A method for preparing a poly(phenylene ether) includes oxidatively polymerizing a poly(phenylene ether) starting material having an initial intrinsic viscosity in the presence of an organic solvent and a copper-amine catalyst to form a reaction mixture including a poly(phenylene ether) having a final intrinsic viscosity that is at least 50% greater than the initial intrinsic viscosity. The method further includes terminating the oxidative polymerization to form a post-termination reaction mixture; combining an aqueous solution comprising a chelant with the post-termination reaction mixture to form a chelation mixture of an aqueous phase comprising chelated copper ion, and an organic phase comprising dissolved poly(phenylene ether); separating the aqueous phase and the organic phase; and isolating the poly(phenylene ether) from the organic phase. High molecular weight poly(phenylene ether)s prepared according to the method described herein are also disclosed.

A functionalized polymer containing at least one reactive carbonyl group, more preferably at least one beta-dicarbonyl group, is provided. The polymer is preferably substantially free of segments derived from bisphenol A and epoxides thereof. The functionalized polymer, which can be a polyether polymer, is useful in preparing coating compositions for use in packaging applications, including coating compositions for use in forming interior or exterior coatings of food or beverage containers.

Disclosed herein are glycidol-based polymers, nanoparticles, and methods related thereto useful for a variety of applications, including, but not limited to, drug delivery. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

A bonding material including a phenoxy resin thermoplastic component, and a carbon black filler component. The carbon black filler component is present in an amount greater than 1 wt. %. The carbon black filler converts the phenoxy resin thermoplastic component from a material that transmits infra-red (IR) wavelengths to a material that absorbs a substantial portion of infra-red (IR) wavelengths.

A resin composition for a fiber-reinforced composite material that makes it possible to improve productivity by suppressing deformation at the time of removal from a mold, in particular, in the PCM method, while achieving both rapid curing and storage stability. The resin composition for a fiber-reinforced composite material includes an epoxy resin (A) including a phenol novolac epoxy resin and a bisphenol A epoxy resin; a phenoxy resin (B); dicyandiamide (C); an imidazole-based curing aid (D); and a phenol-based curing accelerator (E) as essential components, wherein the phenol novolac epoxy resin of the epoxy resin (A) constitutes 40 parts by mass to 75 parts by mass, the bisphenol A epoxy resin constitutes 10 parts by mass to 35 parts by mass, and the phenoxy resin (B) constitutes 5 parts by mass to 15 parts by mass in the total of 100 parts by mass of the components (A) to (E).

An adhesive comprising a solvent free powder of average particle size in the range 20 to 300 preferably 20 to 150 microns is heat activated at a temperature in the range 140 C. to 220 C., is flowable at a temperature below the heat activation temperature and is dry and non-tacky to the touch at ambient temperature, the use of a powdered adhesive is particularly useful for bonding of non-planar surfaces with complex contours.

Provided is a polyphenylene ether resin composition whose mechanical properties are difficult to be changed through high temperature aging (e.g. 145 C.) while heat resistance and mechanical and electrical properties are maintained. When the bend elastic constant of the polyphenylene ether resin composition before aging measured in accordance with ISO-178 in an atmospheric air is taken as 100%, time required for the bend elastic constant to be 115% or more through aging in which the polyphenylene ether resin composition is left at rest at 150 C. is 2,000 hours or more; and a shaped article of 12.6 cm in length, 1.3 cm in width, and 1.6 mm in thickness formed from the polyphenylene ether resin composition exhibits a rate of change in chloroform-insoluble content of 15 mass % or less before and after aging in which the shaped article is left at rest for 1,000 hours at 150 C.

The present invention relates to a package or a portion thereof having an interior food-contacting surface and a coating composition being substantially free of bisphenol A and reaction products thereof applied to the interior surface; wherein the coating composition comprises a polyhydroxy ether and a curing agent for the polyhydroxy ether and in which the polyhydroxy ether is prepared from reacting epichlorohydrin with a polyhydric phenol having the following structure (I), as shown in claim 1; where R.sub.1 is independently an organic group having a molecular weight of at least 15 Daltons or R.sub.1 can optionally join together with another R.sub.1 to form a fused aromatic ring that is similarly substituted with the R.sub.1 organic group; y=4, x=1 to 2; each of the arylene groups in structure (I) includes at least one R.sub.1 attached to the arylene ring at the ortho and/or meta position relative to the phenolic hydroxyl group; m is 0 to 1; R.sub.2 if present is a divalent organic group; n is 0 to 1 with the proviso that if n is 0, m is 0; the polyhydroxy ether having an Mn of from 2000 to 10,000 and containing at least 70 percent by weight of groups of the structure (II), as shown in claim 1, based on weight of the polyhydroxy ether.

Provided are aqueous resin solutions having unique rheologies and products incorporating the same. The water-based materials provided herein are thermo-thickening, and the materials increase dramatically in viscosity (at least 100 times) in a desired temperature range increase (20 C to <100 C) at ambient pressure. Suitable resins comprising a hydrophobic group and a hydrophilic group may be selected from an epoxy resin, a phenol-formaldehyde resin, a polyurethane resin, an acrylic resin, a polyester resin, an acrylic-urethane resin, a melamine resin, a melamine-formaldehyde resin, an amino resin, and combinations thereof. A specific epoxy functional resin/polymer suitable for the resin solutions are prepared by reacting (A) an epoxy pre-polymer of (1) one or more polyols and (2) one or more epoxy functional materials with (B) a di- or polyamine, thereby forming the aqueous thermo-thickening resin solution. The resin solutions are substantially free of cross-linking agents.

A multi-coat coating system having an undercoat composition and an overcoat composition, wherein the undercoat, overcoat or both the undercoat and overcoat contain a polymer having segments of a specified formula and are substantially free of polyhydric phenols having estrogenic activity greater than or equal to that of bisphenol S. The coating system is suitable for use on a food-contact surface of food or beverage containers.