The Dow Chemical Company

Thuan P Dixit

William J Harris

Wen-Fang Hwang

Otto C Raspor

Pak-Wing Steve Chum

Mark Alan Barger

James E Schuetz

Paul T Louks

David V Dellar

O Carl Raspor

R Giles Dillingham

Improved films that contain molecular composites or block copolymers of lyotropic liquid crystalline polymer and thermoplastic polymer can be made by the steps of:

Orientation of never-dried molecular composite films

An apparatus for the constrained drying and/or heat treating of a continuous or roll of, web stock of film. This apparatus includes a mechanism which grasps a film by its edges and moves said film through a drying zone, with said mechanism holding said film taut without substantial stretching of said film in the drying zone, and a means to remove the evaporated solvent from said apparatus. The apparatus is particularly useful for drying film of polybenzoxazole, polybenzothiazole and copolymers thereof, as well as molecular composite films. A method of drying/heat treating film is also disclosed.

Apparatus to dry/heat treat continuous web stock of film

Granular compositions which comprise a block copolymer containing blocks of polybenzazole polymer and blocks of thermoplastic polymer can be compression molded to provide a molded article having physical properties superior to molded articles made from the thermoplastic polymer alone.

Shaped articles containing copolymers of polybenzazoles

Fibers may be prepregged with a dope containing a thermoplastic polybenzazole block copolymer. The prepreg may be contacted with water or another nonsolvent to coagulate the polymer and form a matrix composite.

Prepregs containing a fiber and a thermoplastic polybenzazole copolymer

Granular compositions which comprise a block copolymer containing blocks of rigid rod polybenzazole polymer and blocks of thermoplastic polybenzazole polymer can be compression molded to provide a molded article having physical properties superior to molded articles made from the thermoplastic polymer alone.

Compositions comprising thermoplastic polymers having added thereto small amounts of a hydroxymethyl-substituted carboxylic acid are usefully employed to remove accumulated polymeric residues from polymer processing equipment.

Composition and method for purging polymeric residues

A method for preparing a polymeric laminate by the reactive coextrusion of functionalized polymers wherein at least one layer is a polymer having functional groups and the adjacent layer is a polymer having coreactive groups which form covalent bonds with the functional groups at the interfacial surfaces. One such functional group can comprise a pendant cyclic imino ether group to form covalent bonds with the coreactive groups. A laminate having a plurality of layers covalently bonded together through the interaction of pendant cyclic imino ether groups and coreactive groups is also provided.

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Midland, MI, United States of America

Thuan P Dixit