A process for producing a melamine-formaldehyde foam by heating and foaming an aqueous mixture M using microwave radiation, said mixture M comprising at least one melamine-formal-dehyde precondensate, at least one curative, at least one surfactant, at least one blowing agent and at least one linear polymer with a number average molecular weight M.sub.n in the range from 500 to 10,000 g/mol and at least two functional groups selected from OH, NH.sub.2 or COOH as well as a melamine-formaldehyde foam obtainable by this process and its use.

A porous membrane is made from a poly(phenylene ether) copolymer containing 10 to 40 mole percent repeat units derived from 2-methyl-6-phenylphenol and 60 to 90 mole percent repeat units derived from 2,6-dimethylphenol; and a block copolymer containing backbone or pendant blocks of poly(C.sub.2-4 alkylene oxide). The porous membrane is made by dissolving the poly(phenylene ether) copolymer in a water-miscible polar aprotic solvent to form a membrane-forming composition; and phase-inverting the membrane forming-composition in a first non-solvent composition to form the porous membrane. A method of making a hollow fiber by coextrusion through a spinneret having an annulus and a bore, includes coextruding the membrane-forming composition through the annulus, and a first non-solvent composition through the bore, into a second non-solvent composition to form the hollow fiber.

Embodiments herein are related to hydrophilic open cell foams with particulate fillers. In an embodiment, an article is provided that has an open cell foam structure including a hydrophilic polymer and about 0.1 wt. % to about 40.0 wt. % of a particulate filler dispersed within the hydrophilic polymer. The open cell foam structure can exhibit a rate of absorption of water greater than an otherwise identical foam lacking the particulate filler. Other embodiments are included herein.

The present disclosure provides a copolymer comprising monomer units represented by formulas (I) and/or (II) as disclosed and defined herein which are useful in antibacterial and/or antifouling coatings. The present disclosure further provides methods of synthesizing said copolymers.

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.

A substrate is described having a treated contact surface comprising a carbon or silicon compound comprising from 1 to 30 atomic percent oxygen, from 0.1 to 30 atomic percent nitrogen, or both, each as measured by XPS. The treated contact surface has a biomolecule recovery percentage greater than the biomolecule recovery percentage of the surface before treatment according to the method.

Articles including repellent surfaces and methods of making and using these articles are disclosed. The repellant surface can comprise a polymer having a roughened surface and a fluorinated silane and a lubricating liquid deposited on the roughened surface. The repellent surface, and by extension the articles described herein, can exhibit superomniphobic properties. The methods for producing the repellant surface can comprise dissolving a polymer in a solvent to produce a polymer solution and optionally adding a non-solvent to the polymer solution to produce a casting mixture. The polymer solution or casting mixture can be deposited on a surface of a substrate and the solvent and/or the non-solvent evaporated to provide a coated-substrate having a roughened surface. A functional layer comprising a fluorinated silane followed by a lubricating liquid can be deposited on the roughened surface to form the repellant surface.

The invention concerns methods and compositions for modifying a surface of a material by anchoring a surface modifying additive to a polymer matrix using an anchor molecule, wherein the surface modifying additive and the anchor molecule are both added to a melt phase of the polymer matrix.

The present invention provides an aqueous dispersion of a polyester-type elastic material, the aqueous dispersion comprising an aqueous medium, a non-ionic surface active agent and a polyester-type elastic material, wherein the aqueous dispersion comprises 1 to 20 parts by mass of the non-ionic surface active agent relative to 100 parts by mass of the polyester-type elastic material. The present invention also provides: a method for producing an aqueous dispersion of a polyester-type elastic material; a molded article produced from the aqueous dispersion; and a method for producing a molded article.

The present invention concerns a process for manufacturing a thermoformable plasticized composite containing cellulose fiber and polylactide by blending the dry cellulose fiber and a compatibilizer in a compactor into pellets, and subsequently reacting the reactive compatibilizer and the mixture of cellulose fiber and polylactide by compounding. The invention also concerns a composite manufactured using said process, as well as further processed products.