3M Innovative Properties Company

Sasha B Myers

Rudolf J Dams

Eugene G Joseph

Craig E Hamer

Thu-Van T Tran

Daniel J O'Neal

Karl B Richter

Michael D Crandall

Jay M Jennen

Yong K Wu

Stephen W Bany

Ignatius A Kadoma

Shou-Lu G Wang

Siegmund Papp

Gary A Korba

Michelle M Hewitt

Daniel J O'neal

Joan C Fretag

Methods of (co)polymerizing ethylenically-unsaturated materials, including the steps of providing a non-deaerated mixture of free radically (co)polymerizable ethylenically-unsaturated material in a batch reactor, exposing the non-deaerated mixture to a source of ionizing radiation for a time sufficient to initiate (co)polymerization of at least a portion of the free radically (co)polymerizable ethylenically-unsaturated material, and allowing the free radically (co)polymerizable ethylenically-unsaturated material to (co)polymerize under essentially adiabatic conditions while continuing to expose the mixture to the source of ionizing radiation for a time sufficient to yield an at least partially (co)polymerized (co)polymer. The ethylenically-unsaturated materials are selected from vinyl-functional monomers, vinyl-functional oligomers, vinyl-functional macromers, and combinations thereof. The mixture is preferably free of thermally-induced or UV-induced free radical polymerization initiators. The source of ionizing radiation may be a gamma ray source, an x ray source, an electron beam source with an emission energy greater than 300 keV, and combinations thereof.

Method of polymerizing ethylenically-unsaturated materials using ionizing radiation

Methods of forming an adhesive composition including the steps of (a) combining a non-deaerated mixture comprising at least one free radically (co)polymerizable ethylenically-unsaturated material with a sealable packaging, wherein the packaging contains the non-deaerated mixture; (b) sealing the non-deaerated mixture in the packaging to form a sealed packaging; and (c) exposing the non-deaerated mixture in the sealed packaging to a source of ionizing radiation for a time sufficient to initiate (co)polymerization of at least a portion of the at least one free radically (co)polymerizable ethylenically-unsaturated material to form an adhesive composition in the sealed packaging. The (co)polymerization takes place essentially non-adiabatically. At least a portion of the packaging is meltable and mixable with the adhesive composition so as to provide a flowable coatable adhesive composition when the sealed packaging containing the adhesive composition is heated to a temperature sufficient to melt at least a portion of the packaging.

Method of making package viscoelastic compositions by polymerizing ethylenically-unsaturated materials using ionizing radiation

There is provided a controlled degradation fiber and methods of making such controlled degradation fiber, wherein at least one first material and at least one second material are selected such that the fiber has a weight loss of greater than 6 wt. % and less than 60 wt. % based on the total weight of the fiber after one week at 130&#xb0; C. in the presence of water.

Controlled degradation fibers

Growing community of inventors

Arden Hills, MN, United States of America

Sasha B Myers