A method of manufacturing a mineral fibre thermal insulation product comprises the sequential steps of: Forming mineral fibres from a molten mineral mixture; Spraying a substantially formaldehyde free binder solution on to the mineral fibres, the binder solution comprising: a reducing sugar, an acid precursor derivable from an inorganic salt and a source of nitrogen; Collecting the mineral fibres to which the binder solution has been applied to form a batt of mineral fibres; and Curing the batt comprising the mineral fibres and the binder which is in contact with the mineral fibres by passing the batt through a curing oven so as to provide a batt of mineral fibres held together by a substantially water insoluble cured binder.

An un-reacted substantially formaldehyde free curable binder solution for binding loose mutter consists essentially of a solution obtainable by dissolving a reducing sugar, an ammonium salt acid precursor, optionally a carboxylic acid or a precursor thereof and optionally ammonia in water.

There is provided a method for producing a carboxyl group-containing polymer composition that is excellent in all of the following: dispersibility in water or the like immediately after the preparation, storage stability, and the transparency of a neutral viscous solution thereof. A method for producing a carboxyl group-containing polymer composition, the carboxyl group-containing polymer composition comprising a carboxyl group-containing polymer (A) that is a copolymer of monomers comprising an ,-unsaturated carboxylic acid (a-1) and a compound (a-2) having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups per molecule; and a nonionic surfactant (B), the method comprising the step of copolymerizing the monomers, wherein in the step, the nonionic surfactant (B) is added into the system when the polymerization degree of the ,-unsaturated carboxylic acid (a-1) has reached 70 to 100%.

The invention relates to a hydrogel comprising cross-linked copolymer chains, wherein some of the repetitive units of the copolymer are based on functionalized monomers that contain both a polymerizable group and a complexing group, wherein the functionalized monomers further contain a cationic group, and wherein the hydrogel comprises anions corresponding to said cationic groups.

A thermoplastic elastomer composition includes: at least one elastomer component selected from the group consisting of elastomeric polymers each of which has a side chain containing a hydrogen-bond cross-linkable moiety having a carbonyl-containing group and/or a nitrogen-containing heterocycle and has a glass-transition point of 25 C. or below, and elastomeric polymers each of which contains a hydrogen-bond cross-linkable moiety and a covalent-bond cross-linking moiety in a side chain and has a glass-transition point of 25 C. or below; a clay, a content ratio of which is 20 parts by mass or less relative to 100 parts by mass of the elastomer component; and an -olefin-based resin having no chemical-bond cross-linking moiety.

A method of creating a hydrogel, comprising the step of condensing first and second functional groups, wherein the first group comprises a molecule or macromolecule of interest containing two or more hydroxylamine or aminooxy groups and the second group comprises a molecule or macromolecule of interest containing two or more aldehyde/ketone/other reactive oxo groups, under conditions such that a hydrogel forms.

A method of creating a hydrogel, comprising the step of condensing first and second functional groups, wherein the first group comprises a molecule or macromolecule of interest containing two or more hydroxylamine or aminooxy groups and the second group comprises a molecule or macromolecule of interest containing two or more aldehyde/ketone/other reactive oxo groups, under conditions such that a hydrogel forms.

The present disclosure relates to an amphiphilic copolymer comprising: a) repeating monomeric units comprising a pendant zwitterionic moiety; b) repeating monomeric units comprising a pendant group comprising a fluorine-containing group and at least one heteroatom; and c) optionally, secondary repeating monomeric units comprising a pendant group comprising a functional group selected from the group consisting of phosphate groups, phosphonate groups, sulfonate groups, alkoxysilane groups, carboxylate groups, and any combinations thereof; and wherein the repeating monomeric units of the amphiphilic copolymer independently comprise an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable group selected from the group of (meth)acrylate ester containing groups. In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a protective coating composition comprising: a) an amphiphilic co polymer as described above, and b) a solvent comprising water.

Described herein are associative polymers capable of controlling a physical and/or chemical property of non-polar compositions and related compositions, methods and systems. Associative polymers herein described have a non-polar backbone and functional groups presented at ends of the non-polar backbone, with a number of the functional groups presented at the ends of the non-polar backbone formed by associative functional groups capable of undergoing an associative interaction with another associative functional group with an association constant (k) such that the strength of each associative interaction is less than the strength of a covalent bond between atoms and in particular less than the strength of a covalent bond between backbone atoms.

To provide a water repellent composition whereby a moisture permeable waterproof film is rendered less likely to be peeled from an article treated by the water-repellent composition. The water repellent composition comprises a copolymer (A) having structural units based on a monomer (a) and structural units based on a monomer (b), a polymer (B) having an amino group, an ammonium salt group or an amide group as a pendant group, and an aqueous medium. The monomer (a) is a compound represented by R.sup.F-Q-ZC(O)C(R)CH.sub.2 (wherein R.sup.F is a C.sub.4-6 perfluoroalkyl group, Q is either a divalent hydrocarbon group containing no fluorine atom or a single bond, Z is O or NH, and R is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or a chlorine atom).

The monomer (b) is a (meth)acrylate having no polyfluoroalkyl group and having a C.sub.12-22 alkyl group.