A method for converting vanillin to bis(cyanate) ester monomers, comprising treating vanillin with a reductive coupling agent to form at least one olefin. The olefin or olefins are treated with hydrogen and a metal catalyst to hydrogenate said olefin. The hydrogenated olefin or olefins are treated with at least one cyanogen halide and a base in an organic solvent to afford at least one olefin monomer. The olefin monomer or monomers are purified by recrystallization or precipitation from an organic solvent.

A welding process may be configured to convert a substrate comprised of short staple fibers into a welded substrate having significantly increased strength as compared to the raw substrate. When applied to a one-dimensional substrate, such as a yarn, the welding process may also reduce the diameter of the welded substrate compared to that of the raw substrate. Additionally, the welding process may be configured to impart superior color properties to the welded substrate compared to the color properties of the raw substrate, which superior color properties may be very pronounced when performing a welding process on a raw substrate comprised of colored and/or dyed recycled fibers.

Disclosed are a multilayer prepreg structure and a method of manufacturing the same. The multilayer prepreg structure includes a prepreg layer formed by impregnating a carbon fiber fabric with a first resin, and a fixed layer formed of a second resin having a higher curing rate than the first resin and provided on one surface of the prepreg layer.

Disclosed are a multilayer prepreg structure and a method of manufacturing the same. The multilayer prepreg structure includes a prepreg layer formed by impregnating a carbon fiber fabric with a first resin, and a fixed layer formed of a second resin having a higher curing rate than the first resin and provided on one surface of the prepreg layer.

A method of reversible swelling and collapsing of the latent pores of natural fiber welded biopolymer by way of sequential solvent treatment to i) regenerate mesoporous biopolymeric structures, comprising the steps of providing a nonporous natural fiber welded biopolymer composite, submerging the nonporous composite in polar solvent, exchanging submersion solvents, typically starting from a solvent of polar identity and ending with a solvent of nonpolar identity, then removing the solvent; and ii) regenerate nonporous biopolymeric structures, comprising the steps of providing a mesoporous natural fiber welded biopolymer composite, submerging the mesoporous composite in polar solvent, then removing the solvent. A mesoporous biopolymeric structure wherein the NFW nonporous composite expresses a BET surface area change of <5 m.sup.2 g.sup.1 to >40 m.sup.2 g.sup.1. A nonporous biopolymeric structure wherein the NFW mesoporous composite expresses a BET surface area change of >40 m.sup.2 g.sup.1 to <5 m.sup.2 g.sup.1.

A method of reversible swelling and collapsing of the latent pores of natural fiber welded biopolymer by way of sequential solvent treatment to i) regenerate mesoporous biopolymeric structures, comprising the steps of providing a nonporous natural fiber welded biopolymer composite, submerging the nonporous composite in polar solvent, exchanging submersion solvents, typically starting from a solvent of polar identity and ending with a solvent of nonpolar identity, then removing the solvent; and ii) regenerate nonporous biopolymeric structures, comprising the steps of providing a mesoporous natural fiber welded biopolymer composite, submerging the mesoporous composite in polar solvent, then removing the solvent. A mesoporous biopolymeric structure wherein the NFW nonporous composite expresses a BET surface area change of <5 m.sup.2 g.sup.1 to >40 m.sup.2 g.sup.1. A nonporous biopolymeric structure wherein the NFW mesoporous composite expresses a BET surface area change of >40 m.sup.2 g.sup.1 to <5 m.sup.2 g.sup.1.