Described herein are crosslinked alkylated poly(benzimidazole) and poly(imidazole) polymer materials and devices (e.g., fuel cells, water electrolyzers) including these polymer materials. The polymer materials can be prepared in a convenient manner, allowing for applications such as anion exchange membranes (AEMs). The membranes provide high anion conductivities over a wider range of operating conditions when compared to the analogous membranes that are not cross-linked. The crosslinked polymer materials have improved alkaline stability, when compared to the analogous non-crosslinked polymer materials.

This invention is related to a resin matrix composition intended for production of a polymer composite material (PCM) or prepregs for PCM, to variants of methods for producing resin matrix compositions, to a method for curing the resin matrix composition, to a polymer composite material and method for its fabrication. The resin matrix composition includes: (1) polymerizable mixture containing one or more bis-phthalonitrile monomers with the general formula:

##STR00001## where X, Y, Z are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, F, Cl, Br and CH.sub.3, taken in the amount of 20-94 wt % of the polymerizable mixture weight; one or more reactive plasticizers-antipyrenes with the general formula:

##STR00002## where

##STR00003##

group can be in the meta- or para-position relative the oxygen atom bonded to the benzene ring, and R is selected from an aryl, oxyaryl, alkyl, or oxyalkyl group, or plasticizers-antipyrenes with the general formula:

##STR00004## where R is selected from an aryl, oxyaryl, alkyl, or oxyalkyl group, taken in the amount of 5-80 wt % of the total polymerizable mixture weight; one or more active diluents with the general formula:

##STR00005## where R can be in meta- or para-position relative to the oxygen bonded to the benzene ring, and stands for H, CN, NH.sub.2 or N(C.sub.3H.sub.3).sub.2, in the amount from 1 to 50% of the total polymerizable mixture weight. The resin matrix composition also includes (2) curing agent in the amount from 1 to 20% of the total polymerizable mixture weight selected from aromatic diamines or bisphenols that have boiling points of at least 180° C. under vacuum of 0.1 mm Hg. The total content of the polymerizable mixture and the curing agent is from 60 to 100 wt % of the total resin matrix weight. The invention allows to increase the thermal stability of the resin matrix and obtain composite material which after curing possesses increased thermal stability at temperatures up to 450° C., have melting points or glass transition temperatures of no more than 50° C., provide melt viscosities below 800 mPa.Math.s at temperatures from 100 to 180° C. and below 300 mPa.Math.s at temperatures from 120 to 180° C.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a benzoxazine-containing resin composition and a prepreg and a laminate made therefrom. The method for preparing a benzoxazine-containing resin composition is adding an acidic filler to a benzoxazine-containing resin composition. By adding an acidic filler to the benzoxazine-containing resin composition, the present invention promotes greatly the polymerization reaction of benzoxazine and epoxy resin, reduces the curing temperature required for polymerization of benzoxazine and epoxy resin. The laminate prepared from the benzoxazine-containing resin composition, to which an acidic filler is added, has high anti-stripping stability, high glass transition temperature, low water absorption, high heat resistance, high bending strength and good processability, and can achieve low coefficient of thermal expansion.

A proton-conductive membrane includes a hydrophobic organic polymer and a hydrophilic proton-conductive component. The hydrophilic proton-conductive component includes one of an urea-containing material and a complex formed from an acidic substance and a basic substance, and a combination thereof. The hydrophilic proton-conductive component is present in an amount ranging from 23 parts by weight to 70 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the proton-conductive membrane.

Methods for creating nanostructured surface features on polymers and polymer composites involve application of low pressure during curing of solid polymer material from a solvent solution. The resulting nanoscale surface features significantly decrease bacterial growth on the surface. Polymer materials having the nanoscale structuring can be used in implantable medical devices to inhibit bacterial growth and infection.

A resin composition including an inorganic filler (B) having an aluminosilicate (A) having a silicon atom content of from 9 to 23% by mass, an aluminum atom content of from 21 to 43% by mass, and an average particle diameter (D50) of from 0.5 to 10 μm; and any one or more thermosetting compounds selected from the group consisting of an epoxy resin (C), a cyanate compound (D), a maleimide compound (E), a phenolic resin (F), an acrylic resin (G), a polyamide resin (H), a polyamideimide resin (I), and a thermosetting polyimide resin (J), wherein a content of the inorganic filler (B) is from 250 to 800 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of resin solid content.

A continuous automated process and production line for preparing an acid doped polybenzimidazole, PBI, polymer membrane film for use in a fuel cell, the process comprising a washing stage, a drying procedure, and a doping stage.

The current disclosure teaches one to achieve PBI membranes with high ionic conductivity and low mechanical creep for the first time. This is in contrast to previous teachings of PBI membrane fabrication methods, which yield PBIs with either high ionic conductivity and high mechanical creep or low ionic conductivity and low mechanical creep. The membranes produced according to the disclosed process provide doped membranes for applications in fuel cells and electrolysis devices such as electrochemical separation devices.

A super-hydrophilic carbon nanotube composite film includes a carbon nanotube layer, a polydopamine layer and a silicon dioxide layer. The carbon nanotube layer includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes and defines two opposite surfaces. The polydopamine layer is on at least one surface of two opposite surfaces of the carbon nanotube layer, and the polydopamine layer includes a plurality of polydopamine nanoparticles. The silicon dioxide layer is on a surface of the polydopamine layer away from the carbon nanotube layer, and the silicon dioxide layer includes a plurality of amino-containing silica nanoparticles, and the plurality of amino-containing silica nanoparticles are grafted onto the surface of the polydopamine layer.

A method for producing a polybenzimidazole precursor polyamide including a repeating unit represented by the following formula (2): ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.f is —SO.sub.2—, —O—, —CO—, an alkylene group optionally containing a substituent, or a group represented by the following formula: ##STR00002##
two Xs are each individually a monovalent organic group; and R.sup.1 is a divalent organic group, the method including: a step (1-1) of polymerizing a tetramine compound (3) and a dicarboxylic acid derivative compound (4) as defined herein to provide the polybenzimidazole precursor polyamide.