A water-barrier laminate having a water-trapping layer (1) in which a hygroscopic agent is dispersed, wherein a hygroscopic agent has such a hygroscopic property that the ratio (Ax/Ay) of a hygroscopic amount Ax at a relative humidity of 80% and a hygroscopic amount Ay at a relative humidity of 30% is not less than 3, and the water-trapping layer is positioned between the two inorganic barrier layers (3a) and (3b). The water-barrier laminate exhibits barrier property against the water over extended periods of time.

The invention relates to a material formed by a polymer substrate and a hydrogel based on vinyl-lactams and ionic methacrylates. The invention also relates to a method for producing this material and to the use thereof for cell culture and cell monolayer engineering, for preparing 3D scaffolds and manufacturing thermosensitive mechanical actuators.

Disclosed embodiments are related to mitigating leaks in membranes and/or improving the selectivity of membranes.

Provided is a transparent conducting film laminate suitable for three-dimensional molding having a curved surface. A transparent conducting film laminate comprising: a transparent substrate made of a transparent thermoplastic resin film, a transparent conducting film formed on at least one main face of the transparent substrate, and containing a binder resin and a metal nanowire, and a protection film formed on the transparent conducting film, and containing a resin component, wherein the binder resin contains at least on kind of poly-N-vinylacetamide, a copolymer containing 70 mol % or more of N-vinylacetamide (NVA) as a monomer unit, and a cellulose-based resin, and 94% by mass or more of the resin component constituting the protection film is derived from a thermoplastic resin.

Provided herein is a composite material that includes at least one thermoresponsive polymer and at least one organic foam material. Further provided herein is a method for producing the composite material and also to the use of the composite material for cooling and for regulating temperature.

Disclosed embodiments are related to mitigating leaks in membranes and/or improving the selectivity of membranes.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a metallized open-cell foam or fibrous substrate, wherein the method comprises: (A) providing an open-cell foam or fibrous substrate, wherein the open-cell foam or fibrous substrate contains a polymer comprising heteroatom-containing moieties within the bulk of the open-cell foam or fibrous substrate or as a coating on the open-cell foam or fibrous substrate, wherein the polymer comprising heteroatom-containing moieties is selected from polyvinylpyridine, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyallylamine, polyethylene oxide, polyethylene imine, polyethylene sulfide and copolymers or blends thereof; (B) contacting the open-cell foam or fibrous substrate with nanoparticles of a first metal to provide a nanoparticle coated open-cell foam or fibrous substrate; and (C) contacting the nanoparticle coated open-cell foam or fibrous substrate with a solution comprising a salt of a second metal and a reducing agent to provide the metallized open-cell foam or fibrous substrate having a layer of the second metal on the nanoparticle coated open-cell foam or fibrous substrate.

A method of forming a carbon foam precursor for use in the formation of carbon foam materials. The carbon foam precursor comprises an aerogel of polymeric material which has a coating layer thereon, the coating layer comprising a material susceptible to dielectric heating, for example carbon nanotubes. The carbon foam precursor is suitable for forming into a carbon foam material using a dielectric heating step, despite the aerogel of polymeric material not being susceptible to dielectric heating, without adversely affecting the structure and physical properties of the carbon foam so formed. A carbon foam precursor, a carbon foam material and a method of forming such a carbon material are also disclosed.

Special effect films are disclosed that comprise a polymeric substrate and a composite coating. The composite coating is provided with a first layer comprising a polyionic binder and a second layer comprising interference particles having at least one highly refractive layer and at least one lower refractive layer, and a difference in refractive index between the highly refractive layer and the at least one lower refractive layer is at least 0.1 units.

A composite material for an absorbent article and a method for manufacturing said composite material, said composite material being obtained by causing an absorbent material to adhere by electrostatic interaction to a substrate material, the surface of the absorbent material being positively or negatively charged in a prescribed solvent selected from among a nonpolar organic solvent, a polar organic solvent, and a water/polar organic solvent mixture; and the surface of the composite material being charged to an electrical charge opposite to that of the surface of the substrate material, in the prescribed solvent. The substrate material has a fiber substrate or a plastic substrate, and a polyelectrolyte layer provided on the surface layer; and/or the absorbent material has an absorbent-particle substrate or an absorbent fiber substrate, and a polyelectrolyte layer provided on the surface layer.