mixing reactor; adding a processing agent, a plasticizer and a reactive stabilizer to form a reaction mixture; wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of sugar alcohols, diols, triols, polyols and mixtures thereof; wherein the reactive stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of sodium stearate, potassium oleate, sodium benzoate, calcium stearate, stearic acid, dimethyl propionic acid, and mixtures thereof; reacting the reaction mixture in a reaction zone to form plasticized polymer; andallowing the plasticized polymer to pass from the reaction zone.

An aqueous dispersion contains at least polychlorprene, a component selected from the group consisting of dilute silicic acid sol, a modified silica sol and mixtures thereof, a acrylic acid or a copolymer containing acrylic acid ester and optionally further additives. The aqueous dispersion has a pH of 9.7 to 10.8. The disclosure also relates to a method for preparing the aqueous dispersion, to an adhesive composition at least containing the aqueous dispersion, to the use of the dispersion for preparing adhesive compositions, to the use of the dispersion for adhesively bonding foam substrates according to the spray coagulation method, to an adhesive composite containing at least one substrate and/or sheet material adhesively bonded using the aqueous dispersion, and to a method for producing a composite material. At least two joining parts of the composite material are adhesively bonded using the aqueous dispersion.