A separator for alkaline electrolysis comprising a porous support (10) and a first (20b) and second (30b) porous layer provided on respectively one side and the other side of the porous support, characterized in that the porous support has a thickness (d1) of 150 μm or less and the total thickness (d2) of the separator is less than 250 μm. Also a method is disclosed wherewith such a separator may be prepared.

A method of preparing a membrane comprising the steps of: a) mixing together a membrane-forming polymer, a water-soluble polyetheramine, and a solvent, said mixture containing no component which will react chemically with the polyetheramine; and b) casting said mixture to form the polymer into a solid membrane.

The invention pertains to a process for separating mixtures of solids based on their densities. The present invention also relates to the use of a separating liquid (L) for separating plastic solids from metal-containing solids based on their densities, wherein the separating liquid (L) has a density d3 such that 1.5<d3<2.0; wherein the solids have a particle size ranging from 0.1 to 100 mm. The separating liquid (L) is preferably a fluorinated fluid.

The present disclosure provides a curable resin composition including a thermoset resin, a toughener component containing a multistage polymer and a thermoplastic toughener and a phenylindane diamine hardener. The curable resin composition may be used in various applications, such as a coating for industrial, automotive and electronic applications, and especially those subjected to high temperature service conditions.

Provided herein is a composite material for use in orthopaedic applications, and an orthopaedic implant made from such material, the composite material comprising a polymeric matrix material and further comprising a filler material comprising TiO.sub.2 and reduced graphene oxide. Also provided herein is a cranial prosthesis comprising a peripheral frame portion defining an aperture, and a removable insert portion for closing the aperture. Further provided is a cranial prosthesis comprising a core layer and a first skin layer, the first skin layer having a lower porosity than the core layer. The medical materials and devices disclosed herein may provide improved materials for use in orthopaedic applications, prostheses which offer improved access for revision surgery, and prostheses which offer improved bone integration and mechanical properties.

A resin microparticle production method includes a step of pulverizing resin particles having a thermoplastic resin as a forming material and having a BET specific surface area of equal to or more than 5 m.sup.2/g using an impact type pulverizer.

A method for forming a graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite is disclosed. The method includes distributing graphite microparticles into a molten thermoplastic polymer phase; and applying a succession of shear strain events to the molten polymer phase so that the molten polymer phase exfoliates the graphite successively with each event until at least 50% of the graphite is exfoliated to form a distribution in the molten polymer phase of single- and multi-layer graphene nanoparticles less than 50 nanometers thick along the c-axis direction.

A graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite comprising an essentially uniform distribution in a thermoplastic polymer of about 10% to about 50% of total composite weight of particles selected from graphite microparticles, single-layer graphene nanoparticles, multi-layer graphene nanoparticles, and combinations thereof, where at least 50 wt % of the particles consist of single- and/or multi-layer graphene nanoparticles less than 50 nanometers thick along a c-axis direction. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix is prepared by a method comprising (a) distributing graphite microparticles into a molten thermoplastic polymer phase comprising one or more matrix polymers; and (b) applying a succession of shear strain events to the molten polymer phase so that the matrix polymers exfoliate the graphite successively with each event until at least 50% of the graphite is exfoliated to form a distribution in the molten polymer phase of single- and multi-layer graphene nanoparticles less than 50 nanometers thick along a c-axis direction.

A nanofiber membrane includes a polymer nanofiber; and an amphiphilic triblock copolymer bonded to the surface of the polymer nanofiber, the amphiphilic triblock copolymer includes a hydrophobic portion; hydrophilic portions positioned at both ends of the hydrophobic portion; and a low surface energy portion positioned at one end of each of the hydrophilic portions positioned at both ends of the hydrophobic portion, and the hydrophobic portion of the amphiphilic triblock copolymer is bonded to the surface of the polymer nanofiber and the hydrophilic portion and the low surface energy portion are exposed to the outside of the surface of the polymer nanofiber. The membrane simultaneously exhibits hydrophilicity, underwater oleophobicity, and low oil adhesion force, thus has surface segregation properties, and as a result, has an excellent oil permeate flux, exhibits antifouling properties, and can excellently separate oil in water.

A low cost, high selectivity asymmetric polyimide/polyethersulfone (PES) blend hollow fiber membrane, a method of making the membrane and its use for a variety of liquid, gas, and vapor separations such as deep desulfurization of gasoline and diesel fuels, ethanol/water separations, pervaporation dehydration of aqueous/organic mixtures, CO.sub.2/CH.sub.4, CO.sub.2/N.sub.2, H.sub.2/CH.sub.4, He/CH.sub.4, O.sub.2/N.sub.2, H.sub.2S/CH.sub.4, olefin/paraffin, iso/normal paraffins separations, and other light gas mixture separations. The polyimide/PES blend hollow fiber membrane is fabricated from a blend of a polyimide polymer and PES and showed surprisingly unique gas separation property with higher selectivities than either the polyimide hollow fiber membrane without PES polymer or the PES hollow fiber membrane without PES polymer for gas separations such as for H.sub.2/CH.sub.4, He/CH.sub.4, H.sub.2S/CH.sub.4, CO.sub.2/CH.sub.4 separations.