Provided herein are methods of fabricating membranes using polymers with functionalized groups such as sulfone (e.g., PSf and PES), ether (e.g., PES), acrylonitrile (e.g., PAN), fluoride (e.g., pvdf and other fluoropolymers), and imide (e.g., extem) and ionic liquids. Also provided are membranes made by the provided methods.

A process for the production of a polymeric agglomerate obtained from expanded sulfone polymer recovered from extrusion or injection molding processes of sulfone polymer, the agglomeration of said expanded sulfone polymer being effected in said process. With respect to the known art for the production of expanded sulfone polymers that use starting virgin sulfone polymers, the present invention offers the advantage of providing a recovered expanded sulfone polymer which can be used as starting material together with the corresponding virgin sulfone polymer.

A thermoplastic polymer advanceable by solid state polymerization is blended with at least one dissimilar thermoplastic polymer. The blend is solid state polymerized to provide a modified polymer alloy blend having at least one physical or chemical property different from that of the blend before solid state polymerization. The modified polymer alloy blend may be coextruded with a layer of thermoplastic extrusion polymer having a melt viscosity similar to that of the modified polymer alloy.

A method for joining two objects by anchoring an insert portion provided on one of the objects in an opening provided on the other one of the objects. The anchorage is achieved by liquefaction of a thermoplastic material and interpenetration of the liquefied material and a penetrable material, the two materials being arranged on opposite surfaces of the insert portion and the wall of the opening. Before such liquefaction and interpenetration, an interference fit is established in which such opposite surfaces are pressed against each other, and, for the anchoring, mechanical vibration energy and possibly a shearing force are applied, wherein the shearing force puts a shear stress on the interference fit.

A method for joining two objects by anchoring an insert portion provided on one of the objects in an opening provided on the other one of the objects. The anchorage is achieved by liquefaction of a thermoplastic material and interpenetration of the liquefied material and a penetrable material, the two materials being arranged on opposite surfaces of the insert portion and the wall of the opening. Before such liquefaction and interpenetration, an interference fit is established in which such opposite surfaces are pressed against each other, and, for the anchoring, mechanical vibration energy and possibly a shearing force are applied, wherein the shearing force puts a shear stress on the interference fit.

An intravenous delivery system may have a liquid source containing a liquid, tubing, and an anti-run-dry membrane positioned such that the liquid, flowing form the liquid source to the tubing, passes through the anti-run-dry membrane. The anti-run-dry membrane may be positioned within an exterior wall of a drip unit, and may be secured to a seat of the exterior wall by an attachment component. The attachment component may have various forms, such as a secondary exterior wall that cooperates with the exterior wall to define a drip chamber, a washer positioned such that the anti-run-dry membrane is between the washer and the seat, and an adhesive ring formed of a pressure sensitive adhesive and secured to the anti-run-dry membrane and the seat via compression. Interference features may protrude inward from the exterior wall or outward from the anti-run-dry membrane to help keep the anti-run-dry membrane in place.

An intravenous delivery system may have a liquid source containing a liquid, tubing, and an anti-run-dry membrane positioned such that the liquid, flowing form the liquid source to the tubing, passes through the anti-run-dry membrane. The anti-run-dry membrane may be positioned within an exterior wall of a drip unit, and may be secured to a seat of the exterior wall by an attachment component. The attachment component may have various forms, such as a secondary exterior wall that cooperates with the exterior wall to define a drip chamber, a washer positioned such that the anti-run-dry membrane is between the washer and the seat, and an adhesive ring formed of a pressure sensitive adhesive and secured to the anti-run-dry membrane and the seat via compression. Interference features may protrude inward from the exterior wall or outward from the anti-run-dry membrane to help keep the anti-run-dry membrane in place.

A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic resin composition enabling easy control of the weight average molecular weight of a thermoplastic resin used in a soluble three-dimensional modeling support material, the support material having sufficient strength even when used in the manufacture of a three-dimensional object by an FDM system 3D printer, being less colored with excellent appearance quality, and having a high dissolution speed in neutral water and quickly removable from a precursor of the three-dimensional object without using a strong alkaline aqueous solution; and the thermoplastic resin having dicarboxylic acid monomer units derived from a dicarboxylic acid component and having a proportion of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid monomer unit derived from a sulfonic acid group and/or sulfonate group-containing aromatic dicarboxylic acid component in the dicarboxylic acid monomer units of 10 mol % or more; the method including mixing an organic salt compound represented by formula (I):

(R.sup.1SO.sub.3.sup.).sub.nX.sup.n+(I).

To provide a prepreg excellent in storage stability and capable of obtaining a fiber-reinforced molded product excellent in impact resistance, and a method for its production, as well as a fiber-reinforced molded product excellent in impact resistance. The prepreg comprises reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin, wherein the matrix resin comprises a thermoplastic resin (but excluding the following fluororesin) and a melt-formable fluororesin having a melting point of from 100 to 325 C. and having functional groups of at least one type selected from the group consisting of carbonyl group-containing groups, hydroxy groups, epoxy groups and isocyanate groups, and in 100 mass % of the total of the thermoplastic resin and the fluororesin, the proportion of the thermoplastic resin is from more than 30 to 99 mass % and the proportion of the fluororesin is from 1 to less than 70 mass %.

A mechanical assembly for securing a first sheet to a second sheet includes a first projection having a first sidewall and a first top wall. The first sidewall extends from the first top wall at a first acute angle. The first sidewall includes a first top end and a first bottom end. A first discontinuity is defined in the first sidewall between the first top end and the first bottom end. A first base wall extends from the first bottom end. The first base wall extends generally parallel to the first top wall.