A method of: providing a polymeric material, and inducing optical or acoustic phonons into the material. The inducing is performed by application of an alternating electric field or a dynamic mechanical field. When the method is performed on a polyepoxy thermoset, this may result in a water absorption rate of no more than 0.1 wt. % per 24 hours.

A curative for epoxidized plant-based oils and epoxidized natural rubber is created from the reaction between a naturally occurring polyfunctional acid and an epoxidized plant-based oil is disclosed. The curative may be used to produce at least one of six different materials, wherein each type of material may be configured as a thermosetting elastomer that is crosslinked with β-hydroxyester linkages. The materials may be configured as a leather-like material, a foam material, a molded elastomer, a coating, an adhesive, and/or a rigid or semi-rigid material. Illustrative articles made from any combination of the six materials may be recycled using a mechano-chemical process to de-crosslink the thermosetting elastomer.

A mesoporous organic material which makes it possible to extract, using the liquid-solid extraction technique, the uranium(VI) contained in an aqueous medium including phosphoric acid, with high efficiency and high selectivity for the iron that the medium can likewise contain. The material is likely to be obtained by cross-linking polymerisation of a monomer of formula (I) below, wherein: R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are, independently from one another, H, a C.sub.1 to C.sub.12 saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched hydrocarbon group, or a polymerisable group, with the condition that at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 is a polymerisable group; R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are, independently from one another, H or a C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched hydrocarbon group; the cross-linking polymerisation being carried out in the presence of a cross-linking agent and one or more pore-forming agents.

A curative for epoxidized plant-based oils and epoxidized natural rubber is created from the reaction between a naturally occurring polyfunctional acid and an epoxidized plant-based oil is disclosed. The curative may be used to produce at least one of six different materials, wherein each type of material may be configured as a thermosetting elastomer that is crosslinked with β-hydroxyester linkages. The materials may be configured as a leather-like material, a foam material, a molded elastomer, a coating, an adhesive, and/or a rigid or semi-rigid material. Illustrative articles made from any combination of the six materials may be recycled using a mechano-chemical process to de-crosslink the thermosetting elastomer.

Semi-crystalline vitrimers that include a silyl ether functionality are described. Methods of making and uses thereof are also described.

A resin composition for fabricating a separator which is easy to control viscosity, a method of preparing the same, and a battery including the same, are disclosed.

A method for improving the comparative tracking index of a thermoplastic resin, as measured in compliance with IEC60112, 3rd edition, is disclosed by blending a carbodiimide compound in the thermoplastic resin; use of a carbodiimide compound for improving the comparative tracking index of a thermoplastic resin, as measured in compliance with IEC60112, 3rd edition; and a tracking resistance improving agent for a thermoplastic resin, for improving the comparative tracking index of the thermoplastic resin, as measured in compliance with IEC60112, 3rd edition. The carbodiimide compound is preferably used at a ratio of 0.01 parts by mass or more with respect to 100 parts by mass of the thermoplastic resin.

A coating created entirely from plant-derived ingredients is disclosed. Illustrative embodiments of the coating may be particularly well suited for use on leather-like materials created from epoxidized natural rubber-based formulations. Illustrative embodiments of the coating created may be comprised of substantially the reaction product between epoxidized vegetable oil and a polyfunctional naturally occurring acid (such as citric acid). Illustrative embodiments this reaction product may be used to produce porosity-free castable resins and vulcanize rubber formulations based on epoxidized natural rubber. Materials made from disclosed materials may be advantageously used as leather substitutes.

A curative for epoxidized plant-based oils and epoxidized natural rubber is created from the reaction between a naturally occurring polyfunctional acid and an epoxidized plant-based oil is disclosed. The curative may be used to produce at least one of six different materials, wherein each type of material may be configured as a thermosetting elastomer that is crosslinked with ß-hydroxyester linkages. The materials may be configured as a leather-like material, a foam material, a molded elastomer, a coating, an adhesive, and/or a rigid or semi-rigid material. Illustrative articles made from any combination of the six materials may be recycled using a mechano-chemical process to de-crosslink the thermosetting elastomer.

The present invention relates to a fibre composite material W of increased translucency and/or mechanical strength, comprising a copolymer C encompassing monomers A-1, where A-1 form covalent bonds with functional groups B-1 on the surface of fibres B embedded in the fibre composite material W, and this fibre composite material W has greater translucency and/or mechanical strength than a fibre composite material Win which the copolymer C contains no A-1. The present invention further embraces a method for producing a fibre composite material W of increased translucency and/or mechanical strength.