A foamed sheet includes an aliphatic polyester resin and a filler. An average foam diameter of the foamed sheet is 15 micrometers or less. An average thickness of the foamed sheet is 3,000 micrometers or less. A ratio of a length of a side of the foamed sheet in a longer direction or a side of the foamed sheet in a direction perpendicular to the longer direction to the average thickness is 250 or more.

Industrial fermentation for the production of lactic acid from organic waste combined with chemical recycling of polylactic acid are provided, to obtain lactic acid at high yields.

The present invention relates to liquid crystal polyester resin pellets containing a thermoplastic resin comprising a liquid crystal polyester, and a fibrous filler, in which the pellets contain the fibrous filler in the amount of equal to or greater than 1 part by mass and smaller than 120 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the thermoplastic resin, and a length-weighted average fiber length of the fibrous filler is equal to or greater than 4 mm and smaller than 50 mm.

A gas barrier film-forming composition comprising the following components: plate-like particles composed of exfoliated layer substances generated through interlayer exfoliation of layered compound, plate-like particles having average thickness of 0.7 nm to 100 nm, average major-axis length of 100 nm to 100,000 nm, and ratio of (maximum major-axis length/width orthogonal to maximum major-axis length) of 1.0 to 10.0, and containing quaternary ammonium ions each having total carbon atom number of 13 to 45 and one or two C.sub.10-20 alkyl groups, and anionic surfactant having ammonium ion, wherein the amount of each of quaternary ammonium ions and anionic surfactant is more than 0% by mass and 3.0% by mass or less relative to mass of plate-like particles, a water-soluble polymer; and an aqueous medium. The gas barrier film-forming composition, wherein layered compound is ilerite. A formed product comprising a base and a gas barrier film disposed on surface of the base.

A method for modifying the properties of balsa wood comprises infiltrating a protein ionic liquid comprising polymerized dopamine into delignified balsa wood. A method of making an optically active protective coating comprises mixing protein ionic liquid comprising polymerized dopamine with ethyl acetate-based or water-based nail polish. A method of making a thermoplastic having biological activity comprises melting a thermoplastic; and blending a protein ionic liquid with the thermoplastic; and cooling the thermoplastic protein ionic liquid blend to a solid state. The thermoplastic is a hot glue stick. The protein ionic liquid comprises antibodies, enzymes, or fluorescent proteins. A method of making a chymotrypsin protein ionic liquid/thermoplastic material comprises mixing cationized chymotrypsin and anions of poly(ethylene glycol) 4-nonylphenyl 3-sulfopropyl ether to form a chymotrypsin and anion complex; lyophilizing and melting the cationized chymotrypsin and anion complex to form a water-free ionic liquid; blending the chymotrypsin ionic liquid with molten hot glue/thermoplastic.

The invention provides a surface-functionalised polymeric object (10), comprising: a bulk material (11) comprising a copolymer containing constitution units derived from a first comonomer and constitution units derived from a second comonomer, the first comonomer being selected from L-lactide and D-lactide and forming sequences of oligo(L-lactide) or oligo(D-lactide) in the copolymer the copolymer having a substantially random, partially blocky structure with a dyad ratio of (lactide-lactide)-dyads to (lactide-second comonomer)-dyads of at least 2.0:1; and a surface layer (12) disposed on a surface of the bulk material (11), the surface layer (12) comprising a functionalising species and at least one chain of poly(D-lactide) or of poly(L-lactide) covalently bound to the functionalising species, and at least one chain being different from the oligo(L-lactide) sequences or oligo(D-lactide) sequences contained in the copolymer; wherein the surface layer (12) is attached to the bulk material (11) via stereocomplexes formed between the poly(D-lactide) chain(s) of the functionalising species and the oligo(L-lactide) sequences contained in the copolymer or via stereocomplexes formed between the poly(L-lactide) chain(s) of the functionalising species and the oligo(D-lactide) sequences contained in the copolymer, respectively. The surface-functionalised polymeric object can be produced in a one-step procedure by coaxial electrospinning.

A product having powder-like properties, the product comprising animal fibres, e.g. wool, having a length less than 10 mm, preferably less than about 3 mm, more preferably less than about 2 mm. Surprisingly, animal fibres having a length below a certain fibre length have powder-like properties, such as improved rheological properties, increased density, increased surface area and increased porosity. Also described are processes for preparing compositions and composites thereof, and uses thereof, e.g., as a filter aid, in a dietary supplement, in a filler and in a hair thickener.

In various embodiments, the present invention is directed to ABA triblock copolymers having crosslinkable poly(propylene fumarate A blocks and a more flexible poly(lactone) B block formed by sequential ring-opening polymerization and ring-opening copolymerization. These ABA triblock polymers made using ring-opening polymerization of one or more lactone monomers using a bifunctional initiator to form a poly(lactone) B block having terminal hydroxyl groups and the ring-opening copolymerization of maleic anhydride and propylene oxide followed by isomerization of the maleate double bond using an organic base to form the poly(propylene fumarate)(PPF) A blocks. When crosslinked photochemically using, for example, a continuous liquid interface production digital light processing (DLP) Carbon M2 printer, these ABA type triblock copolymers form durable elastomers with tunable degradation and elastic properties. In various embodiments, these polymers are shown to undergo slow, hydrolytic degradation in vitro with minimal loss of mechanical performance during degradation.

Shape memory polymers allow the fabrication of objects that have a permanent (first) shape, and which can be programmed to adopt a temporary (second) shape, and are able to largely recover their original (first) shape by applying an appropriate stimulus. Materials that permit the fabrication of objects and devices that can (i) be provided in their permanent shape, (ii) be heated to a switching temperature above physiological temperature, at which the material becomes shapeable, (iii) be inserted into the body or placed in contact with the body and be deformed or shaped”to assume a desired temporary shape, (iv) be fixed in the desired temporary shape by keeping the material/device/object at body temperature (about 37° C.) for a convenient period of time, (v) largely retain this temporary shape if removed from the body, and (vi) return largely to their original shape when heated again above the switching temperature. A process for making such materials and disclosed products based on such materials are disclosed.

Procedure for the purification of biodegradable thermoplastic polymer particles for medical and/or pharmaceutical use without the use of organic solvents, as well as the particles obtained themselves, and the use of polymeric particles obtained by this procedure to manufacture parenteral administered medicinal products and/or implantable medical devices.