A system for extracting ions from an aqueous solution without utilizing ion exchange. A semi-permeable membrane with 0.1 to 1000 nm diameter pores separates an aqueous salt solution from a chelating gel. The gel has un-crosslinked polymer (e.g. 1-10% by weight) and the balance water. The semi-permeable membrane lets ions diffuse into the chelating gel where the ions become trapped. The gel has a molecular weight that prevents its diffusion through the semi-permeable membrane.

Provided is a water-absorbent resin which is capable of giving an absorbent material improved gel-shape stability and which has excellent water-absorption capacity. A water-absorbent resin of the present invention is a polymer of a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer, and has the following properties (1) and (2): (1) A disintegration amount at 20-fold swelling is 30% by mass or less; and (2) a solubility in physiological saline is 25% by mass or less. (Determination Method for Disintegration Amount at 20-Fold Swelling) 5 g of the water-absorbent resin is added to 100 g of physiological saline to allow the water-absorbent resin to absorb the physiological saline, thereby obtaining a gel. The obtained gel is divided approximately equally into five portions, and these portions are introduced respectively into cylindrical molds having a length of 3.6 cm and a radius of 2.8 cm and molded. The masses of the five molded cylindrical gels are measured. The heaviest and the lightest of the five gels are removed, and the remaining three gels are used as samples. A mass Wa (g) of each sample is measured. Each weighed sample is placed on the uppermost sieve of a combination of JIS standard sieves having a mesh size of 5.6 mm and a receptacle in this order and shaken for 10 minutes using a Ro-Tap shaker (rotation speed, 290 rpm; number of taps, 165 rpm). A mass Wb (g) of the gel which has passed through the sieves is measured. The disintegration amount of each sample is calculated using the following equation: Disintegration amount of sample (%)=Wb (g)/Wa (g)100. An average of the disintegration amounts for three samples to be measured is regarded as the disintegration amount at 20-fold swelling of the water-absorbent resin.

Nanoporous three-dimensional networks of polyurethane particles, e.g., polyurethane aerogels, and methods of preparation are presented herein. Such nanoporous networks may include polyurethane particles made up of linked polyisocyanate and polyol monomers. In some cases, greater than about 95% of the linkages between the polyisocyanate monomers and the polyol monomers are urethane linkages. To prepare such networks, a mixture including polyisocyanate monomers (e.g., diisocyanates, triisocyanates), polyol monomers (diols, triols), and a solvent is provided. The polyisocyanate and polyol monomers may be aliphatic or aromatic. A polyurethane catalyst is added to the mixture causing formation of linkages between the polyisocyanate monomers and the polyol monomers. Phase separation of particles from the reaction medium can be controlled to enable formation of polyurethane networks with desirable nanomorphologies, specific surface area, and mechanical properties. Various properties of such networks of polyurethane particles (e.g., strength, stiffness, flexibility, thermal conductivity) may be tailored depending on which monomers are provided in the reaction.

A method for purifying fibrinogen includes steps of: (a) precipitating fibrinogen of a fibrinogen-containing solution by adding glycine to the solution for a concentration of glycine to be 1.5 to 2.5M, and then removing a supernatant and recovering a precipitate (1.sup.st glycine precipitation); (b) dissolving the precipitate of 1.sup.st glycine precipitation of step (a) in a dissolution buffer to obtain a solution, precipitating the solution by adding glycine thereto for a concentration of glycine to be 0.2 to 1.2M, and recovering a supernatant (2.sup.nd glycine precipitation); (c) precipitating the supernatant of step (b) by adding glycine thereto for a concentration of glycine to be 1.5 to 2.5M, and recovering a precipitate (3.sup.rd glycine precipitation); and (d) dissolving the precipitate of step (c) in a dissolution buffer to obtain a solution, and subjecting the solution to nanofiltration using a nanofilter.

The present invention relates to a super absorbent polymer having a controlled degree of internal crosslinking and thereby having simultaneously improved basic absorption capacity and absorbency under pressure, and a method for producing the same. The super absorbent polymer may comprise a base polymer powder including a cross-linked polymer of a monomer containing a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated compound or its salt; and a surface cross-linked layer that is formed on the base polymer powder and is further cross-linked from the cross-linked polymer, wherein a glass hollow particle having a micron-scale particle size is included in the cross-linked structure of the cross-linked polymer of the base polymer powder.

The present invention provides a method for hydrophobization of a hydrophilic material, the method including introducing a hydrophobic group into a hydroxyl group (OH group) on a surface of the hydrophilic material. A method for hydrophobization of a hydrophilic material, the method comprising reacting a hydrophilic material to be hydrophobized with a hydrophobic group-containing silylating agent in presence of an amino acid as a reaction accelerator, to introduce a hydrophobic group-containing silyl group to a surface of the hydrophilic material. A hydrophobized silica gel column filler is produced by using the method. Further, a hydrophobized silica gel column is produced by filling a column with the hydrophobized silica gel column filler.

The invention relates to a belt drier arrangement for drying an aqueous polymer gel and for comminuting the dried polymer gel to give dried polymer particles, comprising: a drier setup for drying an aqueous polymer gel, a comminuting arrangement downstream of the drier setup relative to the product flow direction, for comminuting the dried polymer gel to give dried polymer particles. In accordance with the invention the comminuting arrangement comprises at least a first comminutor and a second comminutor, each having a rotatable shaft with functional tools, the second comminutor being disposed downstream of the first comminutor relative to the product flow direction.

The present invention relates to a process for treating an oil comprising a chlorophyll derivative. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an improved process for removing impurities, including chlorophyll derivatives and/or trace metals, from an oil using an adsorbent comprising a silica treated with an alkali earth metal oxide, such as magnesium oxide. The process comprises contacting the oil with the adsorbent, wherein the pH of the silica is about 7 or greater, including from about 7 to about 10. The process may further comprise contacting the oil with a polypeptide having decolorase activity or a composition comprising the polypeptide, prior to contact with the adsorbent.

A solid form adsorbent including a plurality of discrete adsorbent particles spatially bound in place by point bonding by a binder. At least about 25% of the external surface area of a majority of the particles is not sealed off by the binder and is available for adsorption.

The subject invention provides chemical compositions and synthesis strategies to create molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) via sol-gel processes. In a specific embodiment, the subject invention utilizes a(n) organic, inorganic, or metallic template analyte to create a hybrid organic-inorganic or inorganic three-dimensional network possessing cavities complementary to the shape, size, and functional orientation of the template molecule or ions. The subject invention further pertains to the use of the novel MIPs as selective solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbents for pre-concentration and clean-up of trace substances in biological and environmental samples. Synthesis of other molecularly imprinted polymers with environmental, pharmaceutical, chemical, clinical, toxicological, and national security implications can be conducted in accordance with the teachings of the subject invention.