A method and system are used to enhance a marker material to include a plurality of air bubbles. The method of manufacturing a marker includes enhancing a marker material to include a plurality of air bubbles using at least a first EFD and a second EFD. The method may include cycling repeatedly through a transfer process between a first container and a second container. A system for enhancing a marker material includes a transfer apparatus configured to receive a marker material and a selected amount of air. The system comprises a first EFD coupled to a first end of the transfer apparatus and a second EFD coupled to a second end of the transfer apparatus.

A cleaning implement for cleaning a target surface is provided that includes an erodible foam adapted to contact a surface to be cleaned and a rheological solid composition comprising a crystallizing agent and an aqueous phase.

Disclosed are an electrically conductive hydrogel having a graphene network and a method for fabricating the same. The electrically conductive hydrogel is fabricated by thermal annealing of granular hydrogel, and thus it has a porous structure, excellent electrical conductivity, and improved compressive modulus and yield stress. Accordingly, the electrically conductive hydrogel may be advantageously used in biomedical applications, such as scaffolds for tissue engineering, bioelectrodes, and biosensors.

Mechanically strong, biodegradable and reusable aerogels are disclosed, which can be made with a cross-linked cellulose ester, and which exhibit a low density and high porosity. The aerogels disclosed herein may be used as sorbent materials and can be modified with a hydrophobic and/or oleophilic agent.

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.

A cleaning implement for cleaning a target surface is provided that includes an erodible foam adapted to contact a surface to be cleaned and a rheological solid composition comprising a crystallizing agent and an aqueous phase.

A super absorbent polymer according to the present invention has an excellent discoloration resistance property even under high temperature/high humidity conditions, while maintaining excellent absorption performance, and is preferably used for hygienic materials such as diapers, and thus can exhibit excellent performance.

Doubly-crosslinked hydrogel polyHIPEs (DC-PHs), which exhibit rapid water absorption, enhanced mechanical properties, and shape memory behavior, are provided herein, as well as processes of producing the same and uses thereof. DC-PHs comprise a continuous HIPE-templated doubly-crosslinked hydrogel, formed from hydrogel-forming monomers, ligand-bearing monomers, and crosslinking monomers.

The present teaching relates to photo-responsive hydrogels comprising a copolymer comprising N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), a polymerisable derivative of benzospiropyran, a cross-linking agent and an acid, the acid having a pKa of less than 6, wherein the hydrogel is operably responsive to exposure to water so as to undergo spontaneous protonation and swelling. The photo-responsive hydrogels described can be used in the field of microfluidic platforms.

Methods for manufacturing, re-activating and using compositions including fibrillated parenchymal cellulose and activator are provided. The activator has a low molecular weight and is used to facilitate reactivation.