Cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol and method of making same

A film-forming polyvinyl alcohol polymer is mixed with a polyaldehyde-polysaccharide cross-linking agent having at least two monosaccharide units and a plurality of aldehyde groups per molecule, perferably an average of at least one aldehyde group per monosaccharide units. The cross-linking agent, such as a polydialdehyde starch, is used in an amount of about 2.5 to 20% of the theoretical amount required to cross-link all of the available hydroxyl groups of the polyvinyl alcohol polymer. Reaction between the polymer and cross-linking agent is effected in aqueous acidic solution to produce the cross-linked polymer. The polymer product has low electrical resistivity and other properties rendering it suitable for making separators for alkaline batteries

XPS Characterization of Friedel-Crafts Cross-Linked Polystyrene

The combination of a difunctional alkylating agent, either hydroxymethylbenzyl chloride or α,α′-dichloroxylene with polystyrene or high-impact polystyrene together with a Friedel-Crafts catalyst, 2-ethylhexyldiphenylphosphate, and an amine to react with hydrogen chloride has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results confirm what had been suggested from previous investigations using thermogravimetric analysis; cross-linking of the polymer occurs as the temperature is raised and the alcohol-containing alkylating agent gives a greater amount of cross-linking than does the dichloro compound

Alkaline battery containing a separator of a cross-linked copolymer of vinyl alcohol and unsaturated carboxylic acid

A battery separator for an alkaline battery is described. The separator comprises a cross linked copolymer of vinyl alcohol units and unsaturated carboxylic acid units. The cross linked copolymer is insoluble in water, has excellent zincate diffusion and oxygen gas barrier properties and a low electrical resistivity. Cross linking with a polyaldehyde cross linking agent is preferred

Polybutadiene Cross-Linked With Various Diols – Effect On Thermal Stability

The relationship between cross-linking and thermal stability as related to polybutadiene is the focus of current research. Cross-linked polybutadienes have been prepared using various diols as the cross-linking agent. Cross-linked polymers have been characterized by gel content, swelling ratios, infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. These polymers are not highly cross-linked, as seen by gel content and swelling ratios, and cross-linking does not have a large effect on the onset temperature of the degradation. Nonetheless, extensive formation of a non-volatile residue occurs

An Action Selection Architecture for an Emotional Agent

An architecture for action selection is presented linking emotion, cognition and behavior. It defines the information and emotion processes of an agent. The architecture has been implemented and used in a prototype environment

Aggregation and Emergence in Agent-Based Models: A Markov Chain Approach

We analyze the dynamics of agent--based models (ABMs) from a Markovian perspective and derive explicit statements about the possibility of linking a microscopic agent model to the dynamical processes of macroscopic observables that are useful for a precise understanding of the model dynamics. In this way the dynamics of collective variables may be studied, and a description of macro dynamics as emergent properties of micro dynamics, in particular during transient times, is possible.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

Polymers based on norbornene derivatives

This study presents the influence of exo,exo-N,N'- hexylene-di(5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide) on the degree of cross-linking and glass transition temperature of the polymers obtained from a mixture of dimethyl esters of exo,exo- and endo,endo-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid. It was found that exo,exo-N,N'- hexylene-di(5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide) can be used as a cross-linking agent in ROMP. Addition of the cross-linking agent leads to an increase in the degree of cross-linking polymers. The glass transition temperature of polymers increases with concentration increasing of the crosslinking agent

A coupled drug kinetics-cell cycle model to analyse the response of human cells to intervention by topotecan

A model describing the response of the growth of single human cells in the absence and presence of the anti-cancer agent topotecan (TPT) is presented. The model includes a novel coupling of both the kinetics of TPT and cell cycle responses to the agent. By linking the models in this way, rather than using separate (disjoint) approaches, it is possible to illustrate how the drug perturbs the cell cycle. The model is compared to experimental in vitro cell cycle response data (comprising single cell descriptors for molecular and behavioural events), showing good qualitative agreement for a range of TPT dose levels

"Role of Linking Mechanisms in Multitask Agency with Hidden Information"

We investigate the adverse selection problem where a principal delegates multiple tasks to an agent. We characterize the virtually implementable social choice functions by using the linking mechanism proposed by Jackson and Sonnenschein (2007) that restricts the message spaces. The principal does not require any incentive wage schemes and can therefore avoid any information rent and welfare loss. We show the resemblance between the functioning of this message space restriction and that of incentive wage schemes. We also extend the results of the single-agent model to the multi-agent model.

Role of Linking Mechanisms in Multitask Agency with Hidden Information

We investigate the adverse selection problem where a principal delegates multiple tasks to an agent. We characterize the virtually implementable social choice functions by using the linking mechanism proposed by Jackson and Sonnenschein (2007) that restricts the message spaces. The principal does not require any incentive wage schemes and can therefore avoid any information rent and welfare loss. We show the resemblance between the functioning of this message space restriction and that of incentive wage schemes. We also extend the results of the single-agent model to the multi-agent model.