Silica particles bonded to polymer chains consisting of at least one polymer comprising at least one fluorinated styrene repeating unit comprising at least one proton-conducting group, optionally in the form of a salt, the bonding between the particles and each of the chains being carried out by an organic spacer group.

Disclosed is a process for making nitrated styrenic fluoropolymers having various degrees of substitution. The nitrated styrenic fluoropolymer is capable of providing an exceptionally high birefringence ranging from 0.02 to 0.036. Further, the birefringence can be tuned by varying the degree of substitution (DS) of the nitro group on the styrenic ring to meet the need for optical compensation film applications. More particularly, the optical compensation films of the present invention are for use in an in-plane switching LCD (IPS-LCD) and OLED display.

A prepreg sheet (1) is formed by stacking a plurality of unit layers (10a, 10b) In the unit layers (10a, 10b), prepreg tapes (100), in which a reinforced fiber bundle is impregnated with a thermosetting matrix resin composition, are disposed in rows a plurality of times. One or more of the unit layers (10a, 10b) has a gap (G) between adjacent prepreg tapes (100), and the width thereof is 10% or less of the width of the narrower of the adjacent prepreg tapes (100).

The invention relates to: anion exchange blend membranes consisting the following blend components: a halomethylated polymer (a polymer with (CH.sub.2).sub.xCH.sub.2Hal groups, Hal=F, Cl, Br, I; x=0-12), which is quaternised with a tertiary or a n-alkylated/n-arylated imidazole, an N-alkylated/N-arylated benzimidazole or an N-alkylated/N-arylated pyrazol to form an anion exchanger polymer. an inert matrix polymer in which the anion exchange polymer is embedded and which is optionally covalently crosslinked with the halomethylated precursor of the anion exchanger polymer, a polyethyleneglycol with epoxide or halomethyl terminal groups which are anchored by reacting with NH-groups of the base matrix polymer using convalent cross-linking optionally an acidic polymer which forms with the anion-exchanger polymer an ionic cross-linking (negative bound ions of the acidic polymer forming ionic cross-linking positions relative to the positive cations of the anion-exchanger polymer) optionally a sulphonated polymer (polymer with sulphate groups SO.sub.2Me, Me=any cation), which forms with the halomethyl groups of the halomethylated polymer convalent crosslinking bridges with sulfinate S-alkylation. The invention also relates to a method for producing said membranes, to the use of said membranes in electrochemical energy conversion processes (e.g. Redox-flow batteries and other flow batteries, PEM-electrolyses, membrane fuel cells), and in other membrane methods (e.g. electrodialysis, diffusion dialysis).

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to thermoelectric polymer aerogels. In one aspect, a method includes depositing a solution on a substrate. The solution comprises a thermoelectric polymer. Solvent of the solution is removed to form a layer of the thermoelectric polymer. The layer is placed in a polar solvent to form a gel comprising the thermoelectric polymer. The gel is cooled to freeze the polar solvent. The gel is placed in a vacuum environment to sublimate the polar solvent from the gel to form an aerogel comprising the thermoelectric polymer.

A method for making an aerogel includes the steps of a) soaking a wet gel having a liquid phase in at least one solvent to substantially replace the liquid phase in the wet gel with the solvent to form a soaked gel; b) freezing the soaked gel to form a frozen gel; and c) drying the frozen gel in a vacuum chamber to form an aerogel.

A method for producing a fiber for reinforcing rubber, comprising applying an adhesion treatment liquid containing a thermoplastic elastomer, a blocked polyisocyanate, and a rubber latex to a fiber cord to obtain a fiber for reinforcing rubber, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is incorporated in the form of a water dispersion into the adhesion treatment liquid, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer particles in the water dispersion have an average particle diameter of 0.01 to 1.0 ?m.

The invention relates to flame-retarded copolymers and molding materials or molding compounds with covalently bonded sulfur and covalently bonded organic phosphorus compounds having a statistical monomer distribution. The flame-retarded copolymers and molding compounds of the invention are substantially colorless, odorless and halogen-free and can be used in the building industry and electrical industry.

This disclosure relates to a film layer for use in flexible metal clad laminates. The film layer comprises a thermosetting composition comprising: a copolymer of (a) a diisoalkenylarene (DIAEA) and (b) a divinylarene (DVA) containing a mixture of m-divinylarene and p-divinylarene, in a mole ratio of (a) to (b) of 15:1 to 1:15; a second polymer; a filler and optional additives. Flexible metal clad laminates made with the film further comprises a metal foil bonded to the surface of the film. The thermosetting composition containing the DIAEA-DVA copolymer provides improved thermal stability at high temperature, excellent processability, and electrical properties, e.g., Dk and Df.

Provided are a photon up-conversion film, which is capable of high-efficiency up-conversion even in air and even when low-intensity light is used, and a simple method of producing the film. The photon up-conversion film according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a matrix including a resin; and a pore portion, wherein the photon up-conversion film includes at least a sensitizing component capable of absorbing light in a first wavelength region 1, and a light-emitting component capable of radiating light in a second wavelength region 2 including wavelengths shorter than those of the first wavelength region 1, and wherein the sensitizing component and the light-emitting component are present at an interface between the matrix and the pore portion.