The present technology provides a tire rubber composition formed by blending a microparticle composite, which is formed from a solid component of a mixture containing an emulsion of an organic microparticle and a rubber latex, in a sulfur vulcanizable rubber; the emulsion of the organic microparticle being an emulsion containing a microparticle obtained by polymerizing and/or crosslinking at least one selected from the group consisting of polymerizable monomers, and oligomers, prepolymers, and polymers having a reactive functional group and having a molecular weight from 500 to 50000 simultaneously or stepwise in water; and an average particle size of the microparticle being from 0.001 to 100 m.

Orthopedic implants having a bone interface member and a water swellable IPN or semi-IPN with a stiffness, hydration, and/or composition gradient from one side to the other and physically attached to the bone interface member. The invention also includes an orthopedic implant system including an implant that may conform to a bone surface and a joint capsule. The invention also includes orthopedic implants with water swellable IPN or semi-IPNs including a hydrophobic thermoset or thermoplastic polymer first network and an ionic polymer second network, joint capsules, labral components, and bone interface members. The invention also includes a method of inserting an orthopedic implant having a metal portion and a flexible polymer portion into a joint, including inserting the implant in a joint in a first shape and changing the implant from a first shape to a second shape to conform to a shape of a bone.

Disclosed herein are self-healing conductive network compositions. The networks can contain one or more conductive polymers and one or more supramolecular complexes. The supramolecular complex can be introduced into conductive polymer matrix, resulting in a network of the two components. In this network, the nanostructured conductive polymer gel constructs a 3D network to promote the transport of electrons and mechanically reinforce the network while the supramolecular complex contributes to self-healing property and also conductivity. The networks disclosed herein are useful for various applications such as self-healing electronics, artificial skins, soft robotics and biomimetic prostheses.

An apparatus and methods for using coatings for metal applications are disclosed. According to one embodiment, an article comprises a cured polymeric film having a first reaction product of a cationic photoinitiator and a compound suitable for cationic polymerization. The article has a second reaction product of a free-radical photoinitiator and a compound suitable for free-radical polymerization; The article has a metal substrate, wherein the cured polymeric film coats the metal substrate.

Provided are ophthalmic devices comprised of a reaction product of a composition comprising: (i) a crosslinked substrate network containing covalently bound activatable free radical initiators; and (ii) a grafting composition containing one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds. Also provided are processes for making ophthalmic devices.

The present invention relates to an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) material comprising microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), microfib-rillated cellulose (MFC) or a mixture thereof, and at least one polymer forming an IPN together with the MCC, MFC or mixture thereof. The present invention further relates to a process for producing the IPN material, and to use of the IPN material in paper industry.

Thermally stable microstructured layers comprising polyurethane, polyurea and/or polyurethane/urea semi-IPN materials are provided which have microstructured surfaces which are highly durable, erosion resistant, and thermally stable. The microstructured layer comprises a semi-IPN of a polymer network selected from the group consisting of urethane acrylate polymer networks, urethane/urea acrylate polymer networks and urea acrylate polymer networks and a linear or branched polymer that is a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyurethane/polyureas, thermoplastic polyureas, and combinations thereof. The microstructures are thermally stable at temperatures above the crossover point of the thermoplastic polymer, despite comprising a majority of such thermoplastic material. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides methods of making microstructured layers according to the present disclosure.

Orthopedic implants having a bone interface member and a water swellable IPN or semi-IPN with a stiffness, hydration, and/or compositional gradient from one side to the other and physically attached to the bone interface member. The invention also includes an orthopedic implant system including an implant that may conform to a bone surface and a joint capsule. The invention also includes orthopedic implants with water swellable IPN or semi-IPNs including a hydrophobic thermoset or thermoplastic polymer first network and an ionic polymer second network, joint capsules, labral components, and bone interface members. The invention also includes a method of inserting an orthopedic implant having a metal portion and a flexible polymer portion into a joint, including inserting the implant in a joint in a first shape and changing the implant from a first shape to a second shape to conform to a shape a bone.

A reinforcing sheet including one or more layers of a reinforcing material, and a thermosetting adhesive associated with the reinforcing material, wherein the thermosetting adhesive includes a curing agent, and an epoxy-modified dimerized fatty acid combined with an epoxy terminated polyurethane interpenetrating network.

The present disclosure pertains to methods and/or systems for making a SIPN and/or an IPN by physically mixing at least one vinyl functional thermoset with at least one thermoplastic resin. For example, a method of producing a resin composition comprising: mixing at least one vinyl functional thermoset resin with at least one thermoplastic resin wherein: the two resins are sufficiently miscible at a mixing viscosity of at least at least 5,000 cPs measured at the temperature of mixing and the mixing results in sufficient laminar flow such that a substantial portion of the resin mixture forms an IPN and/or a SIPN. The IPNs and/or SPINs formed have one or more superior properties over mixtures of the same resins.