Membranes and methods of making and using the membranes are described herein. The membranes can include a foamed polymeric support and a plurality of inorganic particles disposed within the foamed polymeric support. The foamed polymeric support can contain a hydrophilic polymer such as polyethersulfone. The plurality of inorganic particles can include hydrophilic particles such as zeolite particles. In certain embodiments, the membrane can be used in humidifiers, such as those used in fuel cell systems. In some aspects, the membrane can be used for separating a fluid mixture comprising water. The membranes described herein are stable for high temperature applications.

A method of microcellular foam molding an article includes feeding plastic granules to a hopper; supplying a supercritical fluid (SCF) to the hopper to effuse through the plastic granules; conveying the effused plastic granules to a mixer; and conveying the effused plastic granules in the mixer to a mold of an injection molding machine to perform foam molding on the effused plastic granules to produce a foamed article. The mold is kept at 10-50° C. and 7-70 Mpa for a foaming time of 50-120 seconds.

A void-containing polyester is disclosed which is excellent in concealing properties, whiteness, and thermal dimensional stability. A void-containing polyester film includes an internal void-containing layer (layer A). The void-containing layer contains a polyester matrix resin and a polypropylene dispersed resin, and satisfies the following requirements (1) to (3), and an apparent density of the film is in a range of 0.8 to 1.2 g/cm.sup.3. (1) A melt viscosity (η1) of the polyester resin at a melting temperature of 280° C. and a shear rate of 121.6 sec.sup.−1 is 90 to 400 Pa.Math.s (2) A melt viscosity (η2) of the polypropylene resin at a melting temperature of 280° C. and a shear rate of 121.6 sec.sup.−1 is 300 to 850 Pa.Math.s (3) A melt viscosity ratio (η2/η1) of the polyester resin and the polypropylene resin at a melting temperature of 280° C. and a shear rate of 121.6 sec.sup.−1 is 1.5 to 4.5.

The present disclosure is directed to a physically crosslinked, closed cell continuous multilayer foam structure comprising at least one foam polypropylene/polyethylene layer with a TPU cap layer. The multilayer foam structure can be obtained by coextruding a multilayer structure comprising at least one foam composition layer with at least one cap composition layer, irradiating the coextruded structure with ionizing radiation, and continuously foaming the irradiated structure.

A method of producing a film in accordance with an aspect of the present invention includes: a first kneading and forming step of forming a composition obtained by kneading a polyolefin resin and a plasticizer; a stretching step of stretching the composition; a composition cleaning step of immersing the composition in a cleaning solvent and removing the plasticizer; a separation step of separating, from the cleaning solvent which has been used in the cleaning step, the plasticizer which has been eluted in the cleaning solvent; and a second kneading and forming step of forming a composition obtained by kneading a polyolefin resin and the plasticizer which has been separated in the separation step.

A system and method of additively manufacturing a part via salt micro-spheres. The method includes mixing salt micro-spheres with an additive manufacturing material to form an additive manufacturing material mixture. The additive manufacturing material mixture is deposited on a build platform layer by layer and cured so as to create a structure having pores formed by the salt micro-spheres. The salt micro-spheres may then be dissolved and flushed from the pores.

A microcellular shoe stiffener has at least one adhesive layer coextruded with and carried on a stiffener core. A liquid, such as liquid nitrogen, is introduced into the extruder for the stiffener core to produce a closed cell foam with a gaseous component. The gas reduces the weight and cost of the stiffener with out significantly reducing stiffness and resiliency.

The present disclosure provides a process. In an embodiment, the process includes providing a foamable composition. The foamable composition includes an ethylene-based elastomer, a blowing agent, and a peroxide. The process includes heating the foamable composition to form a pliable formulation. The pliable formulation has (i) a viscosity (0.1 rad/s at 180 C.) from greater than 70,000 Pa.Math.s to 2,000,000 Pa.Math.s, (ii) a tan delta (0.1 rad/s at 180 C.) from 0.2 to less than 2, (iii) a strain hardening index greater than 2.5 to 6, and (iv) an extensional viscosity (1 s.sup.1 at 180 C.) from greater than 400,000 Pa-s to 7,000,000 Pa-s. The process includes introducing the pliable formulation into a mold having an expandable mold cavity and unidirectionally expanding the expandable mold to form a crosslinked foam article. The process includes cooling, in the expanded mold, the crosslinked foam article; and removing the crosslinked foam article from the expandable mold.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes and/or a method of making or using such separators, base films or membranes are provided. The preferred inventive separators, base films or membranes are made by a dry-stretch process and have improved strength, high porosity, high charge capacity and high porosity to provide excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable battery.

Composite materials having superior material properties useful as impact absorbing devices can be fabricated by embedding a lattice structure (e.g., polymer lattice structure) within a foam, so that the foam reinforces the lattice structure under impact. Materials and dimensions of the foam and the lattice structure may be selected to achieve composite materials having tailored impact absorbing elastic and/or viscoelastic responses over a wide range of temperatures.