The invention provides systems and methods for substantially improving the compaction resistance of isoporous block copolymer (BCP) film by adding a high molecular weight hydrophilic additive in the casting dope formulation. Systems and methods disclosed also disclose several other multifunctional enhancements to film properties including: low fouling propensity, improved permeability, improved permeability retention upon drying, and ability to tune the substructure and pore size of these novel BCP films. These porous BCP films are useful in filtration and separations applications and are amenable to standard manufacturing practices.

To provide a method for producing a porous film in which even when minute fine particles are used, fine particles can be satisfactorily dispersed, a method for producing a composition for producing a porous film, and a porous film that can be produced by the method for producing a porous film. When a porous film is formed using a varnish including at least one resin component selected from the group consisting of polyamide acid, polyimide, a polyamide-imide precursor, polyamide-imide and polyethersulfone, and fine particles, varnish is produced by dispersing the fine particles by using a pressure device that pressurizes slurry including the fine particles and a dispersing device provided with a flow path whose cross-sectional area is 1960 μm.sup.2 or more and 785000 μm.sup.2 or less, and allowing the slurry pressurized to 50 MPa or more to pass through the flow path.

To provide a method for producing a porous film in which even when minute fine particles are used, fine particles can be satisfactorily dispersed, a method for producing a composition for producing a porous film, and a porous film that can be produced by the method for producing a porous film. When a porous film is formed using a varnish including at least one resin component selected from the group consisting of polyamide acid, polyimide, a polyamide-imide precursor, polyamide-imide and polyethersulfone, and fine particles, varnish is produced by dispersing the fine particles by using a pressure device that pressurizes slurry including the fine particles and a dispersing device provided with a flow path whose cross-sectional area is 1960 μm.sup.2 or more and 785000 μm.sup.2 or less, and allowing the slurry pressurized to 50 MPa or more to pass through the flow path.

The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.

The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.

There is provided a method for producing a separator for an electricity storage device that includes a step of contacting a porous body formed from a silane-modified polyolefin-containing molded sheet with a base solution or acid solution, and a separator for an electricity storage device comprising a microporous film with a melted film rupture temperature of 180° C. to 220° C. as measured by thermomechanical analysis (TMA).

A biocompatible controlled release form of complexed iodine is achieved by a complexation of polyvinyl alcohol based foam and characterized by a residual starch component to optimize iodine release profiles. The resulting iodine complexed polyvinyl alcohol foam may be utilized locally as an antimicrobial agent that releases controlled amounts of iodine sufficient to kill microbes for extended durations without excessive bulk and rigidity.

A biocompatible controlled release form of complexed iodine is achieved by a complexation of polyvinyl alcohol based foam and characterized by a residual starch component to optimize iodine release profiles. The resulting iodine complexed polyvinyl alcohol foam may be utilized locally as an antimicrobial agent that releases controlled amounts of iodine sufficient to kill microbes for extended durations without excessive bulk and rigidity.

A porous polymer monolith comprises a polymer body having macroporous through-pores that facilitate fluid flow through the body and an array of mesopores adapted to bind from the fluid flow molecules of a predetermined range of sizes, wherein the surface area of the monolith is predominantly provided by the mesopores. Also disclosed is a method of making a porous polymer monolith. The method includes forming a polymer body by phase separation out of a solution containing at least a monomer, a crosslinker and a primary porogen, whereby the body contains multiple macroporous through-pores, wherein the solution further contains a secondary porogen comprising oligomers inert with respect to the monomer and cross-linker but chemically compatible with the monomer so as to form mesostructures within the polymer body during said phase separation, and washing the mesostructures from the body to provide an array of mesopores such that the surface area of the monolith is predominantly provided by the mesopores.

Highly transparent (up to 92% light transmittance) wood composites have been developed. The process of fabricating the transparent wood composites includes lignin removal followed by index-matching polymer infiltration resulted in fabrication of the transparent wood composites with preserved naturally aligned nanoscale fibers. The thickness of the transparent wood composite can be tailored by controlling the thickness of the initial wood substrate. The optical transmittance can be tailored by selecting infiltrating polymers with different refractive indices. The transparent wood composites have a range of applications in biodegradable electronics, optoelectronics, as well as structural and energy efficient building materials. By coating the transparent wood composite layer on the surface of GaAs thin film solar cell, an 18% enhancement in the overall energy conversion efficiency has been attained.