A switchable light transmission module is disclosed that includes a substrate having a first surface defining at least part of an enclosed volume, a porous layer disposed on the first surface and in fluid communication with the enclosed volume, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the enclosed volume. The reservoir is configured to supply a fluid to the sealed volume such that the fluid contacts the porous layer. The fluid has a refractive index that is close to the refractive index of the porous layer, has a high wettability for the porous layer, and does not dissolve the porous layer. When in a dry state, voids in the porous layer are filled with air which has a much different refractive index than the porous layer itself, resulting in a surface that is reflective and not very transmissive. During wetting of the porous layer by the fluid, however, those voids are filled with the fluid, reducing the difference in refractive index across the polymer-fluid interfaces such that light scattering is negligible and the surface becomes light permeable.

To provide a method for producing a crosslinked product of a fluoroelastomer having no hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom, by which formation of white foreign matters is suppressed, and a fluoroelastomer composition suitable for the production method. A method for producing a crosslinked product, which comprises crosslinking a fluoroelastomer composition containing a fluoroelastomer having no hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom, such as a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer, and a fatty acid metal salt having a melting point of less than 200 C., at a crosslinking temperature higher than the melting point of the fatty acid metal salt, and a fluoroelastomer composition containing the fluoroelastomer and a fatty acid metal salt having a melting point of less than 200 C.

Provided are: a fluorine rubber composition which contains a hydrogen atom-containing fluorine rubber and a hydrogen atom-containing fluororesin; a crosslinked rubber molded body which uses this fluorine rubber composition; and a method for producing this crosslinked rubber molded body. It is preferable that the hydrogen atom-containing fluororesin is composed of at least one compound that is selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene fluorides, vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymers, tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymers and vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymers.

A method of producing hydrocarbon from a subterranean formation comprises: disposing an article in a well penetrating a subterranean formation, the article having a surface coated with a hierarchical superhydrophobic coating or the article being a stand-alone hierarchical superhydrophobic membrane; contacting the article with a flow of a water-based fluid and an oil-based fluid; selectively impeding the flow of the water-based fluid; and allowing the production of the oil-based fluid.

Porous ePTFE articles coated with a hydrophilic coating are provided. The coating may be modified by covalent modifications to the PVOH coating. Covalent modifications may include small molecule grafting, polymer grafting to or from the PVOH backbone, modifying the PVAc precursor of the PVOH, crosslinking of the polymer via thermal or photochemistry, crosslinking of the polymer with a multifunctional crosslinking agent, and the like, and combinations thereof.

A structured material is provided that includes a substrate and a porous structured polymer layer disposed thereon. The porous structured polymer layer includes a plurality of voids, and has a high hemispherical reflectance a high a hemispherical thermal emittance. The structured material is thus particularly advantageous for cool-roof coatings, enabling surfaces coated by the material to stay cool, even under strong sunlight. The material can be produced via structuring of polymers in a mixture including a solvent and a non-solvent. Sequential evaporation of the solvent and the non-solvent provide a polymer layer with the plurality of voids.

To provide a cation exchange membrane which is less susceptible to swelling or elongation during electrolysis of a potassium chloride aqueous solution even without permitting water absorption or swelling immediately prior to mounting it in an electrolyzer, and a method whereby it possible to stably produce a potassium hydroxide aqueous solution without necessity to conduct an operation for water absorption or swelling immediately prior to mounting the membrane in the electrolyzer. A cation exchange membrane comprising a polymer having cation exchange groups, wherein in cations (100 mol %) contained in the cation exchange membrane, the total of potassium ions and sodium ions is at least 99 mol %, and in the total (100 mol %) of potassium ions and sodium ions contained in the cation exchange membrane, the potassium ions are 80-98 mol % and the sodium ions are 20-2 mol %,

Provided are: a fluorine rubber composition which contains a hydrogen atom-containing fluorine rubber and a hydrogen atom-containing fluororesin; a crosslinked rubber molded body which uses this fluorine rubber composition; and a method for producing this crosslinked rubber molded body. It is preferable that the hydrogen atom-containing fluororesin is composed of at least one compound that is selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene fluorides, vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymers, tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymers and vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymers.

An ion-exchange membrane comprising a resin composition comprising a side-chain heteroaromatic resin having a structural unit represented by the following general formula 1:

##STR00001##

wherein, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are each optionally the same or different, and are each a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, R.sup.4 is a direct bond, a substituted or unsubstituted divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, and Hc is a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaromatic group having 4 to 30 carbon atoms, the group having at least one nitrogen atom in a heteroaromatic ring structure and containing a five-membered ring and/or six-membered ring structure, and a cation-exchangeable resin.

An encapsulant includes a cross-linked polymer, an acrylate component, and a photoinitiator. The cross-linked polymer is formed by subjecting a vinyl fluoride-vinyl ether copolymer to a cross-linking reaction with a tetracarboxylic dianhydride. The vinyl fluoride-vinyl ether copolymer has a weight-average molecular weight ranging from 10000 to 50000, and a hydroxyl value ranging from 40 mg KOH/g to 170 mg KOH/g. The tetracarboxylic dianhydride is represented by formula (I)

##STR00001## (I). R represents a tetravalent organic group containing fluorine and an aromatic group. The acrylate component includes an acrylate monomer selected from a monoacrylate monomer, a monomethacrylate monomer, a diacrylate monomer, a dimethacrylate monomer, a triacrylate monomer, a trimethacrylate monomer, and combinations thereof.