A composite material comprises a reinforcing material carried in a polymer matrix material which is the polymerization product of a polymerizable composition comprising a di-activated vinyl compound, with the proviso that the di-activated vinyl compound is not a cyanoacrylate. The reinforcing materials may be a wide variety of substrates including thermally sensitive materials. Exemplary composites can be molded and cured at ambient temperatures. Also disclosed are laminate materials having layered materials adhered by curing a di-activated vinyl polymerizable composition.

A preparation method of thermadapt shape memory polymers includes: (1) synthesis of pendant hydroxyl groups functionalized epoxy oligomer using epoxy resin and alcohol amine; (2) synthesis of alkoxyl groups terminated silane crosslinking agent by isocyanate silane coupling agent and diamine; (3) crosslinked shape memory polymers were prepared by condensation reaction of pendant hydroxyl groups functionalized epoxy oligomer and alkoxyl groups terminated silane crosslinking agent. The thermadapt shape memory polymers show high glass transition temperatures and high tensile strength. The original shape of thermadapt shape memory polymers can be reconfigured to a new permanent shape as needed, and thus effectively solving the bottleneck problems of reprocessing or reshape in the traditional crosslinked polymers once after molding. The thermadapt shape memory polymers are suitable for smart materials based on shape memory polymers with complex three-dimensional permanent shapes, and showing unfolding or folding behaviors along with convert to three-dimensional structures under heat stimulation.

The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.

Embodiments of organic peroxide formulations provide significant improvements in surface tackiness (often including tack-free surfaces) when curing elastomers in the presence of oxygen. The peroxide formulations may include, for example, one or more compounds selected from sulfur-containing compounds, organophosphite compounds, HALS (Hindered Amine Light Stabilizer) compounds, aliphatic allyl urethane compounds, and blends comprising nitroxides (e.g., 4-hydroxy-TEMPO) and quinones (e.g., mono-tert-butylhydroquinone).

A polymer aerogel has polymerizable monomers and crosslinkers, wherein at least one of the monomers or at least one of the crosslinkers has a refractive index of less than 1.5, and the polymer aerogel has a visible transmittance of at least 20%/3 mm, a haze of 50%/3 mm or lower, and a porosity of at least 10%. A method of producing an aerogel includes dissolving precursors into a solvent, wherein the precursors include monomers, crosslinkers, a controlling agent and an initiator to form a precursor solution, wherein at least one of the monomers or at least one of the crosslinkers has a refractive index of 1.5 or lower, polymerizing the precursor solution to form a gel polymer, and removing the solvent from the gel polymer to produce an aerogel polymer.

A polysulfone has sulfone units that are separated by alkylene units in a polymer chain or a copolymer chain where the alkylene units have at least four carbons between sulfone units. The alkylene units can include an ethenylene unit separated from the sulfone units by at least one methylene units. The polysulfones can be crosslinked for enhanced thermal stability. Membranes can be formed from the polysulfones.

Stabilized liquid agrochemical compositions are provided that comprise flowable, liquid dispersion concentrates comprising a) a continuous liquid phase; and b) a dispersed phase comprising a dispersion of gel-like polymer matrix particles having a hardness greater than 0.01 MPa and less than 6 MPa, and where the outside surfaces of the particles comprise a colloidal solid material and the particles have a agrochemically active ingredient distributed therein The agrochemically active ingredient may be solid or liquid and is distributed within the polymer matrix particle. The compositions of the invention can be used directly or with dilution to combat pests or as plant growth regulators.

Systems, methods, fuel cells, and mixtures to inhibit ionomer permeation into porous substrates using a crosslinked ionomer are described. A method includes preparing an ionomer premix, mixing a crosslinking additive with the ionomer premix to thereby form a crosslinked-ionomer solution, and adding catalyst particles to the crosslinked-ionomer solution to produce a catalyst ink. The ionomer premix includes an ionomer dispersed within a solvent. The catalyst ink includes the catalyst particles distributed homogenously therethrough. The catalyst ink may be cast onto a porous substrate and dried to thereby form a catalyst layer for use in a fuel cell.

A method of producing a polymer aerogel includes dissolving precursors into a solvent, wherein the precursors include monomers, crosslinkers, a controlling agent and an initiator to form a precursor solution, wherein at least one of the monomers or at least one of the crosslinkers has a refractive index of 1.5 or lower, polymerizing the precursor solution to form a gel polymer, and removing the solvent from the gel polymer to produce the polymer aerogel. A method of producing a polymer aerogel include dissolving precursors into a solvent, wherein the precursors include monomers, crosslinkers, a controlling agent and an initiator to form a precursor solution, polymerizing the precursor solution to form a gel polymer, removing the solvent from the gel polymer to produce the polymer aerogel, and reducing a refractive index of one of either the gel polymer or the polymer aerogel.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.