Disclosed is a method for making a polymer or copolymer aerogel product by forming an aerogel polymer or copolymer solution in the presence of a polymer or copolymer catalyst and solvent therefor. The aerogel polymer or copolymer solution is drained onto a spinning disk or cup. The solvent is removed under aerogel forming conditions to produce the aerogel fiber web or yarn product.

The invention relates to a process for preparing a gelled, dried composition forming a monolithic aerogel with a heat conductivity of less than or equal to 40 mW.Math.m.sup.1.Math.K.sup.1 and derived from a resin of polyhydroxybenzene(s) and formaldehyde(s), to this aerogel composition and to the use thereof. This process comprises: a) polymerization in an aqueous solvent of said polyhydroxybenzene(s) and formaldehyde(s) in the presence of an acidic or basic catalyst, to obtain a solution based on the resin, b) gelation of the solution obtained in a) to obtain a gel of the resin, and c) drying of the gel to obtain a dried gel.

According to the invention, step a) is performed in the presence of a cationic polyelectrolyte dissolved in this solvent, and the process also comprises a step d) of heat treatment under inert gas of the dried gel obtained in step c) at temperatures of between 150 C. and 500 C. to obtain the non-pyrolyzed aerogel whose heat conductivity is substantially unchanged, even after exposure to a humid atmosphere.

A hydrogel based on a cross-linked -polyglutamic acid and -polylysine polymer is obtained by cross-linking of -polyglutamic acid with -polylysine, and it is a polymer having the following constitutional unit, wherein, m is a natural number of 15 to 45, n is a natural number of 3900 to 17000, and x is a natural number of 5 to 40. It also discloses a preparation method of as-described hydrogel and its application in preparation as a medical wound dressing.

Porous resin particles are disclosed that comprise a polymer of a monomer mixture. The monomer mixture includes: a mono(meth)acrylate-based monomer in an amount of 3 wt % to 40 wt % containing: an ethylenic unsaturated group only in a (meth)acrylic acid residue; and a hydroxyl group and at least either an ether group or an ester group in an alcohol residue; another monofunctional vinyl-based monomer in an amount of 10 wt % to 69 wt % containing a single ethylenic unsaturated group; and a polyfunctional vinyl-based monomer in an amount of 30 wt % to 70 wt % containing two or more ethylenic unsaturated groups.

An extrudable composition includes: an aqueous phase comprising acidic water and piezoelectric ceramic particles suspended in the water; and, an organic phase having an organic solvent, a curable polymer precursor or both an organic solvent and a curable polymer precursor. The composition is 3-D printable to form a self-supporting structure and may be infiltrated with an organic polymer material or cured so that the curable polymer precursor forms an organic polymer material thereby forming a piezoelectric composite having piezoelectric ceramic particles in a co-continuous phase.

Disclosed are cellulose-based flexible aerogels and xerogels containing bacterial cellulose nanorods, ribbons, fibers, and the like, wherein the gels have tunable optical, heat transfer, and stiffness properties. Further disclosed are highly transparent and flexible cellulose nanofiber-polysiloxane composite aerogels featuring enhanced mechanical robustness, tunable optical anisotropy, and low thermal conductivity.

An organic polymer aerogel that includes an organic polymer gel matrix and microstructures dispersed or embedded within the aerogel is disclosed. The aerogel can have an at least bimodal pore size distribution comprising a first peak of less than or equal to 65 nm and a second peak greater than or equal to 100 nm.

Disclosed are cellulose-based flexible aerogels and xerogels containing bacterial cellulose nanorods, ribbons, fibers, and the like, wherein the gels have tunable optical, heat transfer, and stiffness properties. Further disclosed are highly transparent and flexible cellulose nanofiber-polysiloxane composite aerogels featuring enhanced mechanical robustness, tunable optical anisotropy, and low thermal conductivity.

Polyurethane material for indicating pH at a locus, preferably as indication of presence of microbes, comprising a polyurethane network having immobilised therein one or more hydrophilic copolymers, the or each said copolymer comprising: hydrophilic monomer; and indicating monomer, which provides an indication in response to a change in hydrophilic state of said hydrophilic monomer and/or copolymer; characterised in that the or each copolymer further comprises one or a plurality of ionisable groups or moieties or polymerisable monomers having one or more characteristic pKa values in the range 5 to 10 and which are responsive to pH at the locus in the range pH 5 to pH 10 and in that hydrophilic state of hydrophilic copolymer is dependent on ionisation of said ionisable groups, moieties or monomers; kit and device comprising the material and process for preparation thereof; and use in detecting or sensing microbes or pH.