Allied Colloids Limited

Bp Chemicals Limited

David Farrar

Peter Flesher

Malcolm Hawe

Adrian Swinburn Allen

John R Field

Gerald P Benn

John G Langley

Brian Dymond

Malcolm Skinner

Kenneth Charles Symes

John B Clarke

David Marshall

Peter Lowry

Seraj A Karolia

Ian Michael Johnson

Ian S Biggin

Tony Whittaker

Alan C Benson

John Robinson

Peter R Lawrence

Norma Rosier

Peter S Cartwright

Walter E Paget

A water absorbing particulate polymer material wherein the polymer material when in dry powder form has a particle size of about 50 .mu.m to about 500 .mu.m and wherein the particles consist of internally bonded finer particles which finer particles have a size below 50 .mu.m. The process of using the water absorbing polymer, material to convert a wet sticky mass of inorganic particulate such as coal fines into a crumbly or flowable solid. A process using a water absorbing particulate polymer material to convert a wet sticky mass of organic particulate material into a crumbly or flowable solid wherein the organic matter can be, for example, food waste or sewage.

Water absorbing polymers

Methods of making crystalline-coated polymeric materials

Molecular weight degradation stabilized polymeric compositions

High molecular weight polymer that can form a viscous aqueous solution is chemically modified by mixing the previously formed polymer (as a powder, reverse phase dispersion or oil-in-water emulsion) with water and the reagent for effecting the chemical modification so as to form a viscous aqueous mixture having a viscosity of at least 1OOO cps (Brookfield RVT) and then feeding this mixture as intermittent batches into one end of a tower through which it moves with substantially plug flow and from which it is withdrawn, at the end of the reaction, as intermittent batches. The apparatus for this purpose is also novel.

Process and apparatus for performing chemical reactions

A water absorbent water insoluble polymeric element, such as a fibre, film, coating, bonding layer or foam, is made by forming a substantially linear polymer by polymerisation of water soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer blends comprising carboxylic and hydroxylic monomers and then reacting the carboxylic and hydroxylic monomers in the linear polymer to form internal cross links within the polymer.

Absorbent products and their manufacture

The use of very high molecular weight polymers which are substantially completely water soluble as flocculants in paper making improves drainage time without adversely affecting formation, even when used in high shear processes.

Processes for the production of paper and paper board

A new process for producing allyl ethers, usually C.sub.8-30 alkyl (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.5-100 allyl ether, by forming a solution of an alcohol, usually a surfactant alcohol, in a solvent capable of forming an azeotrope with water, azeotroping the mixture to remove substantially all the water, adding an alkalimetal alkoxide, usually sodium methoxide, removing the alkanol formed, usually by azeotroping with the solvent, adding a halide, usually allyl chloride, and recovering the allyl ether. The ethers are useful as monomers, for example to produce polymers by copolymerising with copolymerisable ethylenically unsaturated comonomers for a wide range of applications.

Monomer production

Water absorbent particulate polymers and their uses are described. Friable aggregates may be made by bonding substantially dry polymer particles with an aqueous liquid and drying the aggregates. These aggregates can be broken down to the individual polymer particles upon mixing with an aqueous medium and thus can have the flow properties of relatively coarse particles and the performance properties of relatively fine particles. They may be soluble nd used as flocculants or viscosifiers or binders for, for instance, iron ore pelletisation. Alternatively they may be swellable and insoluble, for instance for converting a sticky particulate mass (such as coal fines filter cake) to a crumbly solid. When pellets are formed by compression moulding from a crumbly solid made by mixing water absorbent polymer particles with a sticky mass of inorganic particles (such as a coal fines filter cake) improved properties are obtained when the absorbent polymer particles are introduced in the form of a dispersion in water-immiscible liquid.

Polymeric compositions

Fabric conditioners

This invention relates to aqueous acidic solutions which are thickened by cationic polymer, the polymer being added to the solution in the form of particles below 10 .mu.m in size. The useful cationic polymers are formed from a water soluble cationic ethylenically unsaturated monomer or blend of monomers comprising dialkylaminoalkylacrylics that includes a polyethylenically unsaturated cross-linking agent. A peak viscosity is achieved in the aqueous acidic solution at a particular cross-linker concentration. The concentration of cross-linking agent chosen is carefully controlled so that the viscosifying effect can be optimised whilst minimising the amount of polymer that has to be added. The amount of polymer in the aqueous acidic solution is typically in the range of from, 0.01% to 5% dry weight polymer.

Thickened acidic aqueous compositions using cross-linked

Film or fibre is made from a polymer of water soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomeric material that includes ionic monomer by extrusion and stretching, and a counterionic lubricant compound is absorbed into the surface of the fibre or film before or during the stretching. The counterionic lubricant compound is also of use for providing a lubricated film on other extruded or comminuted elements of water swellable or water soluble polymeric material.

The invention provides a substantially dry particulate composition comprising a polyacrylamide and an amidase. An aqueous composition made by dispersing this into water will then have a satisfactorily low content of residual acrylamide even if the initial polymer was contaminated with monomer. The composition is made by blending dry polyacrylamide particles with the amidase.

Polymeric compositions and their production

The properties of absorptive synthetic polymer particles formed by polymerisation of water soluble monomers such as sodium acrylate or acrylamide with a cross linking agent are improved, especially as regards absorptive capacity for aqueous electrolytes, by copolymerising the monomers with an ethylenically unsaturated monomer that includes a pendant group --A.sub.m B.sub.n A.sub.p R where B is ethyleneoxy, n is at least 2, A is propyleneoxy or butyleneoxy, m and p are each less than n and are preferably zero, and R is a hydrophobic group.

Absorbent polymers, their manufacture and uses

A water absorbent water insoluble polymeric element, such as fibre, film, coating, bonding layer or foam, is made by forming a substantially linear polymer by polymerization of water soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer blends comprising carboxylic and hydroxylic monomers and then reacting the carboxylic and hydroxylic monomers in the linear polymer to form internal cross links within the polymer.

Growing community of inventors

West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

David Farrar