According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

Methods for forming polyolefin nanocomposite precursor compositions are provided. In embodiments, such a method comprises mixing a polyolefin, unmodified graphite, and a peroxide crosslinker via solid-state shear polymerization under conditions to form a polyolefin nanocomposite precursor composition comprising the polyolefin; exfoliated, unmodified graphite dispersed throughout the polyolefin; and unreacted peroxide crosslinker dispersed throughout the polyolefin, wherein the polyolefin is polyethylene, a copolymer of polyethylene, or combinations thereof. Methods of forming crosslinked polyolefin nanocomposites, the polyolefin nanocomposite precursor compositions, and crosslinked polyolefin nanocomposites are also provided.

Provided are methods and systems for manufacturing and using heat-shrink elastomeric. An example method of manufacturing a heat-shrink elastomeric element comprises providing a thermoplastic elastomeric element having a first shape; modifying the thermoplastic elastomeric element to produce a thermoset elastomeric element having the first shape; heating the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature of at least the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element; adjusting the first shape of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce a second shape with at least one dimension greater than that of the first shape; and cooling the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature below that of the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce the heat-shrink elastomeric element.

The present invention relates to a process for producing surface-postcrosslinked water-absorbent polymer particles by coating of water-absorbent polymer particles having a content of residual monomers in the range from 0.03 to 15% by weight with at least one surface-postcrosslinker and thermal surface-postcrosslinking at temperatures in the range from 100 to 180° C.

The present disclosure relates to a process of manufacturing a pressure sensitive adhesive, comprising the steps of: a) providing a hot melt mixing apparatus comprising a reaction chamber; b) providing a hot melt processable pressure sensitive adhesive composition comprising: (1) a (meth)acrylate copolymer component comprising: i. C1-C32 (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer units; ii. optionally, ethylenically unsaturated monomer units having functional groups selected from the group consisting of acid, hydroxyl, acid anhydride, epoxide, amine, amide groups, and any combinations thereof; and iii. optionally, further ethylenically unsaturated monomer units which are copolymerizable with monomer units (i) and/or (ii); and (2) a crosslinking system selected from the group consisting of thermal crosslinking systems, actinic radiation crosslinking systems, and any combinations thereof; (3) optionally, at least one expandable microsphere; and (4) optionally, at least one pigment; c) providing a polymeric resin; d) subjecting the polymeric resin to a heating step (thereby at least partly remove low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) from the polymeric resin) thereby forming a cleaned polymeric resin; e) incorporating the cleaned polymeric resin and the hot melt processable pressure sensitive adhesive composition in the reaction chamber of the hot melt mixing apparatus; -57-f) mixing the hot melt processable pressure sensitive adhesive composition and the cleaned polymeric resin in the hot melt mixing apparatus thereby forming a hot melt blend; g) removing the hot melt blend from the hot melt mixing apparatus; and h) optionally, crosslinking the hot melt blend.

The present invention relates to methods for making wear and oxidation resistant polymeric materials by high temperature melting. The invention also provides methods of making medical implants containing cross-linked antioxidant-containing tough and ductile polymers and materials used therewith also are provided.

Lower discharge temperatures and improved flow rates are obtained for the processing of meltable, solid crosslinkable compositions comprising a polymer, e.g., polyethylene, and a peroxide, in a single barrel extruder by equipping the extruder with an energy transfer (ET) screw that comprises: (1) an ET section with a distance averaged ET section depth of 8.0% to 10% of the extruder barrel internal diameter, and (2) a metering section with a metering section depth of 6.0% to 8% of the extruder barrel internal diameter.

Provided are methods and systems for manufacturing and using heat-shrink elastomeric. An example method of manufacturing a heat-shrink elastomeric element comprises providing a thermoplastic elastomeric element having a first shape; modifying the thermoplastic elastomeric element to produce a thermoset elastomeric element having the first shape; heating the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature of at least the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element; adjusting the first shape of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce a second shape with at least one dimension greater than that of the first shape; and cooling the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature below that of the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce the heat-shrink elastomeric element.

Stabilized liquid agrochemical compositions are provided that comprise flowable, liquid dispersion concentrates comprising a) a continuous liquid phase; and b) a dispersed phase comprising a dispersion of gel-like polymer matrix particles having a hardness greater than 0.01 MPa and less than 6 MPa, and where the outside surfaces of the particles comprise a colloidal solid material and the particles have a agrochemically active ingredient distributed therein The agrochemically active ingredient may be solid or liquid and is distributed within the polymer matrix particle. The compositions of the invention can be used directly or with dilution to combat pests or as plant growth regulators.

A super absorbent polymer according to the present invention has excellent dryness while maintaining excellent absorption performance, and thus is preferably used for hygienic materials such as diapers, and can exhibit excellent performance.