The invention relates to novel a high-volume swelling hydrogel which comprises a plurality of pores which are defined by an interpenetrating network, and/or a semi-interpenetrating network and/or simple cross-linked arrangement of a plurality of one or more species of hydrophilic polymers, optionally together with one or more biocompatible polymers and optionally together with one or more plasticising agents, characterised in that at least some of the pores are at least partially collapsed and/or flattened, and further characterised in that the interpenetrating network and/or semi-interpenetrating network and/or cross-linked arrangement which defines the collapsed and/or flattened pores is substantially unbroken. The invention also relates to a process for preparing such hydrogels, and to their use as an appetite suppressant.

Provided are a superabsorbent polymer and a preparation method thereof. According to the present invention, a superabsorbent polymer having high centrifuge retention capacity and absorption rate may be prepared by using a specific foam stabilizer.

A foamed, opacifying element useful as a light-blocking article is prepared with a dry opacifying layer on a substrate. The dry opacifying layer is densified, followed by application of a functional composition formulation to form a functional composition upon drying and curing at a coverage of 0.5-15 g/m.sup.2. The functional composition comprises at least: (i) glass particles such as hollow glass particles at a coverage of 0.1-2.2 g/cm.sup.2, and can also include any or combination of a (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binder that may be crosslinked, thickeners, coating aids having an HLB of at least 5, (ii) lubricants, (iii) tinting materials, and (v) crosslinking agents. Among other properties, the presence of the glass particles provides additional heat absorption for the foamed, opacifying elements that can be formed into light-blocking materials.

The present invention relates to a copolymer having polyamide blocks and having polyether blocks (PEBA) which can be used for the manufacture of an article, preferably a foamed article. The invention also relates to expanded particles prepared from said copolymer and to the manufacture of a foamed article from said expanded particles.

A method for producing a foam-molded shoe component includes the steps of: providing a polymer granulate; pre-treating the polymer granulate including binding to or in the polymer granulate a physical propellant in an autoclave at a first pressure and a first temperature; and foaming the pre-treated polymer granulate including melting the polymer granulate to produce a molten polymer composition, and foaming the molten polymer composition as a result of the expansion of the physical propellant.

Reversibly crosslinkable polymeric networks, including reversibly crosslinkable hydrogel networks are provided. Also provided are methods of making the polymeric networks and methods of using the hydrogel networks in tissue engineering applications. The reversibly crosslinkable polymeric networks are composed of polymer chains that are covalently crosslinked by azobenzene boronic ester bonds that can be reversibly formed and broken by exposing the polymeric networks to different wavelengths of light.

The present invention pertains to a fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite, to a film comprising said fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite and to uses of said film in various applications, especially in electrochemical and in photo-electrochemical applications.

The present invention provides a multi plate screw press sludge dewatering machine and a helical shaft thereof. The multi plate screw press sludge dewatering machine includes fixed rings, movable rings, the helical shaft, a sludge inlet tank and a sludge discharging tank; the helical shaft adopts a variable diameter variable pitch helical shaft, a lead angle arrangement sequence of a helical blade of the whole helical shaft is gradual reduction from the sludge discharging tank to the sludge inlet tank, and the lead angle arrangement sequence is gradually reduced from 16°-22° to 6°-14°; a pitch of the helical shaft is gradually increased along a direction from the sludge inlet tank to the sludge discharging tank; a diameter of a shaft body of the helical shaft is gradually increased along with a direction of the sludge discharging tank from a ⅓ position of a shaft length; and blockage prevention plates are arranged on two sides of the bottom of the helical blade. The helical shaft in the present invention is specially designed, so that the pitch is more reasonable, a helical angle is gentler, frictional resistance when sludge passes through the helical shaft may be effectively reduced, and phenomena of shaft blockage and shaft sticking of the sludge may be reduced.

Disclosed herein are methods for synthesizing oligomer mixtures with one or more moieties capable of forming a multi-hydrogen bonding dimer. The method comprises the steps of providing certain intermediate reaction products; adding a polyol component to the intermediate reaction product to yield an oligomer mixture comprising one or more multi-hydrogen bonding groups; and further reacting the mixture with certain isocyanate-reactive compounds to yield a multi-hydrogen bonding oligomer, wherein solvents comprise less than 50% of the total by weight of all reagents used in the synthesis of the multi-hydrogen bonding oligomer. Preferably, such methods involve no separation, distillation, or isolation of any intermediate product, and as such, they are particularly useful for a continuous or one-pot synthesis.

Provided herein according to some embodiments is a dual cure additive manufacturing resin, comprising: (i) a light polymerizable component, (ii) a photoinitiator, (iii) a heat polymerizable component, and (iv) a non-reactive diluent, which resin is useful for the production of three-dimensional objects by additive manufacturing. Methods of using the same are also provided.