A polymer composite exhibiting piezoelectric properties can be formed for flexible and/or thin film applications, in which the polymer composite includes a polymer matrix and a piezoelectric ceramic filler embedded in the polymer matrix. The polymer matrix may include at least two polymers: a first polymer and a second polymer. The first polymer may be a fluorinated polymer, and the second polymer may be compatible with the first polymer and have a dielectric constant of less than approximately 20. The piezoelectric ceramic filler can be lithium doped potassium sodium niobite (KNLN), and be approximately 40-70% by volume of the polymer composite. The remaining 30-60% by volume may be the polymer matrix, which may itself be approximately 5-20% by weight second polymer and 80-95% fluorinated polymer.

Methods of forming a polymeric nanocomposite are provided. The methods include combining one or more monomers to form a mixture and adding a plurality of carbon fibers to the mixture prior to or concurrently with formation of a polymer from the monomers. The methods can also include polymerizing the monomers to form the polymer and adding a hydrophobic agent and a plasticizer to the mixture to form the polymer nanocomposite.

The invention provides a laminated film. The laminated film includes a polyester substrate film, and a coating layer on/over at least one surface of the substrate film. The coating layer includes a resin composition including a resin having an oxazoline group. The laminated film has an inorganic thin-film layer on/over the coating layer, and a protective layer that has a urethane resin and has an adhesion amount of 0.15 to 0.60 g/m.sup.2 on/over the inorganic thin-film layer. The laminated film shows a total reflection infrared absorption spectrum having a ratio P1/P2 ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 wherein P1 is the intensity of a peak having an absorption maximum in a range of 153010 cm.sup.1, and P2 is that in a range of 141010 cm.sup.1. The laminated film further has an oxygen permeability of 5 ml/m.sup.2.Math.d.Math.MPa or less under conditions of 23 C.65% RH.

There is provided a random mat including reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, wherein the reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iii). i) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber width (Ww) which satisfies the following equation (1).
0 mm<Ww<2.8 mm(1) ii) The reinforcing fibers have an average-fiber-width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn), which is defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn), of 1.00 or more and 2.00 or less. iii) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber thickness which is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww) thereof.

Object: To provide thermally expandable microspheres having little sag. Resolution Means: The thermally expandable microspheres have a structure in which a foaming agent is encapsulated in an outer shell formed from a polymer, wherein, the ratio (%) of (R2/R1)100 is at least 105%, where R1 is the expansion ratio after the thermally expandable microspheres have been heat-treated for 5 minutes at 150 C. and then foamed by heating for 2 minutes at 200 C., and R2 is the expansion ratio after the thermally expandable microspheres have been heat-treated for 5 minutes at 150 C. and then foamed by heating for 4 minutes at 200 C.

Disclosed are a separator for a rechargeable battery including a porous substrate and a heat resistance layer on at least one surface of the porous substrate, wherein the heat resistance layer includes an acryl-based heat resistance binder, a water-soluble binder, and a filler, and the acryl-based heat resistance binder includes a structural unit derived from (meth)acrylate or (meth)acrylic acid, a cyano group-containing structural unit and a sulfonate group-containing structural unit, and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same.

Porous polymeric materials having a very high content of thermally conductive and/or electrically conductive fillers. Process for the preparation of the porous composite material including at least one binder-forming polymeric phase and one or more fillers, this process including the stages of hot mixing, by the molten route, the polymeric phase, the fillers and a sacrificial polymeric phase, so as to obtain a mixture, of shaping the mixture and of removing the sacrificial polymeric phase.

Object:

To provide thermally expandable microspheres having little sag.

Resolution Means:

The thermally expandable microspheres have a structure in which a foaming agent is encapsulated in an outer shell formed from a polymer, wherein, the ratio (%) of (R2/R1)100 is at least 105%, where R1 is the expansion ratio after the thermally expandable microspheres have been heat-treated for 5 minutes at 150 C. and then foamed by heating for 2 minutes at 200 C., and R2 is the expansion ratio after the thermally expandable microspheres have been heat-treated for 5 minutes at 150 C. and then foamed by heating for 4 minutes at 200 C.

A highly loaded and well-dispersed masterbatch composition and process for making thereof from a split stream process. The masterbatch composition includes a colorant, a thermoplastic carrier, a metallocene polymer processing aid, and optionally an additive. The split stream may be formed of a primary feed and a secondary feed. The primary and second feeds are combined by at least one of the following: supplying the secondary feed in either the same feed port as the primary feed, in a stream located upstream the primary feed, in a stream located downstream the primary feed, or a combination thereof.

A fire resistant syntactic foam material, the material comprising the reaction product of a reaction mixture including a resole cold curing phenolic resin and incorporating a plurality of hollow spheres, the reaction mixture also including a solution of a partial phosphate ester, a low viscosity phosphate plasticiser, a reinforcing filler and a particulate filler.