The invention relates to a method for producing an aerogel material with a porosity of at least 0.55 and an average pore size of 10 nm to 500 nm, having the following steps: a) preparing and optionally activating a sol; b) filling the sol into a casting mold (10); c) gelling the sol, whereby a gel is produced, and subsequently aging the gel; at least one of the following steps d) and e), d) substituting the pore liquid with a solvent; e) chemically modifying the aged and optionally solvent-substituted gel (6) using a reaction agent; followed by f) drying the gel, whereby the aerogel material is formed. The casting mold used in step b) is provided with a plurality of channel-forming elements (2) which are designed such that the sol filled into the casting mold lies overall at a maximum distance X from a channel-forming element over a specified minimum length L defined in the channel direction of the elements, with the proviso that X<15 mm and L/X>3.

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.

A composition that is self-foaming in an acid medium, and includes: at least one hydrophilic polymer, at least one compound capable of crosslinking the hydrophilic polymer by forming ionic bonds, at least one foaming agent, and at least one foam stabilizer agent; and to the use thereof as a drug, particularly for preventing and/or treating obesity.

A method for preparing an aerogel comprising nano attapulgite and phenolic aldehyde and a method for preparing abrasion-resistant vehicle tire. 80-100 weight distributions of rubber, 3-8 weight distributions of SiO.sub.2.nH.sub.2O, 3-6 weight distributions of an anti-aging agent, 3-4 weight distributions of a heat stabilizer, 3-5 weight distributions of a compatibilizing agent, and 3-12 weight distributions of the aerogel comprising the nano attapulgite and the phenolic aldehyde is selected as a raw material of the abrasion-resistant rubber material to prepare rubber composite material for the abrasion-resistant vehicle tire.

An aerogel that includes an open-cell structured polymer matrix is disclosed. The aerogel includes 5 wt. % to 50 wt. % of a polyamic amide polymer, based on the total weight of the aerogel, pores and at least 90% of the pore volume of the aerogel is made up of macropores, a porosity of at least 50%, as measure according to ASTM D4404-10, a density of 0.01 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.5 g/cm.sup.3, and the aerogel is thermally stable to resist browning at 330° C.

Aerogel compositions that include polyamic amides, methods for preparing the aerogel compositions, and articles of manufacture that include or manufactured from the aerogel compositions are described.

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.

The present invention relates to a porous silicone body having communicating pores and a three-dimensional network silicone skeleton that forms the pores, wherein the silicone skeleton is formed by polymerization of a bifunctional alkoxysilane and a trifunctional alkoxysilane, and the proportion of unreacted parts in the silicone skeleton is 10 mol % or less. The porous silicone body of the present invention has high flexibility and high heat resistance, and further has excellent recoverability of heat-resistant cushioning properties.

An aerogel that includes an open-cell structured polymer matrix that can have 5 wt. % to 50 wt. % of a polyamic amide polymer, based on the total weight of the aerogel is disclosed. The aerogel can have a density of 0.05 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.35 g/cm.sup.3 and can be thermally stable to resist browning at 330° C.

A filtration material including a silica base material having a group represented by the following general formula (a0-1) [in formula (a0-1), Ya.sup.01 represents a divalent linking group; Ra.sup.01 represents a hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent; Ra.sup.02 represents a hydroxyl group or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may have a substituent; n.sup.01 represents an integer of 0 to 5; and the symbol “*” represents a valence bond with respect to the silica base material].

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