A water-based hydrogel polymer coating and a method of application to natural rubber or other elastomeric latex products are provided. The water-based hydrogel polymer is mixed with a blend of at least one elastomeric material to provide a hydrogel polymer blend composition. The water-based hydrogel polymer blend composition is applied in a single application to an elastomeric article, such as gloves, without additional solvents in the polymer blend composition and without a separate acid or chemical priming step. The water-based hydrogel coating herein provides increased lubricity to facilitate improved wet and dry donning of the elastomeric article.

The present invention provides a water-soluble film having excellent solubility in cold water, high strength, and excellent hard-water resistance. The present invention also provides a method for simply producing such a water-soluble film. One aspect of the present invention relates to a water-soluble film including a polymer containing an anionic group other than a sulfonic acid (salt) group, and a water-soluble resin. The anionic group-containing polymer excludes an acrylic acid homopolymer. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a water-soluble film that includes a polymer containing an anionic group other than a sulfonic acid (salt) group, and a water-soluble resin. The method includes mixing a polymer containing an anionic group other than a sulfonic acid (salt) group and a water-soluble resin.

Provided are superabsorbent materials composed of agar, and one or more water-soluble natural polysaccharides, and dietary compositions containing such superabsorbent materials. The disclosed superabsorbent materials have various food and therapeutic applications and can be used as loading vehicles for nutrients and therapeutic agents. Also provided are methods for preparing such superabsorbent materials.

A disintegrable film is disclosed, including at least one water-soluble polymer having a molecular weight greater than about 700 kDa, and at least one water-soluble plasticizer having a molecular weight less than about 0.8 kDa. A further disintegrable film is disclosed wherein the disintegrable film is a tacky adhesive film, includes a storage modulus of about 310.sup.6 dyn/cm.sup.2 or less at 1 rad/s and 25 C., includes a disintegration resistance factor sufficient to resist disintegration for a disintegration time after contact with a disintegrating fluid, includes a tan evaluated at an angular frequency of 0.01 rad/s and 25 C. of less than about 1, the at least one water-soluble polymer constitutes between about 3 wt % to about 70 wt % of the disintegrable film, and the at least one water-soluble plasticizer constitutes between about 30 wt % to about 60 wt % of the disintegrable film.

A water-based hydrogel polymer coating and a method of application to natural rubber or other elastomeric latex products are provided. The water-based hydrogel polymer is mixed with a blend of at least one elastomeric material to provide a hydrogel polymer blend composition. The water-based hydrogel polymer blend composition is applied in a single application to an elastomeric article, such as gloves, without additional solvents in the polymer blend composition and without a separate acid or chemical priming step. The water-based hydrogel coating herein provides increased lubricity to facilitate improved wet and dry donning of the elastomeric article.

Microporous sheet product and methods of making and using the same. In one embodiment, the microporous sheet product is made by a process that includes melt-extruding a sheet material using an extrusion mixture that includes (i) a cyclic olefin copolymer, (ii) an electrolyte swellable thermoplastic, and (iii) a compatibilizing agent that promotes mixing of the cyclic olefin copolymer and the electrolyte swellable thermoplastic, the compatibilizing agent having a boiling point in the range of 135-300 C. As an example, the cyclic olefin copolymer may be an ethylene-norbornene copolymer, the electrolyte swellable thermoplastic may be polyethylene oxide, and the compatibilizing agent may be mineral spirits. After extrusion, the sheet material may be cooled, and the compatibilizing agent may be removed, forming an ionically-conductive microporous sheet product. The microporous sheet product has high-temperature stability and gels when exposed to a liquid electrolyte, enabling high ionic conductivity when used as a battery separator.

Provided are superabsorbent materials composed of agar, and one or more water-soluble natural polysaccharides, and dietary compositions containing such superabsorbent materials. The disclosed superabsorbent materials have various food and therapeutic applications and can be used as loading vehicles for nutrients and therapeutic agents. Also provided are methods for preparing such superabsorbent materials.

Disclosed is a transparent self-assembling polymer clay nanocomposite coating that is useful in food, drink and electronic packaging as a gas barrier and on textiles and clothing as a flame retardant coating. The coating includes two main components a water dispersible polymer and a sheet like nanoparticle. The coatings may be applied to any substrate. The coatings are applied sequentially with polymer being applied first followed by the nanoparticles. This sequence results in the self-assembly of a highly ordered nanocomposite film that exhibits high barrier properties and flame retardancy. The desired level of gas barrier or flame retardancy desired can be adjusted by the number of bilayers applied.

A method of producing a gas barrier laminate of the present disclosure includes a step of forming a coating film on a surface of a base film or a laminate including the base film, the coating film containing zinc ions, at least one of metal alkoxide and a hydrolysate thereof, and an aqueous polymer, and a step of drying the coating film to form a gas barrier layer on the surface of the base film or the laminate including the base film. A gas barrier laminate of the present disclosure includes a base film or a laminate including the base film, and a gas barrier layer provided on a surface of the base film or the laminate including the base film. In the gas barrier laminate, the gas barrier layer contains zinc dispersed in the gas barrier layer and an organic-inorganic composite.

Provided is an anti-fogging coated transparent article including an anti-fog film, the anti-fog film being a single-layer film containing a water-absorbent resin, a hydrophobic group, and a metal oxide component. The hydrophobic group is a chain or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably a linear alkyl group having 6 to 14 carbon atoms, in which at least one hydrogen atom is optionally substituted by a fluorine atom. The hydrophobic group is bonded directly to a metal atom of the metal oxide component. The anti-fog film contains, for example, the metal oxide component in an amount of 0.01 to 60 parts by mass and the hydrophobic group in an amount of 0.05 to 10 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the water-absorbent resin. The water-absorbent resin is, for example, polyvinyl acetal.