Heat resistant brittle films can be made from impact-modified poly(meth)acrylimide, and forgery prevention labels can contain the heat resistant brittle films. The films can be advantageously prepared by extrusion and, depending on the desired purpose, can be designed to be transparent, translucent, or entirely non-transparent, e.g., white. Ideally, the brittle films and the forgery prevention labels containing the brittle films have no intended break points such as slits, perforation, etc.

Zwitterionic carboxybetaine copolymers and their use in coatings to impart non-fouling and functionality to surfaces, particularly surfaces of blood-contacting medical devices.

A method for the production of a fibrous product from a fibrous web, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a fibrous suspension comprising native microfibrillated cellulose, wherein the content of the microfibrillated cellulose of said suspension is in the range of 40 to 99.9 weight-% based on total dry solid content, said fibrous suspension further comprising organic acid, a metal salt or a mixture thereof, wherein the amount of organic acid, metal salt or mixture thereof is at least 2 weight-% based on total dry solid content of the suspension, —said fibrous suspension also comprising an uncharged, amphoteric or weakly cationic polymer having a molecular weight of at least 50000 g/mol, —said fibrous suspension also comprising an anionic polymer having a molecular weight of at least 10000 g/mol to said suspension, —providing said suspension to a substrate to form a fibrous web, wherein the amount of uncharged, amphoteric or weakly cationic polymer in said suspension is in the range of 0.1 to 20 kg/metric ton based on total dry solid content and wherein the amount of anionic polymer in said suspension is in the range of 0.01 to 10 kg/metric ton based on total dry solid content; and —dewatering said fibrous web to form a fibrous product.

The present disclosure provides an ion-exchange membrane that includes a supporting substrate impregnated with an ion-exchange material. The supporting substrate includes an imprinted non-woven layer, and the imprinting includes a plurality of deformations at a surface density of at least 16 per cm.sup.2. The supporting substrate may lack a reinforcing layer. In some examples, the supporting substrate may include only a single layer of the imprinted non-woven fabric.

Disclosed herein is a process for the production of poly(meth)acrylimide materials. Therein, a granulated copolymer of (meth)acrylic acid and (meth)acrylonitrile is prefoamed and imidated by thermal treatment in a single step to provide poly(meth)acrylimide particles.

Artificial cartilage materials for repair and replacement of cartilage (e.g., load-bearing, articular cartilage). The artificial cartilage materials described herein include triple-network hydrogels including a cross-linked fiber network (e.g., a bacterial cellulose nanofiber network) and a double-network hydrogel (e.g., a double-network hydrogel including polfacrylamide-methyl propyl sulfonic acid). The artificial cartilage may be coated onto or formed into an implant (e.g., plug). The artificial cartilage may include a surface macroporosity, e.g., 0.1-300 micrometers diameter. Also described herein are methods of forming and methods of using the triple-network hydrogel artificial cartilage materials.

Intelligent control of solar transmission through windows promises to reduce energy consumption for thermal comfort in buildings. However, the ability of current smart windows to regulate solar gain based on tunable extinction of phase-change materials is not optimum. A thin-film thermochromic device based on tunable light scattering of hydrogel microparticles of prescribed diameters is reported. In the study, poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-2-Aminoethylmethacrylate hydrochloride (pNIPAm-AEMA) microparticles are synthesized, with low phase transition temperature ˜32° C. Notably, the average size of pNIPAm-AEMA particles can vary from 1388 nm at 25° C. to 546 nm at 35° C., leading to unprecedented infrared transmittance modulation of 75.6%, in agreement with the numerical simulation based on Mie theory. A high luminous transmittance of 87.2% is accomplished. The pNIPAm-AEMA device demonstrates tunable scattering with excellent stability and scalability, which may find application in a broader field of light management beyond energy-saving smart windows.

Disclosed herein a self-healing, flexible, conductive compositions. The conductive compositions include conductive polymers and acidic polyacrylamides. The compositions are useful in a wide range of applications, including wearable electronics and sensors. The compositions may be prepared using environmentally friendly procedures.

Electrically conductive nanocomposite particles including a core of a C1-C6 alkyl polyacrylate homopolymer or a copolymer of C1-C6 alkyl acrylate and of an α,β-unsaturated amide comonomer, a shell of polyaniline, and a non-ionic surfactant, for printing on a stretchable substrate. Also, a printed stretchable substrate obtained from the electrically conductive nanocomposite particles, which is usable, for example, in the field of printed electronics or connected clothing.

This application relates to a thermo-gel polymer system useful for ophthalmic drug delivery. The thermo-gel comprises a polymer and chitosan, and the polymer comprises monomers of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), acrylic acid (AA) and at least one hydrophobic monomer.