Basf Corporation

Jeffrey S Dugan

Otto M Ilg

Matthew B Hoyt

Charles F Helms, Jr

John A Hodan

Michael A Davis

James R Lisk, Jr

A thermoplastic fiber demonstrates moisture wicking properties. The fiber has one or more internal lenghtwise open channels each having an opening and at least one groove having a deepest point, a longest dimension and a mouth. The mouth is defined by moving a line from the deepest point along the longest dimension until the largest convex set is identified. The mouth is at the line segment closing the largest convex set. The mouth has width x wherein the average transverse cross-sectional area of the groove is greater than or equal to (.pi.x.sup.2)/8. A durable hydrophilic surface modification is assosiated with said channel.

Moisture transport fiber

A heat exchanger contains one or more heat exchange plates having on a common facial surface thereof a first heating fluid facial subchannel set containing at least one heating fluid facial subchannel and a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set containing at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel; wherein the heating fluid facial subchannel set and the cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface of the heat exchange plate(s). In one embodiment, the heat exchanger contains at least one pair of heat exchange plates, wherein a first plate in the pair has on a front facial surface thereof a first-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set and a first-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set, and a second plate in the pair has on a front facial surface thereof a second-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set and a second-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set, wherein the first-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set is aligned in heat exchange relationships with the first-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set and the second-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set, and the second-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set is aligned in heat exchange relationships with the second-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set and the first-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set.

Plate-type heat exchangers

A plate-type valve and method of using same to control fluid flow are disclosed, wherein the plate-type valve contains: a first valve plate having a first channel formed therein; a second valve plate having a second channel formed therein and a valve seating portion; a flexible member having a movable free end and being disposed between the first channel and the second channel, the movable free end of the flexible member being disposed for movement onto and off of the valve seating portion by means of an actuating force such that movement of the movable free end onto the valve seating portion prevents fluid flow between the first channel and the second channel and movement of the movable free end off of the valve seating portion allows fluid flow between the first channel and the second channel.

Plate-type valve and method of use

A plate-type chemical reactor and method of using same to react two or more mutually separated fluid component streams are disclosed, wherein the reactor contains one or more reactor plates including at least one reaction-chamber reactor plate; at least one reaction chamber formed on a front facial surface of the reaction-chamber reactor plate(s); and at least one heat exchange channel passing through the reaction-chamber reactor plate(s) such that at least one section of heat exchange channel(s) is disposed in a heat exchange relationship with the reaction chamber(s); the reaction chamber containing: a plurality of inlet means for receiving and directing a plurality of mutually separated fluid component streams, a first mixing zone for mixing the separated fluid component streams to form a single at least partially reacted multicomponent fluid stream thereof, and at least one outlet means.

Plate-type chemical reactor

A method of separating two immiscible, melt-viscosity-differing thermoplastic polymer components from a mixed liquid stream thereof forms two discrete and continuous phases having a sheath/core configuration, wherein the sheath substantially contains the polymer component with the higher melt viscosity and the core substantially contains the polymer component with the lower melt viscosity. The mixed liquid stream contains a predominant amount (i.e., greater than 50% by volume) of the higher viscosity polymer component and a minority amount (i.e., less than 50% by volume) of the lower viscosity polymer component. The method involves directing the stream through a shear zone at a shear temperature and a shear rate sufficient to form the two discrete and continuous phases, the first of which substantially contains the lower viscosity polymer component and the second of which substantially contains the higher viscosity polymer component.

Method of separating polymers from mixtures thereof

A process for making composite fibers includes making composite fibers having at least two different polymers, one of which is a water-insoluble polyolefin and the other is a water-soluble polymer, having a plurality of at least 19 segments of the water-insoluble polyolefin, uniformly distributed across the cross-section of the fiber and being surrounded by the water-soluble polymer.

Process of making composile fibers and microfibers

A plate-type printing device and a method of using same are disclosed, wherein the device is composed of a plurality of plates stacked in a front-to-back facial configuration, the plurality of plates containing: at least one inlet port for at least one colorant; at least one colorant-supply plate having formed on a front facial surface thereof at least one colorant-supply cavity disposed in fluid communication with the at least one inlet port; and at least one colorant-transfer plate having formed on a front facial surface thereof at least one colorant-transfer cavity shaped to form a first design pattern, the at least one colorant-transfer plate further containing at least one cavity-port formed in the at least one colorant-transfer cavity, the at least one cavity-port being disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the at least one colorant-supply cavity.

Plate-type printing device and method of use

A plate-type fluid separator is used to separate a plurality of mutually immiscible components from a mixed fluid stream thereof. The separator contains at least one separator flow plate which has formed on a common facial surface thereof at least one separation chamber. Each separation chamber contains at least one inlet means; a channel assembly in fluid communication with the inlet means and composed of a main flow channel split at a downstream end thereof into a plurality of branching flow channels; and a plurality of outlet means in fluid communication with the branching flow channels. The main flow channel separates the stream passing therethrough into a plurality of substantially discrete fluid phases having different average density or viscosity values. Each branching flow channel receives a discrete phase and passes such phase to the outlet means.

Plate-type separator

A method of separating two or more immiscible components from a multicomponent fluid stream thereof involves passing the stream through one or more separation chambers of a plate-type separator. The separator contains at least one separator flow plate, each of which has formed on a common facial surface thereof at least one separation chamber containing at least one inlet means, a channel assembly in fluid communication with the inlet means, and a plurality of outlet means. The channel assembly contains at least one branched-channel structure composed of a main flow channel split at a downstream branch-point end thereof into at least two branching flow channels. The main flow channel is adapted to separate the multicomponent stream passing therethrough into a plurality of substantially discrete density-differing or viscosity-differing fluid phases. Each of the branching flow channels is adapted to receive one of the discrete phases. The discrete phases exit the branching flow channels through the outlet means.

Method of using a plate-type separator

A plate-type distillation/condensation apparatus and a method of using same to separate at least two volatility-differing liquid or vapor components from a mixed fluid stream thereof are disclosed, wherein the apparatus contains at least one flow plate having formed on a common facial surface thereof at least one distillation/condensation chamber containing an inlet port for the mixed fluid stream; a primary flow channel in fluid communication with the inlet port; one heat exchange conduits, wherein (i) a first heat exchange conduit for a first cooling fluid is disposed in a first heat exchange contact with the primary flow channel sufficient to condense at least a portion of a first vapor component into a first condensate phase, or (ii) a first heat exchange conduit for a heating fluid is disposed in a second heat exchange contact with the primary flow channel sufficient to boil at least a portion of a first liquid component into a first vapor phase, and a second heat exchange conduit for a second cooling fluid is disposed in a third heat exchange contact with the primary flow channel sufficient to condense at least a portion of the first vapor phase into a first condensate phase; at least one side outlet port; and an overhead outlet port.

Plate-type distillation/condensation apparatus and method of use

Disclosed are microfiber-containing core-spun yarns and fabrics formed therefrom, wherein the core-spun yarn contains a core containing one or more non-micro fibers and a sheath covering and twisted about the core, wherein the sheath contains either staple composite islands-in-the-sea microfiber-generating fibers or staple microfibers formed by treating the composite fibers with a solvent to remove the sea component either before or after formation of the fabric.

Yarn having microfiber sheath surrounding non-microfiber core

A plate-type diaphragm pump is composed of an inlet valve member containing two inlet plate structures, an outlet valve member containing two outlet plate structures, and a diaphragm member preferably containing one or two plates, the plate structures being plates or plate sections. A first inlet plate structure has a first inlet channel section and a first valve-seat, a second inlet plate structure has a second inlet channel section and an inlet flexible element, a first outlet plate structure has a first outlet channel section and a second valve-seat, and a second outlet plate structure has a second outlet channel section and an outlet flexible element. The inlet and outlet flexible elements, respectively disposed between the inlet channel sections and the outlet channel sections, have free ends disposed for movement onto and off of the respective first and second valve-seats to respectively prevent or permit fluid flow between the respective inlet and outlet channel sections. The diaphragm member has a deflectable portion disposed for movement toward and away from a diaphragm-seat situated between the diaphragm member and the inlet and outlet channels to respectively prevent or permit fluid flow between the inlet and outlet channels. Movement of the free ends of the flexible elements and the deflectable portion of the diaphragm member may be magnetic-, pressure-, or temperature-induced.

Plate-type diaphragm pump and method of use

A filter for filtering particulates from a particulate-containing fluid stream passing through the filter, contains one or more flow plates, each of the flow plates having (a) one or more primary fluid flow passages; and (b) one or more particulates-collecting, eddy current-forming accumulation chambers communicating with the primary fluid flow passages; wherein the accumulation chambers are not situated in the primary fluid flow passages and, when the accumulation chambers contain particulates, the particulate-containing accumulation chambers do not impede fluid flow through the primary fluid flow passages.

Stacked plate eddy current-filter and method of use

A plate-type nozzle and a method of using same to atomize a liquid are disclosed, wherein the nozzle contains at least one nozzle plate having formed on a common facial surface thereof at least one atomization chamber containing: an inlet for a liquid stream; a jet-forming channel downstream of and in fluid communication with the inlet, the jet-forming channel being adapted to convert the stream into a jet; an interaction channel downstream of and in fluid communication with the jet-forming channel and having opposite first and second sides, the jet passing between the first and second sides and forming an attachment to either the first or second side; a split path having first and second branch channels associated with the respective first and second sides of the interaction channel, wherein attachment to the first side causes the jet to flow entirely into the first branch channel while attachment to the second side causes the jet to flow entirely into the second branch channel; at least one control channel in fluid communication with the interaction channel at the first and second sides; wherein an oscillating pressure wave is induced in the control channel, causing the attachment of the jet to switch back-and-forth between the first and second sides, respectively, to cause the jet to form substantially discrete liquid volumes in the first and second branch channels; and one or more outlet ports in communication with the branch channels for the liquid volumes, the volumes exiting the one or more outlet ports as substantially discrete atomized drops.

Growing community of inventors

Asheville, NC, United States of America

Jeffrey S Dugan