The Dow Chemical Company

Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Ravi Ramanathan

Walter J Schrenk

John Allen Wheatley

Eric Kurtycz

Vikas Gupta

Hein J Koelman

Steve J Rogers

Ray A Lewis

Stephen E Bales

Mark Alan Barger

Malcolm F Finlayson

Sam L Crabtree

Leo R Novak

Kun S Hyun

Thomas D Traugott

Thomas J Parsons

Charles B Arends

David M Wisniewski

Bart R Jones

Charles A Langhoff

Robert E Wrisley

Daryl Hertema

An improved seating system that includes a seat back assembly () that is fabricated to include a seat back () with a first panel portion () that is optionally secured to a second panel portion () with one or more fasteners such as welds, adhesives, tack-offs, steel brackets or otherwise. The first panel portion (), the second panel portion () or both preferably are plastic. The seat back assembly () may include one or more integrated reinforcement structures ().

Instrument panel assembly

A method of forming a valve cover suitable for attachment to an engine head is disclosed. The valve cover is molded from a plastic material to include at least one structure of a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system. Additionally, the design of the valve cover includes various advantages including, for example, structural integrity, ease of installation or the like.

Method of forming an automotive valve cover with integral positive crankcase ventilation

Disclosed are blow molded automotive articles comprising a coupled propylene polymer composition.

Blow moldable propylene polymer compositions

An improved seating system that includes a seat back assembly ( ) that is fabricated to include a seat back ( ) with a first panel portion ( ) that is optionally secured to a second panel portion ( ) with one or more fasteners such as welds, adhesives, tack-offs, steel brackets or otherwise. The first panel portion ( ), the second panel portion ( ) or both preferably are plastic. The seat back assembly ( ) may include one or more integrated reinforcement structures ( ).

Seating system

A gear pump exhibiting improved efficiency over a broader range of fluid viscosity and pump speed includes a compression zone defined between each of a pair of pump gears and internal walls of a gear chamber, wherein the compression zones have a non-uniform thickness along a longitudinal direction of the gears. The geometry of the compression zones provides a mechanism whereby the drag of the viscous fluid which is induced by the rotation of the pump gears carries the viscous fluid through a progressively narrower gap in the direction of rotation ending in a final smooth pinch-off at the start of the seal zone. The geometry of the compression zone maximizes the drag and pressurization of the viscous fluid being pumped into the teeth of the gears, thereby assisting in the complete filling of the teeth. The result is improved fill efficiency over a broader range of pump speeds and over a broader range of fluid viscosity.

High efficiency gear pump for pumping highly viscous fluids

Methods and apparatus for generating, and then precisely controlling, layer thickness gradients in multilayered polymeric reflective bodies are provided. The creation of such gradients is useful in tailoring multilayer bodies to reflect and/or transmit desired wavelengths of light. Both thermal and mechanical methods, as well as combinations thereof, are used.

Layer thickness gradient control in multilayer polymeric bodies

The present invention provides a two-component infrared reflecting film which reflects light in the infrared region of the spectrum while suppressing second, third and fourth order reflections in the visible spectrum. The film comprises alternating layers of first (A) and second (B) diverse polymeric materials having a six layer alternating repeat unit with relative optical thicknesses of about .778A.111B.111A.778B.111A.111B. The polymeric materials differ from each other in refractive index by at least about 0.03.

Two component infrared reflecting film

A multilayered reflective body which is thermoformable and capable of being fabricated into films, sheets and a variety of parts while maintaining a uniform reflective appearance is provided. The reflective polymeric body includes at least first and second diverse polymeric materials of a sufficient number of alternating layers of the first and second polymeric materials such that at least 30% of the light incident on the body is reflected. A substantial majority of the individual layers of the body have an optical thickness of not more than 0.09 micrometers or not less than 0.45 micrometers, and adjacent layers of the first and second polymeric materials differ from each other in refractive index by at least about 0.1. The reflective body may be fabricated into sheets, mirrors, noncorroding metallic appearing articles and parts, reflectors, reflective lenses, and the like.

Optically dissimilar composition for polymeric reflective bodies

A process and apparatus for the coextrusion of a multilayer polymeric body is provided which incorporates protective boundary layers into the body, protecting the layers from instability and breakup during layer formation and multiplication. The process includes the steps of providing at least first and second streams of heat plastified extrudable thermoplastic material which are combined to form a composite stream having the first substreams and second substreams interdigitated. A third stream of heat plastified thermoplastic material is supplied to the exterior surfaces of the composite stream to form protective boundary layers adjacent the walls of the coextrusion apparatus through which the heat plastified polymer streams pass. Layer instability and breakup are avoided using process conditions which would otherwise adversely affect the optical and/or mechanical properties of the articles which are formed.

Growing community of inventors

Midland, MI, United States of America

Ravi Ramanathan