A process for producing a water-absorbing polymer composition, comprising the process steps of (i) mixing (α1) 0.1 to 99.999% by weight of ethylenically unsaturated monomers containing acid groups or salts thereof (α2) 0 to 70% by weight of polymerized, ethylenically unsaturated monomers copolymerizable with (α1), (α3) 0.001 to 10% by weight of one or more crosslinkers, (α4) 0 to 30% by weight of water-soluble polymers, and (α5) 0 to 20% by weight of one or more assistants, where the sum of their weights (α1) to (α5) is 100% by weight, (ii) free-radical polymerization with crosslinking to form a water-insoluble aqueous untreated hydrogel polymer, and surface postcrosslinking the ground hydrogel polymer wherein blowing agents having a particle size of 100 μm to 900 μm are added to the aqueous monomer solution prior to the addition of the initiator and the start of the free-radical polymerization.

There is provided a composite material comprising a porous silica particle, a plurality of metal particles disposed within the pores of said silica particle and a polymeric coating that at least partially encapsulates said silica particle. There is also provided a method of preparing a composite material, comprising the step of mixing a solution containing a plurality of activated metal and silica particles with a polymer solution to thereby form said composite material, wherein said composite material comprises a porous silica particle, a plurality of metal particles disposed within the pores of said silica particle and a polymeric coating that at least partially encapsulates said silica particle.

Disclosed herein are materials and methods related to the removal of a polyfluorinated alkyl compound from water. The materials contain both fluorine and an ion, which materials can be used as a network to remove the polyfluorinated alkyl compound from water.

A filtration material including a silica base material having a group represented by the following general formula (a0-1) [in formula (a0-1), Ya.sup.01 represents a divalent linking group; Ra.sup.01 represents a hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent; Ra.sup.02 represents a hydroxyl group or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may have a substituent; n.sup.01 represents an integer of 0 to 5; and the symbol “*” represents a valence bond with respect to the silica base material].

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The invention is directed to utilization of a series of cross-linked 1,4-benzenediamine-co-alkyldiamine polymers and the use of the polymers to remove mercury from a hydrocarbon in fluid form.

A fiber useful in the absorption of metal ions from aqueous solutions, the fiber comprising a polyolefin backbone having a diameter of at least 1 micron and having covalently appended on its surface halogen atoms and vinyl-addition polymeric grafts functionalized with metal-binding groups, such as at least one functional group selected from carboxylate, keto, aldo, amino, imino, nitrile, amido, oxime, amidoxime, imide dioxime, and hydroxamate groups. The vinyl-addition polymeric grafts may also be further functionalized with hydrophilic groups different from the metal-binding groups, wherein the hydrophilic groups may be selected from carboxylate, sulfone, sulfonate, phosphonate, alkylammonium, iminium, amide, pyrrolidone, and polyalkyleneglycol groups. Also described are methods for producing the functionalized fibers, and methods for using the functionalized fiber, particularly in extracting metal ions from metal-containing solutions.

A metals-adsorbent PAN fiber comprising a carbon chain backbone and amidoxime, carboxylate, and nitrile pendant groups. No ester groups are present. The inventive fiber is used for removing metals, including toxic metals, from fresh water, including rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, drinking water from wells and other sources, and industrial discharge waste waters, in a pH range of 3-10, and preferably at slightly acidic conditions in the range of pH 5-6. Metals that can be removed include heavy and toxic metals, such as Sc, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Sr, Yb, Cd, Cs, Pb, La, Ce, Nd, Eu, Zn, Tb and U. The adsorbed metals can be removed from the fiber by acidic elution and recovered. The fiber can be rinsed and reused.

A catalyst system comprising a combination of: 1) one or more catalyst compounds comprising at least one nitrogen linkage; 2) a support comprising an organosilica material, which is a mesoporous organosilica material; and 3) an optional activator. Useful catalysts include pyridyldiamido transition metal complexes, HN5 compounds, and bis(imino)pyridyl complexes. The organosilica material is a polymer of at least one monomer of Formula [Z.sup.1OZ.sup.2SiCH.sub.2].sub.3(1), where Z.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4alkyl group, or a bond to a silicon atom of another monomer and Z.sup.2 represents a hydroxyl group, a C1-C.sub.4alkoxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl group, or an oxygen atom bonded to a silicon atom of another monomer. This invention further relates to processes to polymerize olefins comprising contacting one or more olefins with the above catalyst system.

A device for collecting contaminants from water samples is provided. The device includes a solid sorbent that collects and stores the contaminants from water samples. The solid sorbent is configured to allow for the preservation of the stored contaminants. The concentrations of the contaminants in the water samples are determined via analysis of the solid sorbent or via elution of the stored contaminants from the sorbent and analysis of the eluate solution.

Disclosed is a novel adsorbent having excellent adsorption durability and high adsorption efficiency while having improved durability, thereby improving a carbon dioxide (CO2) separation process. A mesoporous cellular foam impregnated with an iron (Fe)-substituted heteropolyacid includes a mesoporous cellular foam support and an Fe-substituted heteropolyacid, and the mesoporous cellular foam impregnated with an Fe-substituted heteropolyacid has superior CO2 adsorption performance and exhibits excellent reproduction performance even after CO2 adsorption and desorption are performed several times through temperature changes, thereby enabling efficient and economical CO2 separation.