Disclosed are redox flow battery membranes, redox flow batteries incorporating the membranes, and methods of forming the membranes. The membranes include a polybenzimidazole gel membrane that is capable of incorporating a high liquid content without loss of structure that is formed according to a process that includes in situ hydrolysis of a polyphosphoric acid solvent. The membranes are imbibed with a redox flow battery supporting electrolyte such as sulfuric acid and can operate at very high ionic conductivities of about 100 mS/cm or greater. Redox flow batteries incorporating the PBI-based membranes can operate at high current densities of about 100 mA/cm.sup.2 or greater.

Provided is a process for producing a polymer composite film, comprising the steps of: (a) mixing a phthalocyanine compound with a polymer or its precursor and a liquid to form a slurry and forming the slurry into a wet film on a solid substrate, wherein the polymer is preferably selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide, polyoxadiazole, polybenzoxazole, polybenzobisoxazole, polythiazole, polybenzothiazole, polybenzobisthiazole, poly(p-phenylene vinylene), polybenzimidazole, polybenzobisimidazole, and combinations thereof; and (b) removing the liquid from the wet film and, in some embodiments, converting the precursor to the polymer to form the polymer composite film comprising from 0.1% to 50% by weight of the phthalocyanine compound dispersed in the polymer.

A novel process for making PBI films starting from gel PBI membranes polymerized and casted in the PPA process wherein acid-imbibed gel PBIs are neutralized in a series of water baths and undergo controlled drying in association with a substrate material, yielding a PBI film without the use of organic solvents.

Block copolymers have a general chemical structure of one of the formulas [A].sub.n-[B].sub.m and [B].sub.n-[A].sub.m, wherein block [A] is a poly(2-oxazine) and wherein block [B] is a poly(2-oxazoline). The block copolymers have desired thermogelling and rheological properties and are useful as carrier materials for active ingredients such as drugs, cells, proteins, and other active ingredients.

A novel process for making PBI films starting from gel PBI membranes polymerized and casted in the PPA process wherein acid-imbibed gel PBIs are neutralized in a series of water baths and undergo controlled drying in association with a substrate material, yielding a PBI film without the use of organic solvents.

The invention relates to a method for producing a polyisocyanate polymer and to the polyisocyanate polymer obtainable from the method and to the use thereof as part of a two-stage method for producing a polyisocyanurate plastic, in particular for producing coatings, films, semi-finished products or molded parts containing such a polyisocyanurate plastic.

A resin composition according to the present invention contains a cyanate compound (A). Further, the resin composition according to the present invention contains a maleimide compound (B) and/or an epoxy resin (C); and primary hexagonal boron nitride particles (D) having an average aspect ratio of 4 to 10.

There is provided a method of forming a cross-linked polymeric membrane, the method comprising: providing a polymeric membrane; and contacting the polymeric membrane with a cross-linking solution comprising at least one cross-linker to form the cross-linked polymeric membrane, wherein the at least one cross-linker comprises at least three halide-containing groups. There is also provided a cross-linked polymeric membrane.

A method of activating a surface of a plastics substrate formed from: (a) polyaryletherketone such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK) polyether ketone ketone (PEKK), polyether ketone (PEK); polyether ether ketone ketone (PEEKK); or polyether ketone ether ketone ketone (PEKEKK); (b) a polymer containing a phenyl group directly attached to a carbonyl group, for example polybutadiene terephthalate (PBT) optionally wherein the carbonyl group is part of an amide group, such as polyarylamide (PARA); (c) polyphenylene sulfide (PPS); or (d) polyetherimide (PEI); for subsequent bonding, the method comprising the step of exposing the surface to actinic radiation wherein the actinic radiation: includes radiation with wavelength in the range from about 10 nm to about 1000 nm; the energy of the actinic radiation to which the surface is exposed is in the range from about 0.5 J/cm.sup.2 to about 300 J/cm.sup.2.

Hard to bond substrates are then more easily subsequently bonded for example using acrylic, epoxy or anaerobic adhesive.

A polyimide-polybenzoxazole precursor solution, a polyimide-polybenzoxazole film, and a method of manufacturing the film are disclosed. A polyimide-polybenzoxazole film manufactured using the polyimide-polybenzoxazole precursor solution is formed by copolymerizing a unit structure of diamine and dianhydride and a unit structure of diaminophenol and dicarbonyl chloride in an organic solvent. The film is colorless and transparent, like conventional polyimide films, and can exhibit improved heat resistance and low birefringence.