General Electric Company

Other

Ge Plastics, L.l.c.

Richard B Allen

William E Gibbs

Lynn M Hans

Roger W Avakian

Popkin Shenian

Bang M Kim

Richard C Bopp

Daniel L Roberts

Lynn M Martynowicz

Deborah L Allen

David S Miller, Iii

Robert L Reis

Robert A Wiercinski

Frederick L Sanford

Barbara M Bacskai

This invention relates to an improved umbrella design, the cover of which is of a transparent, as opposed to opaque, material. The umbrella is in the shape of a dome-topped cylinder, the diameter of which approximates the width of an average person's shoulders. In one embodiment, the umbrella cover encompasses the torso of the user; in another, only the head and upper body. The umbrella further includes a DC motor and a wiper blade for wiping precipitation from that segment of the cover immediately in front of the user's face, to enhance vision.

Stadium umbrella

Elastomeric low density foamable compositions are described which are prepared from blends comprised of a major amount of a block copolymer comprised of an alkenyl aromatic and a conjugated diene and a minor amount of one or more other thermoplastic resins. Also described are such foamable compositions wherein such blends are comprised of a major amount of a triblock copolymer of the A-B-A type and a minor amount of polystyrene resin and/or polyphenylene ether resin. Also described are processes for preparing such low density foamable compositions and articles made therefrom.

Elastomeric low density foamable compositions and process of making the

Expandable thermoplastic resin beads coated with a novel very high frequency energy absorbing material are expanded with microwave energy.

Expanding thermoplastic resin beads with very high frequency energy

A process for producing expandable thermoplastic resin beads which comprises suspending in an aqueous medium interpolymer beads comprising a polyphenylene ether resin and a polymerized vinyl aromatic monomer such as styrene, polymerizing the vinyl aromatic monomer in the presence of a polymerization catalyst to interpolymerize the vinyl aromatic monomer with the polyphenylene ether and, optionally, adding a cross-linking agent, to form interpolymerized thermoplastic resin beads, and introducing a blowing agent under pressure into the thermoplastic resin beads. The resulting resin beads have excellent foamability and molding fusability, and a foamed shaped article having superior thermal stability can be prepared from these beads.

Expandable thermoplastic resin beads

A foamable composition comprises in admixture (a) a high molecular weight thermoplastic resin in particulate form and an effective amount of (b) a foaming agent therefor comprising a pumpable liquid dispersion comprising (i) a solid blowing agent, (ii) a liquid carrier, and, optionally, (iii) a thickener. The liquid dispersion can be pumped directly into the hopper of a foam molding machine eliminating the need to pre-mix pelletized concentrates of the solid blowing agent.

Foamable engineering thermoplastic compositions

A low density extruded structural foam of closed cell structure having good compressive strength comprising a engineered thermoplastic resin, alone, or containing a flame retarding agent and/or nucleating agent, optionally combined with a vinyl aromatic resin, and a blowing agent is produced by feeding said resin, or composition, into a primary extruder wherein mixing, adding a blowing agent which is essentially insoluble in the resin at room temperature but soluble in the melt and further mixing, then optionally passing the mixture to a second, cooling extruder, passing said extruded mixture through a die, then expanding and foaming said composition into a foam article.

Low density extruded foam having high compressive strength

New and improved thermoplastic compositions are disclosed comprising a blend of an aromatic polycarbonate and a copolymer derived from a glycol portion comprising 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol and ethylene glycol present in molar ratios of 1:4 to 4:1 respectively and an acid portion comprising an aromatic dicarboxylic acid selected from terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, and mixtures thereof. The compositions are compatible with, and advantageously contain impact modifiers and flame retardants. The copolymer of the subject invention has a heat distortion temperature of from 60.degree. C. to 70.degree. C. and when incorporated in the thermoplastic compositions of this invention provides polycarbonate-based compositions which exhibit lower heat distortion temperatures while retaining good tensile, flexural and impact strengths. The lower heat distortion temperatures of the compositions permits them to be molded and processed at lower temperatures thereby avoiding the degradation of the materials with concomitant loss in impact strength observed with higher conventional molding temperatures employed with earlier compositions.

High strength, reduced heat distortion temperature thermoplastic

Thermoplastic compositions useful for preparation into shaped articles are provided which are based on mixtures of an aromatic polycarbonate resin, such as a poly(bisphenol-A carbonate) resin, and a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic or methacrylic acid. The ethylene copolymer can be an ionically crosslinked addition polymer (ionomer) as provided when the acid groups are neutralized with metal cations, or they can simply be random copolymers which are not ionically crosslinked. Articles prepared from the compositions are more resistant to undergoing delamination than counterpart compositions based on mixtures of polycarbonate and polyethylene.

Thermoplastic compositions of polycarbonate resin and copolymers of

The tendency of polymers which are normally transparent after molding to undergo yellowing upon exposure to ionizing radiation is reduced by blending them with another polymer that has the effect of improving the ionizing radiation resistance over and above a mere dilution effect. The blends are moldable into medical products that can be sterilized repeatedly with little or no yellowing.

Method for enhancing ionizing radiation

Low density particles or beads of polyphenylene ether or polyphenylene ether-polystyrene blends are provided by incorporation of a suitable blowing agent such as pentane into the resin mixture, flowed by expansion of the resin particles by exposure temperatures near the Tg of the blend.

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Pittsfield, MA, United States of America

Richard B Allen