A separator that can be used for a secondary battery and a secondary battery including the separator are described. The separator includes a first layer containing a porous polyolefin. A parameter X in the equation below obtained by a viscoelastic measurement at a frequency of 10 Hz and a temperature of 90 C. is equal to or less than 20. The tearing strength of the first layer measured by the Elmendorf tearing method (in accordance with JIS K 7128-2) is at least 1.5 mN/m, and a tensile elongation value of the first layer is at least 0.5 mm until a load decreases to 25% of a maximum load in a load-elongation curve in a tearing strength measurement by the right-angled tearing method (in accordance with JIS K 7128-3).

X=100|MD tan TD tan |/[(MD tan +TD tan )/2]

A separator including a first layer consisting of a porous polyolefin and a secondary battery including the separator are provided. The first layer has a parameter X, defined by the following equation, equal to or more than 0 and equal to or less than 20 and a minimum height of a ball in a falling-ball test of the first layer equal to or more than 50 cm and equal to or less than 150 cm. Here, MD tan and TD tan are respectively loss tangents in flow and width directions obtained by a viscoelasticity measurement of the first layer at a temperature of 90 C. and a frequency of 10 Hz

[00001]$X=100.Math.\frac{\frac{.Math.\mathrm{MD}.Math..Math.\tan .Math..Math.-\mathrm{TD}.Math..Math.\tan .Math..Math..Math.}{.Math.\mathrm{MD}.Math..Math.\tan .Math..Math.+\mathrm{TD}.Math..Math.\tan .Math..Math..Math.}}{2}$

Multiple processes for preparing porous articles are described. The porous articles can be in a wide array of shapes and configurations. The methods include providing a soluble material in particulate form and forming a packed region from the material. The methods also include contacting a flowable polymeric material with the packed region such that the polymeric material is disposed in voids in the packed region. The polymeric material is then at least partially solidified. The soluble material is then removed such as by solvent washing to thereby produce desired porous articles. Also described are systems for performing the various processes.

Provided is a separator capable of suppressing an increase in internal resistance and a decrease in a battery performance. A separator having a first layer consisting of a porous polyolefin and an organic antioxidant and a secondary battery including the separator are provided. The first layer has a parameter X, defined by the following equation, equal to or more than 0 and equal to or less than 20, $X=100\frac{.Math.MD\tan -TD\tan .Math.}{\frac{.Math.MD\tan +TD}{}}$

Provided is a separator capable of suppressing an increase in internal resistance and a decrease in a battery performance. A separator having a first layer consisting of a porous polyolefin and an organic antioxidant and a secondary battery including the separator are provided. The first layer has a parameter X, defined by the following equation, equal to or more than 0 and equal to or less than 20, $X=100\frac{.Math.MD\tan -TD\tan .Math.}{\frac{.Math.MD\tan +TD}{}}$

A polymeric scaffold contains pendant liquid crystal side chains and has fully interconnected pores. Such a polymeric scaffold will preferably be 3D in nature and elastomeric, biocompatible and biodegradable. Such 3D liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) scaffolds can be used for various biomedical applications, including cell culture applications. A method for the production of such a polymeric scaffold containing liquid crystals and having interconnected pores is also disclosed that uses a metal foam sacrificial template as a scaffold to produce the polymeric smart response scaffold of the present invention. Consistent and controlled pore sizes result from etching the sacrificial metal foam template away from the polymeric scaffold, permitting the incorporation of growth factors, when needed, for enhancing cell viability and proliferation.

A polymeric scaffold contains pendant liquid crystal side chains and has fully interconnected pores. Such a polymeric scaffold will preferably be 3D in nature and elastomeric, biocompatible and biodegradable. Such 3D liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) scaffolds can be used for various biomedical applications, including cell culture applications. A method for the production of such a polymeric scaffold containing liquid crystals and having interconnected pores is also disclosed that uses a metal foam sacrificial template as a scaffold to produce the polymeric smart response scaffold of the present invention. Consistent and controlled pore sizes result from etching the sacrificial metal foam template away from the polymeric scaffold, permitting the incorporation of growth factors, when needed, for enhancing cell viability and proliferation.

A Polyvinylidene fluoride-based microporous membrane comprising: a substrate film; and the following microporous membrane, wherein the microporous membrane is an asymmetric membrane, and has a skin layer in which micropores are formed and a support layer which supports the skin layer and in which pores larger than the micropores are formed, a material of the microporous membrane is a polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin, the skin layer has a plurality of spherical bodies, a plurality of linear binding materials extend three-dimensionally from the respective spherical bodies, the adjacent spherical bodies are connected with each other by the linear binding materials to form a three-dimensional network structure where the spherical bodies serve as intersections, and the number of defects (the number of colored coarse voids) is less than 20.

Embodiments described include devices and methods for forming a porous polymer material. Devices disclosed and formed using the methods described a spacer for spinal fusion, craniomaxillofacial (CMF) structures, and other structures for tissue implants.

Embodiments described include devices and methods for forming a porous polymer material. Devices disclosed and formed using the methods described a spacer for spinal fusion, craniomaxillofacial (CMF) structures, and other structures for tissue implants.