Disclosed herein is a foamable composition comprising an olefin copolymer that comprises ethylene and an -olefin; an unneutralized carboxylated olefin copolymer; a crosslinking agent; a blowing agent; and an activator; where a weight ratio of the activator to the unneutralized carboxylated olefin copolymer is greater than 0.3. Disclosed herein too is a method of manufacturing a foamable composition comprising blending together an olefin copolymer that comprises ethylene and an -olefin; an unneutralized carboxylated olefin copolymer; a crosslinking agent; a blowing agent; and an activator to form the foamable composition; where a weight ratio of the activator to the unneutralized carboxylated olefin copolymer is greater than 0.3; heating the foamable composition to activate the blowing agent to form a foam; and crosslinking the foam.

Methods of producing an ion exchange membrane support are disclosed. The methods include saturating a polymeric microporous substrate with a charged monomer solution comprising at least one functional monomer, a cross-linking agent, and an effective amount of at least one photopolymerization initiator and polymerizing the at least one functional monomer by exposing the saturated polymeric microporous substrate to ultraviolet light under conditions effective to cross-link the at least one functional monomer and produce the ion exchange membrane support. Methods of producing a monovalent selective ion exchange membrane are also disclosed. The methods include functionalizing an exterior surface of the ion exchange membrane support with a charged compound layer, drying the ion exchange membrane support and soaking the ion exchange membrane support in a solution comprising an acid or a base for an amount of time effective to produce the monovalent selective ion exchange membrane.

A germ-repellent plastic contains an anti-biofouling compound, and a basic plastic. The anti-biofouling compound is optionally selected from the group of a polyol, a polyether polyol, a polyol derivative, and a combination thereof; or the anti-biofouling compound is selected from the group consisting of a polyether, a poly (ethylene glycol) ether, a polysorbate, and a combination thereof; or the anti-biofouling compound is selected from the group consisting of poly (ethylene glycol) sorbitan monolaurate, poly (ethylene glycol) sorbitan monooleate, poly (ethylene glycol) sorbitol hexaoleate, ceteareth, and a combination thereof. The basic plastic is not a blend of a low-density polyethylene polymer and an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer, a blend of a polypropylene polymer and an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer, a blend of polyolefin elastomer polymers and a polyvinyl chloride polymer. A method for manufacturing such a germ-repellent plastic and a germ-repellent plastic item are also described.

Recycling of waste products has become increasingly common practice in the last decades. The recycling of plastic materials is important and widely carried out by many industries and households around the world. A multitude of everyday consumer items are made from plastic materials, such as bottles, bags, products, and especially liquid food board-based packaging. It is important to recycle and reuse the polymers.

This present invention discloses a halogen-free flame retardant polyolefin foam composite, which is comprises: 80-125 parts by weight of ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), 8-13 parts by weight of high density polyethylene (HDPE) or low density polyethylene (LDPE), 15-25 parts by weight of polyolefin elastomer (POE), 60-77 parts by weight of acid source material, 17-22 parts by weight of carbon source material, 8-11 parts by weight of gas source material, 1-8 parts by weight of retardant synergist, 5.5-8 parts by weight of composite foaming agent, 0.7-1.0 parts by weight of crosslinking agent, 4.0-5.5 parts by weight of plasticizer, 0.5-1.6 parts by weight of surface treatment agent, 20-35 parts by weight of compatibility, 6-14 parts by weight of inorganic filler, and 1.6-4.6 parts by weight of additive. This halogen-free flame retardant polyolefin foam composite has the advantages of good softness, flexibility, impact resistance, low density, low compressibility and deformability, good shock absorbability, and so on.

The invention is related to a hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens having a layered structural configuration: a lower water content silicone hydrogel core (or bulk material) completely covered with a layer of a higher water content hydrogel totally or substantially free of silicone. A hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens of the invention possesses high oxygen permeability for maintaining the corneal health and a soft, water-rich, lubricious surface for wearing comfort.

The invention is related to a method for producing silicone hydrogel contact lenses with a stable lubricious hydrogel coating thereon. A method of the invention comprises forming a plasma-reactive hydrophilic polymer hybrid base coating having reactive functional groups on a silicone hydrogel contact lens and heating the silicone hydrogel contact lens with the hybrid base coating in an aqueous solution of a water-soluble and thermally crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material to form a stable lubricious hydrogel coating thereon.

The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a crosslinked hydrophilic coating thereon. A method of the invention involves heating a silicone hydrogel contact lens in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, highly branched, thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having positively-charged azetidinium groups, to and at a temperature from about 40 C. to about 140 C. for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one azetidinium group and one of the reactive functional groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens, thereby forming a crosslinked hydrophilic coating on the silicone hydrogel contact lens. Such method can be advantageously implemented directly in a sealed lens package during autoclave.

The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a crosslinked hydrophilic coating thereon. A method of the invention involves heating a silicone hydrogel contact lens in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, highly branched, thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having positively-charged azetidinium groups, to and at a temperature from about 40 C. to about 140 C. for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one azetidinium group and one of the reactive functional groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens, thereby forming a crosslinked hydrophilic coating on the silicone hydrogel contact lens. Such method can be advantageously implemented directly in a sealed lens package during autoclave.

A coating material for a gas barrier includes polycarboxylic acid, a polyamine compound, a polyvalent metal compound, and a base, in which (molar number of COO groups included in the polycarboxylic acid)/(molar number of amino groups included in the polyamine compound)=100/20 to 100/90.