The combined use of polyol ethers and cationic polyelectrolytes as additives in cosurfactant-containing aqueous polymer dispersions for production of porous polymer coatings, preferably for production of porous polyurethane coatings, is described.

Porous cellulose microparticles and their use in, inter alias, cosmetic and pharmaceutic preparations are provided. These microparticles comprise cellulose I nanocrystals aggregated together, thus forming the microparticles, and arranged around cavities in the microparticles, thus defining pores in the microparticles. A method of for producing these microparticles is also provided. It involves mixing a suspension of cellulose I nanocrystals with an emulsion of a porogen to produce a mixture comprising a continuous liquid phase in which droplets of the porogen are dispersed and in which the nanocrystals of cellulose I are suspended; spray-drying the mixture to produce microparticles; and if the porogen has not sufficiently evaporated during spray-drying to form pores in the microparticles, evaporating the porogen or leaching the porogen out of the microparticles to form pores in the microparticles.

The disclosure provides a very simple and convenient method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer. The herein disclosed method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer includes a step of preparing an emulsion containing a water-soluble polymer, water, and a dispersoid, wherein the water-soluble polymer is dissolved and the dispersoid is dispersed in the emulsion, and a step of evaporating and thereby removing the water and the dispersoid from the emulsion. The boiling point of the dispersoid is higher than the boiling point of water. The solubility of the water-soluble polymer in the dispersoid is lower than the solubility of the water-soluble polymer in water.

Provided is a method of producing a porous body of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, the method being excellent in terms of simplicity. The method of producing a porous body of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer disclosed here includes the steps of: preparing a solution in which an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer is dissolved in a mixed solvent of water and propyl alcohol; and removing the mixed solvent from the solution by vaporization. A porous skeleton and pores are formed in the step of removing the mixed solvent by vaporization.

The present application discloses a thermally insulating aerogel vacuum composite panel and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method includes the following steps: (1) mixing TEOS solution and a metal particle, adding a hydrophobic agent, mixing, adding ammonium trifluoroacetate solution dropwise until completely gelating to obtain a metal aerogel precursor; (2) adding the metal aerogel precursor into an acid replacement solution for replacement for 1-24 h to obtain a gel; (3) washing the gel with deionized water to obtain a neutral gel; (4) soaking the neutral gel obtained in step (3) in a first organic resin solvent; (5) pouring the neutral gel into a substrate with honeycomb structure, and aging for re-gelating to obtain a modified panel; (6) drying the modified panel to obtain a honeycomb panel; and (7) aging the honeycomb panel at room temperature for 1-24 h to obtain the vacuum composite panel.

A method for forming colloidosomes with a shell comprising carbon particles and inorganic nano-particles, are provided. Further, compositions emulsions and articles comprising the colloidosomes are provided.

The disclosure provides a very simple and convenient method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer. The herein disclosed method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer includes a step of preparing a solution in which a water-soluble polymer is dissolved in a mixed solvent of water mixed with a solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water, and a step of evaporating and thereby removing the mixed solvent from the solution. The solubility of the water-soluble polymer in the solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water is lower than the solubility of the water-soluble polymer in water. Voids are formed, in the step of evaporating and thereby removing the mixed solvent, by the solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water.

This provides an improved process for making a flexible, porous, dissolvable solid sheet article with improved pore structures.

The invention relates to a process for preparing a gelled, dried composition forming a monolithic aerogel with a heat conductivity of less than or equal to 40 mW.Math.m.sup.−1.Math.K.sup.−1 and derived from a resin of polyhydroxybenzene(s) and formaldehyde(s), to this aerogel composition and to the use thereof. This process comprises: a) polymerization in an aqueous solvent of said polyhydroxybenzene(s) and formaldehyde(s) in the presence of an acidic or basic catalyst, to obtain a solution based on the resin, b) gelation of the solution obtained in a) to obtain a gel of the resin, and c) drying of the gel to obtain a dried gel. According to the invention, step a) is performed in the presence of a cationic polyelectrolyte dissolved in this solvent, and the process also comprises a step d) of heat treatment under inert gas of the dried gel obtained in step c) at temperatures of between 150° C. and 500° C. to obtain the non-pyrolyzed aerogel whose heat conductivity is substantially unchanged, even after exposure to a humid atmosphere.

The present invention provides for concentrated aqueous silk fibroin solutions and an all-aqueous mode for preparation of concentrated aqueous fibroin solutions that avoids the use of organic solvents, direct additives, or harsh chemicals. The invention further provides for the use of these solutions in production of materials, e.g., fibers, films, foams, meshes, scaffolds and hydrogels.