Basf Corporation

Evonik Stockhausen Gmbh

Evonik Corporation

Evonik Superabsorber Gmbh

Basf Corproation

Stanley A McIntosh

Frank R Jones

G Daniel Gasperson

Gary W Shore

Donald Caswell

Charles F Helms, Jr

Wayne S Stanko

Karl H Buchanan

David B Ledford

Gary A Shore

Frank Schubert

Matthias Naumann

Christoph Loick

Bobby J Bailey

Harry Y Hu

O Keith Gannon

Matthew B Hoyt

Phillip E Wilson

Scott Smith

Harold R Vickery

Steffen Fischer

Raymond L Denney

The present invention relates to a process to make continuous strand polymer comprising the following steps: a) providing a monomer mixture comprising water, a monomer, a crosslinker and an initiator; b) transporting the monomer mixture of step a) into a confining means wherein the monomer mixture is confined in said confining means; c) initiating polymerization of the monomer mixture in the confining means to make a continuous strand polymer; and d) emitting the continuous strand polymer from the confining means wherein the continuous strand polymer has a defined cross-sectional profile comprising an initial cross sectional diameter of at least 0.1 mm. The present invention is further directed to a process of making a continuous strand superabsorbent polymer.

Continuous strand superabsorbent polymerization

The present invention further relates to a particulate superabsorbent polymer composition comprising a crosslinker composition that is the reaction product selected from (i) saturated amines and/or saturated polyamines with ethylenically unsaturated glycidyl compounds and/or ethylenically unsaturated polyglycidyl compounds, (ii) ethylenically unsaturated amines and/or ethylenically unsaturated polyamines with saturated glycidyl compounds and/or saturated polyglycidyl compounds, or (iii) ethylenically unsaturated amines and/or ethylenically unsaturated polyamines with ethylenically unsaturated glycidyl compounds and/or ethylenically unsaturated polyglycidyl compounds; and a surface crosslinking agent applied to the particle surface. The present invention further relates to an absorbent article that includes such particulate superabsorbent polymer compositions.

Superabsorbent polymer with crosslinker

The present invention further relates to a process to make a superabsorbent polymer comprising the steps of a) preparing a neutralized monomer solution comprising a polymerizable monomer selected from unsaturated acid groups-containing monomers, ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid anhydride, salts, or derivatives thereof and a caustic agent selection from an alkali agent, wherein the polymerizable monomer is neutralized to from about 50 mol % to about 85 mol %; b) forming a crosslinker monomer mixture by adding an internal crosslinker composition to the neutralized monomer solution wherein the internal crosslinking composition is the reaction product of a stoichiometric excess of amine with a glycidyl compound, wherein the internal crosslinker composition has a residual amount of glycidyl compounds of less than about 500 ppm based on the mass of the internal crosslinker composition; and c) polymerizing the crosslinker monomer mixture to make a superabsorbent polymer.

Process for superabsorbent polymer and crosslinker composition

Concentrates and method of making concentrates are disclosed. The concentrates may be incorporated into thermoformable articles as a concentrate powder or as a paste. Thermoformable articles, such as fibers, containing the concentrates and methods of making the thermoformable articles are also disclosed.

Alternate dispersants for spray-dried concentrate components

Dyeable and dyed filaments have a core and a sheath which entirely surrounds the core. The core is formed of a core polymer which is susceptible to dyeing by a dye bath chemical, while the sheath is formed of a sheath polymer which is resistant to dyeing by the dye bath chemical. When the filament is brought into contact with a dye bath containing the dye chemical, the dye chemical in the dye bath will physically diffuse or migrate through the sheath polymer to cause the core polymer to be dyed a color of the dye bath chemical, while the sheath polymer is substantially undyed thereby.

Dyed sheath/core fibers and methods of making same

Polymeric compositions include a nonaqueous additive system having dispersant-coated pigments physically dispersed in a liquid nonaqueous polymeric carrier which may be added directly to a melt flow of a polymeric host material. The additive system employed in the polymeric systems is most preferably in the form of a particulate paste which can be added in metered amounts (dosed) to a melt flow of the polymeric host material prior to being spun into filaments. By providing a number of additive systems having a number of different additive attributes, and controllably dosing one or more into the melt flow of host polymeric material, shaped objects of the polymeric material (e.g., melt-spun filaments) having different additive attributes may be produced on a continuous basis without shutting down the shaping operation.

Methods of making pigmented filaments

A concentrate containing titanium dioxide is made by employing a carrier that is a liquid below about 25&deg; C. and which has ester functionality. The concentrate may be added directly to a host polymer to provide a high concentration of titanium dioxide without causing processing interruptions. Milling of the concentration is unnecessary.

Incorporating titanium dioxide in polymeric materials

Stabilized solution-dyed fiber is made by melting a polyamide which is amide monomers polymerized in the presence of at least one hindered piperidine compound, coloring the melted polyamide, and spinning the colored polyamide into fibers that have about 40% or better retained tenacity after 2125 kJ exposure to xenon arc radiation as per AATCC Test Method 16-1993, &ldquo;Colorfastness to Light,&rdquo; Option E. Copper stabilizers are unnecesssary.

Spinning and stability of solution-dyed nylon fibers

Dispersible additive systems for polymeric materials, and methods of making and incorporating the same in such polymeric materials

The present invention relates to water-dispersible materials (e.g. fibers or films) and to a method of producing same. The materials of the invention comprise a water soluble component, for example, a sulfonated polycondensate thermoplastic, and a modifying auxiliary component, for example, a low melt temperature thermoplastic.

Water-dispersable materials

Stabilized solution-dyed fiber is made by melting a polyamide which is amide monomers polymerized in the presence of at least one hindered piperidine compound, coloring the melted polyamide, and spinning the colored polyamide into fibers that have about 40% or better retained tenacity after 2125 kJ exposure to xenon arc radiation as per AATCC Test Method 16-1993, 'Colorfastness to Light,' Option E. Copper stabilizers are unnecesssary.

Dispersible additive systems for polymeric materials include dispersant-coated pigments in a liquid nonaqueous polymeric carrier. The additive systems are most preferably in the form of a particulate nonaqueous paste which can be added in metered amounts (dosed) to a melt flow of the polymeric host material prior to being shaped (for example, prior to being spun into synthetic filaments). By providing a number of additive systems having a number of different additive attributes, and controllably dosing one or more into the melt flow of polymeric material, shaped objects of the polymeric material (e.g., melt-spun filaments) having different additive attributes may be produced on a continuous basis without shutting down the shaping operation.

Dispersible additive systems for polymeric materials

Additives for polymeric compositions are prepared by coating pigment with a dispersant, and thereafter dispersing the dispersant-coated pigment in a liquid nonaqeous polymeric carrier. Preferably, the dispersant-coated pigment is spray-dried. That is, most preferably, an aqueous dispersion of the pigment and dispersant is subjected to a spray-drying operation so as to obtain pigment coated with the dispersant. The dispersant-coated pigment will have an average particle size of about 5 .mu.m or greater, but is capable of breaking apart to average particle sizes of about 1 .mu.m or less when dispersed in a polymeric host material.

Methods of making dispersible additives for polymeric materials

Polymeric compositions include a nonaqueous additive system having dispersant-coated pigments physically dispersed in a liquid nonaqueous polymeric carrier which may be added directly to a melt flow of a polymeric host material. The additive system employed in the polymeric systsms is most preferably in the form of a particulate paste which can be added in metered amounts (dosed) to a melt flow of the polymeric host material prior to being spun into filaments. By providing a number of additive systems having a number of different additive attributes, and controllably dosing one or more into the melt flow of host polymeric material, shaped objects of the polymeric material (e.g., melt-spun filaments) having different additive attributes may be produced on a continuous basis without shutting down the shaping operation.

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Greensboro, NC, United States of America

Stanley A McIntosh