A method of building viscosity in a sheet molding composition is provided that includes a thickening agent of at least one of magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxides, zinc oxide, borates, aluminum ion chelates, aluminum trihydrate, polyphosphate, epoxides being mixed into a phenolic resin liquid or solution that includes novolac resin. An initial viscosity results for the mixture. The viscosity builds from the initial viscosity to 36 hours, from 36 to 142 hours, and then from 142 hours to 176 hours to define a slope ratio of viscosities in these time ranges of 1.5-8:1:-0.4-2 and a having terminal viscosity as measured at 176 hours. Alternatively, the initial viscosity is between 500 and 50,000 centiPoise (cP) and at 24 hours thereafter builds to between 1 million to 50 million cP, and the terminal viscosity thereafter of between 10 million and 200 million cP.

Fiber-reinforced organic polymer aerogels, articles of manufacture and uses thereof are described. The reinforced aerogels include a fiber-reinforced organic polymer matrix having an at least bimodal pore size distribution with a first mode of pores having an average pore size of less than or equal to 50 nanometers (nm) and a second mode of pores having an average pore size of greater than 50 nm and a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 30 mW/m.Math.K at a temperature of 20 C.

A sliding contact surface-forming material with improved friction-proof and wear-proof characteristics under dry friction conditions such as in the open air, while keeping the low swelling, friction-proof, and wear-proof characteristics under moist atmosphere typically under water unchanged, wherein the sliding contact surface-forming material includes a reinforcing base impregnated with a resol-type phenolic resin having polytetrafluoroethylene resin dispersed therein, the reinforcing base being composed of a woven fabric formed by using, respectively as the warp and the weft, a ply yarn which is formed by paralleling at least two strands of a single twist yarn spun from fluorine-containing resin fiber and a single twist yarn spun from polyphenylene sulfide fiber, and by twisting them in the direction opposite to the direction in which the single twist yarns were spun.

A method of producing a complex of a lamellar inorganic compound and an organic compound includes: heat-treating a particular non-swelling lamellar inorganic compound within a pyrolysis temperature range of the non-swelling lamellar inorganic compound; and intercalating an organic compound into the non-swelling lamellar inorganic compound in a dispersion liquid in which the heat-treated non-swelling lamellar inorganic compound is dispersed in a medium, thereby inserting the organic compound into an interlamellar space of the non-swelling lamellar inorganic compound.

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.

Fiber-reinforced organic polymer aerogels, articles of manufacture and uses thereof are described. The reinforced aerogels include a fiber-reinforced organic polymer matrix having an at least bimodal pore size distribution with a first mode of pores having an average pore size of less than or equal to 50 nanometers (nm) and a second mode of pores having an average pore size of greater than 50 nm and a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 30 mW/m.Math.K at a temperature of 20 C.

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.

A rubber composition comprises at least one phenol/aldehyde resin based on at least one aromatic polyphenol comprising at least one aromatic ring bearing at least two hydroxyl functions in the meta position relative to one another, the two positions ortho to at least one of the hydroxyl functions being unsubstituted, and at least one aromatic polyaldehyde selected from 1,3-benzenedicarboxaldehyde, 1,4-benzenedicarboxaldehyde and mixtures of these compounds, the rubber composition having a nominal secant modulus at 10% elongation, measured according to standard ASTM D 412, 1998, of greater than or equal to 25 MPa.

A non-crosslinked, gelled carbonaceous composition and a pyrolyzed composition respectively forming an aqueous polymer gel and the pyrolysate thereof in the form of porous carbon is provided. Also provided is a production method thereof, to a porous carbon electrode formed by the pyrolyzed composition, and to a supercapacitor containing the electrodes. The gelled, non-crosslinked composition (G2) is based on a resin created at least partly from polyhydroxybenzene(s) R and formaldehyde(s) F and comprises at least one hydrosoluble cationic polyelectrolyte P. The composition forms a rheofluidifying physical gel. A pyrolyzed carbonaceous composition having a carbon monolith, is the product of coating, crosslinking, drying then pyrolysis of the non-crosslinked gelled composition, the carbon monolith being predominantly microporous and able to form a supercapacitor electrode having a thickness of less than 1 mm.

A composite material includes: a carbon fiber bundle in which a plurality of continuous carbon fibers is arranged; carbon nanotubes which adhere to respective surfaces of the carbon fibers; and a sizing agent which covers at least a part of each of the surfaces to which the carbon nanotubes adhere. When the composite material disposed such that a longitudinal direction is vertically oriented is pierced with an inspection needle having a diameter of 0.55 mm across the longitudinal direction, and the composite material and the inspection needle are relatively moved in the longitudinal direction by 40 mm at a speed of 300 mm/min, a maximum value of a load acting between the composite material and the inspection needle is smaller than 0.5 N.