There is provided a curable composition comprising (A) a cyclic olefin; (B) a metathesis catalyst for polymerizing the cyclic olefin; (C) 0.1-30 wt. % of a compound comprising at least one vinyl group; and (D) 0.1-10 wt. % of a curing agent for compound (C), wherein the wt. % are relative to the total weight of the composition. The composition provides a desirable combination of workability, toughness and heat resistance. Also provided is a molded article comprising the composition and reinforcing fibers, and a method of manufacturing the same.

Microporous polyolefin and microporous polydicyclopentadiene (polyDCPD) based aerogels and methods for preparing and using the same are provided. The aerogels are produced by forming a polymer gel structure within a solvent from a olefin or dicyclopentadiene monomer via Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) reactions, followed by supercritical drying to remove the solvent from the aerogel. Other aerogels are prepared by sequentially (1) mixing at least one dicyclopentadiene monomer, at least one solvent at least one catalyst and at least one inorganic and/or organic reinforcing material, (2) gelling the mixture, (3) aging, and (4) supercritical drying. Aerogels provided herein are inexpensive to prepare, possess desirable thermal, mechanical, acoustic, chemical, and physical properties and are hydrophobic. The aerogels provided herein are suitable for use in various applications, including but not limited to thermal and acoustic insulation, radiation shielding, and vibrational damping applications.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention encompass a variety of polymers derived from polycyclic olefin monomers, such as hydrocarbon functionalized norbomenes. The polymers so formed function as ionomers and are suitable as anion exchange membrane for fabricating a variety of electrochemical devices, among others. More specifically, the ionomeric polymers used herein are derived from a variety of quaternized amino functionalized norbornene monomers and are lightly crosslinked (less than ten mol %). The membranes made therefrom exhibit very high ionic conductivity of up to 198 mS/cm at 80° C. This invention also relates to using an anion conducting solid polymer electrolyte as the ion conducting medium between the two electrodes and the ion conducting medium within the electrodes acting as the ionic conduit between electroactive material and electrolyte. The electrochemical devices made in accordance of this invention are useful as fuel cells, gas separators, and the like.

The present invention pertains to a resin formed article obtained by forming a resin composition that comprises a cycloolefin resin and a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer, the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer having a weight average molecular weight of 20,000 to 150,000, and having a difference in refractive index (ΔnD) of more than −0.002 to less than +0.002 with respect to the cycloolefin resin, the resin composition having a residual ratio of 0.10 wt % or less when analyzed based on the residue on ignition test method specified in the Japanese Pharmacopeia, the resin composition having a light transmittance (optical path length: 3 mm) of 55% or more with respect to light having a wavelength of 450 nm when the resin composition is formed in a shape of a sheet having a thickness of 3.0 mm, and subjected to light transmittance measurement, and the resin composition having a Charpy impact strength of 5 to 40 kJ/m.sup.2 when the resin composition is formed to have a thickness of 4.0 mm, a length of 80.0 mm, and a width of 10.0 mm, and subjected to the notched Charpy impact test specified in JIS K 7111-1 at 23° C.

Cis and trans ruthenium complexes that can be used as catalysts for ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) are described. The complexes are generally square pyramidal in nature, having two anionic ligands X. Corresponding cationic complexes where one or both of the anionic ligands X are replaced by a non-co-ordinating anionic ligand are also described. Polymers such as polydicyclopentadiene (PDCPD) can be prepared using the catalysts.

The present invention is a polymer composition comprising a hydrogenated crystalline cycloolefin ring-opening polymer (A) that comprises a repeating unit derived from a polycyclic norbornene-based monomer that includes three or more rings, 5 to 100 parts by weight of a glass filler (B) based on 100 parts by weight of the hydrogenated crystalline cycloolefin ring-opening polymer (A), and 5 to 20 parts of a metal oxide (C) based on 100 parts by weight of the hydrogenated crystalline cycloolefin ring-opening polymer (A), and a formed article.

The polymer composition according to the present invention exhibits excellent electrical properties (low dielectric loss tangent), excellent adhesion to plating, and excellent reflow heat resistance, and can maintain strength even when subjected to high-temperature/high-humidity conditions.

A frontally polymerized polymeric body includes, according to a first embodiment, a deformable polymer comprising polydicyclopentadiene (pDCPD) and/or poly(5-ethylidene-2-norbornene) (pENB), where the deformable polymer has a fracture strain of at least about 0.5 mm mm.sup.−1. According to a second embodiment, the frontally polymerized polymeric body includes a first polymer comprising pDCPD and/or pENB, and a second polymer adjacent to the first polymer also comprising the pDCPD and/or the pENB. The second polymer is more or less deformable than the first polymer. Thus, the frontally polymerized polymeric body exhibits spatially varying mechanical and/or other properties.

This invention relates to compositions and methods for improving the adhesion of resin compositions to substrate materials. More particularly, the invention relates to compositions and methods for improving the adhesion of ROMP compositions to substrate materials using an adhesion promoter composition, where the adhesion promoter composition comprises a pre-reacted mixture comprising at least one compound containing at least two isocyanate groups and at least one compound comprising a heteroatom-containing functional group and a metathesis active olefin, where the adhesion promoter composition is storage stable and/or possesses in-resin storage stability when added to a resin composition, particularly a cyclic olefin resin composition, such as a ROMP composition. The polymer products produced via ROMP reactions of the invention may be utilized for a wide range of materials and composite applications. The invention has utility in the fields of polymer and materials chemistry and manufacture.

Modified thermoplastic hydrocarbon thermoplastic resins are provided, as well as methods of their manufacture and uses thereof in rubber compositions. The modified thermoplastic resins are modified by decreasing the relative quantity of the dimer, trimer, tetramer, and pentamer oligomers as compared to the corresponding unmodified thermoplastic resin polymers, resulting in a product that exhibits a greater shift in the glass transition temperature of the elastomer(s) used in tire formulations. This translates to better viscoelastic predictors of tire tread performance, such as wet grip and rolling resistance. The modified thermoplastic resins impart remarkable properties on various rubber compositions, such as tires, belts, hoses, brakes, and the like. Automobile tires incorporating the modified thermoplastic resins are shown to possess excellent results in balancing the properties of rolling resistance, tire wear, snow performance, and wet braking performance.

A method of forming a void, channel and/or vascular network in a polymeric matrix comprises providing a pre-vascularized structure that includes a matrix material and a sacrificial material embedded in the matrix material in a predetermined pattern, where the matrix material comprises a monomer and the sacrificial material comprises a polymer. A region of the matrix material is activated to initiate an exothermic polymerization reaction and generate a self-propagating polymerization front. As the polymerization front propagates through the matrix material and polymerizes the monomer, heat from the exothermic reaction simultaneously degrades the sacrificial material into a gas-phase and/or liquid-phase byproduct. Thus, one or more voids or channels having the predetermined pattern are rapidly formed in the matrix material.