1. A non-aqueous fluid system comprising: a rheological additive comprising: one or more polyesters comprised of the reaction products of: one or more polyols having at least two hydroxyl moieties; and one or more polycarboxylic acids having at least two carboxylic acid moieties; and one or more basic compounds, wherein said polyesters have at least two active carboxylic acid moieties as end groups and at least a portion of said carboxylic acid moieties are in the carboxylate anion form; and one or more particulate materials, wherein said polyester rheological additive imparts thixotropy to said system.
2. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 1, wherein said basic compound is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal bases, alkaline earth bases and amines.
3. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 1, wherein said polyol comprises glycerol.
4. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 1, wherein said polycarboxylic acids comprise a polycarboxylic acid having from 18 to 54 carbon atoms.
5. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 1, wherein said polycarboxylic acid comprises one of the following: a dimer acid having 32 to 36 carbon atoms, a trimer acid having 48 to 54 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof.
6. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 1, wherein said polycarboxylic acid has from 2 to 6 carboxylic acid moieties.
7. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 1, wherein said polyester has a hydroxyl moiety to carboxylic acid moiety ratio ranging from 1.8:1 to 3.0:1.
8. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 1, wherein said rheological additive further comprises a liquid diluent.
9. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 2, wherein said one or more basic compounds comprises potassium hydroxide.
10. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 8, wherein said diluent for said rheological additive is selected from the group consisting of: toluene, xylene, diethylene glycol butyl ether, butyl triglycol, hexyl triglycol, N-methyl pyrrolidone, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, and butanol, polyethylene oxides monoethers, polyethylene oxides monoesters, triglycerides, oils and high boiling alcohols, nonionic surfactants and mixtures thereof.
11. The non-aqueous system of claim 1, wherein said particulate material comprises one of the following: titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate, talc, alumina, layered silicates, fumed silica, pigments, and mixtures thereof.
12. A non-aqueous fluid system comprising: a rheological additive comprising: one or more polyesters comprised of: one or more polyols having at least two hydroxyl moieties; and one or more polycarboxylic acids having at least two carboxylic acid moieties; wherein said polyester has at least two active carboxylic acid moieties as end groups wherein at least a portion of said active carboxylic acid moieties are in the carboxylate anion form; and one or more particulate materials, wherein said polyester rheological additives impart thixotropy to said system.
13. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 12, wherein a portion of said active carboxylic acid moieties of said polyester rheological additive have been converted to carboxylate anion moieties by reaction with one or more basic compounds selected from the group consisting of alkali bases, alkaline earth bases and amines.
14. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 12, wherein said polycarboxylic acid of said polyester rheological additive comprises 1,6-hexanediol.
15. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 12, wherein said polycarboxylic acid of said polyester rheological additive has from 18 to 54 carbon atoms.
16. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 12, wherein said polycarboxylic acid of said polyester rheological additive comprises one of the following: a dimer acid having 32 to 36 carbon atoms, a trimer acid having 48 to 54 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof.
17. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 12, wherein said polycarboxylic acid of said polyester rheological additive has from 2 to 6 carboxylic acid moieties.
18. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 12, wherein said polyester of said polyester rheological additive has a hydroxyl moiety to carboxylic acid moiety ratio ranging from 0.5:1 to 0.9:1.
19. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 12, wherein said polyester rheological additive further comprises a liquid diluent.
20. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 13, wherein said one or more basic compounds comprises potassium hydroxide.
21. The non-aqueous fluid system of claim 19, wherein said diluent, of said polyester rheological additive, is selected from the group consisting of: toluene, xylene, diethylene glycol butyl ether, butyl triglycol, hexyl triglycol, N-methyl pyrrolidone, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, and butanol, polyethylene oxides monoethers, polyethylene oxides monoesters, triglycerides, oils and high boiling alcohols, nonionic surfactants and mixtures thereof.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A product-spreading hood assembly operable to be placed about an outlet die unit presenting a generally horizontal axis in order to receive discrete products issuing from the outlet die unit, said hood assembly comprising:
a deflector having a wall structure defining a product inlet opening with a first cross-sectional area, and a product outlet opening with a second cross-sectional area greater than said first cross-sectional area, said product outlet opening presenting an outer margin, said wall structure including a generally frustoconical wall section presenting a central longitudinal axis, said frustoconical wall section located and diverging outwardly from said central longitudinal axis between said product inlet and said product outlet forming a product-receiving area located between said product inlet and outlet openings;
a structure mounting said deflector in a generally horizontal orientation with said deflector central longitudinal axis extending substantially horizontally;
a product delivery structure located proximal to said product outlet opening and oriented to receive products therefrom, said product delivery structure having sidewalls presenting a product delivery opening located outboard of said product outlet opening’s outer margin so that the products received from said product outlet opening gravitate through said product delivery opening in a direction transverse to said central longitudinal axis;
an air delivery assembly operable to direct air currents from a point proximal to said product inlet opening and into said product-receiving area in a direction towards said outlet opening; and
said product inlet opening located at least in part about said die unit so that said discrete products are directed into said deflector, said air currents operable to substantially maintain said discrete products in a separated condition as the products pass through said product outlet opening.
2. The hood assembly of claim 1, said air delivery assembly comprising a plenum extending at least partially about said wall structure defining said product inlet opening.
3. The hood assembly of claim 2, said airway substantially circumscribing said wall structure proximal to said product inlet.
4. The hood assembly of claim 1, said deflector wall structure comprising a plurality of wall segments which are movable from a closed position cooperatively defining said deflector, and an open position wherein said wall segments are separated.
5. The hood assembly of claim 4, said deflector wall structure comprising a pair of half-frustoconical segments.
6. The hood assembly of claim 1, said die unit comprising an extruder die and a knife device, and said products being cut extrudates.
7. The hood assembly of claim 1, said outlet die unit being an extruder die unit.
8. The hood assembly of claim 1, said generally frustoconical wall section extending from said product inlet opening to said product outlet opening.
9. A product-spreading hood assembly operable to be placed about an outlet die unit presenting a generally horizontal axis in order to receive discrete products issuing from the outlet die unit, said hood assembly comprising:
a deflector having a wall structure defining a product inlet opening with a first cross-sectional area, and a product outlet opening with a second cross-sectional area greater than said first cross-sectional area, said product outlet opening presenting an outer margin, said wall structure including a generally frustoconical wall section presenting a central longitudinal axis, said frustoconical wall section located and diverging outwardly from said central longitudinal axis between said product inlet and said product outlet;
a structure mounting said deflector in a generally horizontal orientation with said deflector central longitudinal axis extending substantially horizontally; and
a product delivery structure located proximal to said product outlet opening and oriented to receive products therefrom, said product delivery structure having sidewalls presenting a product delivery opening located outboard of said product outlet opening’s outer margin so that the products received from said product outlet opening gravitate through said product delivery opening in a direction transverse to said central longitudinal axis.
10. The hood assembly of claim 9, further comprising an air delivery assembly operable to direct air currents from a point proximal to said product inlet opening into said deflector.
11. The hood assembly of claim 10, said air delivery assembly comprising a plenum extending at least partially about said wall structure defining said product inlet opening.
12. The hood assembly of claim 11, said airway substantially circumscribing said wall structure proximal to said product inlet end.
13. The hood assembly of claim 12, said outlet die unit axis and said central longitudinal axis being parallel.
14. The hood assembly of claim 9, said generally frustoconical wall section extending from said product inlet opening to said product outlet opening.