A method of forming lightweight structures from particle networks includes functionalizing edges of particles of an anisotropic material, exfoliating of the particles to form sheets of the material, aligning the sheets of material to form a network of multi-layered and aligned particles, and forming a structure out of the network of particles. One example uses graphite powder mixed into 4-aminobenzoic acid for edge functionalization, and exfoliation occurs with sonication in a solvent. The resulting particles undergo alignment with an aligning nozzle that also dispenses the aligned particles to form a structure.

A method of forming lightweight structures from particle networks includes functionalizing edges of particles of an anisotropic material, exfoliating of the particles to form sheets of the material, aligning the sheets of material to form a network of multi-layered and aligned particles, and forming a structure out of the network of particles. One example uses graphite powder mixed into 4-aminobenzoic acid for edge functionalization, and exfoliation occurs with sonication in a solvent. The resulting particles undergo alignment with an aligning nozzle that also dispenses the aligned particles to form a structure.

The present invention relates to a polyamide resin comprising a unit derived from -caprolactam and/or -aminocaproic acid (to also be referred to as Unit 1), a unit derived from adipic acid (to also be referred to as Unit 2) and a unit derived from hexamethylenediamine (to also be referred to as Unit 3), wherein the concentration of terminal amino groups in the polyamide resin is greater than the concentration of terminal carboxyl groups in the polyamide resin, and the amount of Unit 1 is greater than 60% by weight to less than 80% by weight of the total amount of Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3.

Certain polyamide beads or granules are useful as a sustaining material for underground natural or artificial cracks of the earth's crust essentially employed for the extraction of hydrocarbons such as crude oil or natural gas; such polyamide beads have a spherical or ellipsoidal shape and have a surface free of concave portions, advantageously having a uniform shape, and having a mean diameter lower than or equal to 1.7 mm and a porosity lower than 0.1 ml/g, and are produced using a particular cutting device/extruder.

Aliphatic-aromatic copolyester comprising the repeating units, which comprise a dicarboxylic component and a dihydroxylic component:
[O(R.sub.11)OC(O)(R.sub.13)C(O)]
[O(R.sub.12)OC(O)(R.sub.14)C(O)].
The dihydroxylic component comprises units O(R.sub.11)O and O(R.sub.12)O from diols, wherein R.sub.11 and R.sub.12 individually are selected from C.sub.2-C.sub.14 alkylene, C.sub.5-C.sub.10 cycloalkylene, C.sub.2-C.sub.12 oxyalkylene, heterocycles and mixtures thereof. The dicarboxylic component comprises units C(O)(R.sub.13)C(O) from aliphatic diacids and units C(O)(R.sub.14)C(O) from aromatic diacids, wherein R.sub.13 is C.sub.0-C.sub.20 alkylene and mixtures thereof. The aromatic diacids comprise at least one heterocyclic aromatic diacid of renewable origin, and preferably furandicarboxylic acid. The molar percentage of the aromatic diacids is >90% and <100% of the dicarboxylic component. The aliphatic-aromatic copolyester has appreciable workability, toughness and high values for ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus. It can be mixed with other polymers.

Aliphatic-aromatic copolyester comprising the repeating units, which comprise a dicarboxylic component and a dihydroxylic component:
[O(R.sub.11)OC(O)(R.sub.13)C(O)]
[O(R.sub.12)OC(O)(R.sub.14)C(O)].
The dihydroxylic component comprises units O(R.sub.11)O and O(R.sub.12)O from diols, wherein R.sub.11 and R.sub.12 individually are selected from C.sub.2-C.sub.14 alkylene, C.sub.5-C.sub.10 cycloalkylene, C.sub.2-C.sub.12 oxyalkylene, heterocycles and mixtures thereof. The dicarboxylic component comprises units C(O)(R.sub.13)C(O) from aliphatic diacids and units C(O)(R.sub.14)C(O) from aromatic diacids, wherein R.sub.13 is C.sub.0-C.sub.20 alkylene and mixtures thereof. The aromatic diacids comprise at least one heterocyclic aromatic diacid of renewable origin, and preferably furandicarboxylic acid. The molar percentage of the aromatic diacids is >90% and <100% of the dicarboxylic component. The aliphatic-aromatic copolyester has appreciable workability, toughness and high values for ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus. It can be mixed with other polymers.

The present invention relates to a novel polyamide synthesized from biobased monomers. The novel polyamide comprises the repeating unit of formula (I) below: Formula (I), in which R represents a covalent bond or a divalent hydrocarbon-based chosen from saturated or unsaturated aliphatics, saturated or unsaturated cycloaliphatics, aromatics, arylaliphatics and alkylaromatics. The present invention also relates to the process for preparing the said polyamide, to its uses, and to articles and compositions comprising the polyamide. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to a novel polyamide synthesized from biobased monomers. The novel polyamide comprises the repeating unit of formula (I) below: Formula (I), in which R represents a covalent bond or a divalent hydrocarbon-based chosen from saturated or unsaturated aliphatics, saturated or unsaturated cycloaliphatics, aromatics, arylaliphatics and alkylaromatics. The present invention also relates to the process for preparing the said polyamide, to its uses, and to articles and compositions comprising the polyamide. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to a sinter powder (SP) comprising at least one polyamide MXD6 (A), at least one semicrystalline polyamide (B), optionally at least one additive (C) and optionally at least one reinforcer (D). The present invention further relates to a method of producing a shaped body using the inventive sinter powder (SP), to a shaped body obtained by this method and to the use of the inventive sinter powder (SP) in a sintering method. In addition, the present invention relates to a method of producing the sinter powder (SP) and to the use of at least one semicrystalline polyamide (B) in a sinter powder (SP) comprising at least one polyamide MXD6 (A) for improving the mechanical properties of shaped bodies made from said sinter powder (SP).

An object of the present invention is to provide a composite semipermeable membrane which has practical water permeability and removing properties and has a high boron removal ratio even after contact with chlorine. A composite semipermeable membrane of the present invention is a composite semipermeable membrane including a substrate, a porous supporting layer and a separation functional layer, which are superposed in this order, in which the separation functional layer includes a crosslinked fully aromatic polyamide, and the crosslinked fully aromatic polyamide has a molar ratio (amide group content) between a total molar proportion of a polyfunctional amine and a polyfunctional aromatic acid halide and a molar proportion of an amide group of 0.86-1.20.