A polyolefin microporous membrane is suitable to provide thereon a porous layer having little variation in thickness, which has a fluctuation range of F25 value in the length direction of 1 MPa or less, and which has a length of 1,000 m or more (wherein the F25 value refers to a value obtained by: measuring a load value applied to a test specimen when the test specimen is stretched by 25% using a tensile tester; and dividing the load value by the value of the cross-sectional area of the test specimen).

The present invention discloses novel porous polymeric compositions comprising random copolymers of amides, imides, ureas, and carbamic-anhydrides, useful for the synthesis of monolithic bimodal microporous/macroporous carbon aerogels. It also discloses methods for producing said microporous/macroporous carbon aerogels by the reaction of a polyisocyanate compound and a polycarboxylic acid compound, followed by pyrolytic carbonization, and by reactive etching with CO.sub.2 at elevated temperatures. Also disclosed are methods for using the microporous/macroporous carbon aerogels in the selective capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide.

The present invention relates to a porous membrane including a polymer including a polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin as a main component, and a branched polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin as the polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin, in which the polymer has a value of a of 0.32 to 0.41 and a value of b of 0.18 to 0.42, each of which is determined by approximation according to the formula 1 below from a radius of gyration <S.sup.2>.sup.1/2 and an absolute molecular weight M.sub.w of the polymer which are measured by GPC-MALS (gel permeation chromatograph equipped with a multi-angle light scattering detector). <S.sup.2>.sup.1/2=bM.sub.w.sup.a (Formula 1)

The present invention relates to a porous membrane including a polymer including a polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin as a main component, and a branched polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin as the polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin, in which the polymer has a value of a of 0.32 to 0.41 and a value of b of 0.18 to 0.42, each of which is determined by approximation according to the formula 1 below from a radius of gyration <S.sup.2>.sup.1/2 and an absolute molecular weight M.sub.w of the polymer which are measured by GPC-MALS (gel permeation chromatograph equipped with a multi-angle light scattering detector). <S.sup.2>.sup.1/2=bM.sub.w.sup.a (Formula 1)

A process for preparing a cellulosic sponge includes the steps of treating an aqueous suspension of cellulose fibers with periodate; adjusting the pH of the resulting dialdehyde cellulose fibers suspension to a value between 2.5 to 5.5; freezing the suspension obtained and thawing the three dimensional structure to render the cellulosic sponge. The process may further include a step of drying to render a cellulosic foam. Both the new sponge and the new foam may also be further chemically modified obtaining a broad variety of derivatives with tailored properties which are useful in many different applications.

A process for preparing a cellulosic sponge includes the steps of treating an aqueous suspension of cellulose fibers with periodate; adjusting the pH of the resulting dialdehyde cellulose fibers suspension to a value between 2.5 to 5.5; freezing the suspension obtained and thawing the three dimensional structure to render the cellulosic sponge. The process may further include a step of drying to render a cellulosic foam. Both the new sponge and the new foam may also be further chemically modified obtaining a broad variety of derivatives with tailored properties which are useful in many different applications.

The present disclosure relates to a method for producing polymer microparticles, this method including a step for polymerizing vinyl monomers in a hydrophilic solvent, which dissolves the vinyl monomers and a dispersion stabilizer but does not dissolve a polymer formed, in the presence of the dispersion stabilizer. The present disclosure is a method for producing these polymer microparticles, wherein the dispersion stabilizer contains a macromonomer having carboxyl groups and ethylenically unsaturated groups at an intermediate location in a molecular chain thereof, the macromonomer has, on average, 1.4 to 2.5 ethylenically unsaturated groups per molecule, and an average value of a carboxyl group content in the macromonomer is 0.5 meq/g to 2.5 meq/g.

The present invention relates to a porous silicone body having communicating pores and a three-dimensional network silicone skeleton that forms the pores, wherein the silicone skeleton is formed by polymerization of a bifunctional alkoxysilane and a trifunctional alkoxysilane, and the proportion of unreacted parts in the silicone skeleton is 10 mol % or less. The porous silicone body of the present invention has high flexibility and high heat resistance, and further has excellent recoverability of heat-resistant cushioning properties.

The present invention relates to a porous silicone body having communicating pores and a three-dimensional network silicone skeleton that forms the pores, wherein the silicone skeleton is formed by polymerization of a bifunctional alkoxysilane and a trifunctional alkoxysilane, and the proportion of unreacted parts in the silicone skeleton is 10 mol % or less. The porous silicone body of the present invention has high flexibility and high heat resistance, and further has excellent recoverability of heat-resistant cushioning properties.

The composition, advantageously an emulsion or a foam, includes an internal phase dispersed in a hydrophilic continuous phase, the percentage of the internal phase being higher than 50%. The emulsion composition contains nanocrystals of a polysaccharide other than cellulose, advantageously chitin, that are located at the interface between the internal phase and the hydrophilic continuous phase.