The Dow Chemical Company

Other

Robert E Erickson

Richard M Krajewski

James M Rice

Theodore C Wallace

Laurie J Scott

A deep groove ground-contacting roller for a reel type mower assembly having a plurality of interfitting intermediate roller segments and matching end segments mounted on a transverse bearing mounted axle rod in tight abutment. Stop rings engage the end segments and the axle rod to fix the roller segments on the rod to form a roller body. Each roller segment includes a cylindrical hub and a disc element extending radially therefrom with converging planar annular side surfaces intersecting to form a rounded ground-contacting ridge. The disc elements and the hub sections combine to form a deep groove with angled side surfaces and a right circular cylindrical bottom.

Deep groove roller for mower head assembly

Foamed water-swellable polymeric water absorbent materials are prepared by contacting a polymer capable of having a water-swellable character and containing acid moieties in acid form with a blowing agent such as sodium bicarbonate, which blowing agent is capable of neutralizing the acid moieties of the polymer. The foamed polymers are useful in a wide variety of water absorbent applications.

Foamed polymeric materials

Creped absorbent composites made from lightly crosslinked or water-swellable hydrophilic polymers with layers of wicking substrates are disclosed. The creped composites are made by drying the composites to less than 8% moisture and creping them in a creping zone. The creped composites have a tissue-like feel at low relative humidities with rapid absorption and are useful to make low bulk, high fluid capacity personal care products. Absorbent pads made from the above composites are also disclosed wherein the pads comprise one or more layers of wicking substrates, a water impermeable bottom sheet, and a water permeable face sheet.

Creped absorbent composites

The invention discloses a method for increasing the water capacity and air capacity of soil matrixes comprising modification of such soil matrixes with a water-absorbing laminate by positioning in the soil a mass of said laminate having a lightly cross-linked polyelectrolyte film with a layer of wicking substrates adhered to both sides of the absorbent film.

Method of increasing the absorbent capacity of plant soils

A method of preparing fibrous hydrophilic fluff having increased absorbency is disclosed. An absorbent polymer solution is coated on base fluffing material, and the coated fluffing material is dried, disintegrated and mechanically worked into a fibrous fluff matrix which contains absorbent polymer platelets distributed throughout said matrix.

Method for preparing absorbent fibrous fluff

A method of preparing fibrous hydrophilic fluff having increased absorbency is disclosed wherein an absorbent hydrophilic composite is mechanically disintegrated, either singly or in combination with a base fluffing material.

Absorbent polymer-fiber composites and method for preparing the same

Flexible absorbent laminates made from crushed films of lightly crosslinked or water-swellable hydrophilic polymers with layers of wicking substrates are disclosed. The crushed laminates are made by drying the laminates to less than 8% moisture and crushing them preferably between a yieldable roller and an enbossed roller. The crushed laminates have a tissue-like feel at low relative humidities with rapid absorption and are useful to make baby diapers or adult diapers.

Flexible absorbent laminates

Hydrophobic materials deposited on the surface of a substrate having a primer release coating of a water-insoluble, water-swellable polymer can easily be removed from the substrate upon exposure of the water-swellable polymer to an aqueous liquid. For example, paint applied to the surface of a steel panel precoated with a lightly cross-linked polyacrylate can easily be removed upon the immersion of the panel in water.

Method for removing paint from a substrate

A disposable composite comprising an absorbent, swellable film such as a lightly cross-linked polyacrylate, having on its two major surfaces a hydrophobic coating such as polyvinylidene chloride, is useful as a liner or packaging for disposable articles such as sanitary napkins. The hydrophobic coating protects the coated surfaces of the absorbent, swellable film from moisture, thereby maintaining the composite's integrity during use. Upon the composite's immersion in an aqueous fluid, the exposure of any uncoated film to water causes the composite to disintegrate, providing for easy flushability.

Disposable composite insensitive to surface moisture but disintegratable

Water swellable aerated films and laminates, made from solutions of carboxylic polyelectrolytes, together with methods for their preparation, are disclosed. The films and laminates are cured and/or crosslinked with a polyfunctional or difunctional crosslinking agent that is reactive with carboxylate groups by heating and/or removing substantially all of the water and/or alcohol from the precursor composition. The solutions are mechanically aerated prior to the curing step. The absorbent articles have a rapid water absorbency rate and are useful as components in diapers, tampons, dressings and the like.

Growing community of inventors

Midland, MI, United States of America

Robert E Erickson