The method of manufacturing a light control element of the present invention includes: removing, in a predetermined portion of a light control film including a first base material with a transparent electrode layer and a second base material with a transparent electrode layer arranged so that transparent electrode layers are opposed to each other, and a liquid crystal light control layer sandwiched between the base materials with transparent electrode layers, one of the base materials with transparent electrode layers; swelling the liquid crystal light control layer remaining in the predetermined portion after the removal of the one of the base materials with transparent electrode layers with an organic solvent; bonding a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape to a surface of the swollen liquid crystal light control layer; and peeling off the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape from the light control film together with the swollen liquid crystal light control layer.

A method of recovering structural members from a used absorbent article comprising a front sheet, a back sheet and an absorbent body between the front sheet and the back sheet, wherein at least one of the front sheet and the back sheet includes a film, and wherein the absorbent body includes an absorbent body material, may include swelling the used absorbent article with water, applying a physical shock to and disintegrating the swelled used absorbent article into at least the film and the absorbent body material, and separating the film and the absorbent body material.

The method of manufacturing a light control element of the present invention includes: removing, in a predetermined portion of a light control film including a first base material with a transparent electrode layer and a second base material with a transparent electrode layer arranged so that transparent electrode layers are opposed to each other, and a liquid crystal light control layer sandwiched between the base materials with transparent electrode layers, one of the base materials with transparent electrode layers; swelling the liquid crystal light control layer remaining in the predetermined portion after the removal of the one of the base materials with transparent electrode layers with an organic solvent; bonding a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape to a surface of the swollen liquid crystal light control layer; and peeling off the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape from the light control film together with the swollen liquid crystal light control layer.

A method of recovering structural members from a used absorbent article comprising a front sheet, a back sheet and an absorbent body between the front sheet and the back sheet, wherein at least one of the front sheet and the back sheet includes a film, and wherein the absorbent body includes an absorbent body material, may include swelling the used absorbent article with water, applying a physical shock to and disintegrating the swelled used absorbent article into at least the film and the absorbent body material, and separating the film and the absorbent body material.

Method and device for delamination/dismantling of multi-layer systems SM comprising several layers including at least one organic layer, wherein the layers are separated by interfaces, characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps: Mixing the multilayer system with a fluid composed of at least one gas having the particularity of causing the swelling of at least one of the layers and one or more non-reactive liquids having the particularity of allowing the separation of each layer unitarily or of subsets of layers composing the multilayer system without degradation of the constituents of the layers, the gas/liquid fluid being raised in temperature and pressure, Recovering separately at least one or more layers or a subset of undegraded layers.

A method of decoupling an adhesive system from a contact surface of an object is disclosed. The adhesive system has a full adhesive strength in a de-energized state. The adhesive system comprises a backing, carbon nanotubes, each having a first end region, coupled to the backing, and a second end region, opposite the first end region, and charged nanoparticles, each coupled to the second end region of at least one of the carbon nanotubes. The method comprises steps of electrically charging the backing and disengaging the adhesive system from the contact surface. Electrically charging the backing creates an electrical repulsion force between the backing and the charged nanoparticles, so that the full adhesive strength of the adhesive system is decreased to a reduced adhesive strength. Disengaging the adhesive system from the contact surface comprises applying a disengagement force to the adhesive system sufficient to overcome the reduced adhesive strength.

The invention is an adherend recovery method capable of recovering adherends such as cells no matter the types of adherends. An adherend recovery method for recovering an adherend from a support includes exposing a stack disposed on the support, the stack including a photosensitive gas generation layer, an adhesive layer and the adherend in this order on the support, generating a gas from the photosensitive gas generation layer by the exposure to separate the support and the stack from each other by the action of the gas, and recovering the adherend from the support by recovering the stack separated.

A method of recycling a solar cell module includes an enclosing layer that encloses a solar cell therein, a light-receiving surface layer laminated on one surface of the enclosing layer, and a back sheet laminated on the other surface of the enclosing layer, the method including: a first removing step of mechanically removing the back sheet; a second removing step of mechanically removing from a side on which the back sheet is removed the entire solar cell and the enclosing layer to such a depth that a part of the enclosing layer having a predetermined thickness remains on the light-receiving surface layer, after the first removing step; and a third removing step of removing the part of the enclosing layer remaining on the light-receiving surface layer by immersion in a solution that causes swelling of the enclosing layer, after the second removing step, thereby improving an overall efficiency.

A method of decoupling an adhesive system from a contact surface of an object is disclosed. The adhesive system has a full adhesive strength in a de-energized state. The adhesive system comprises a backing, carbon nanotubes, each having a first end region, coupled to the backing, and a second end region, opposite the first end region, and charged nanoparticles, each coupled to the second end region of at least one of the carbon nanotubes. The method comprises steps of electrically charging the backing and disengaging the adhesive system from the contact surface. Electrically charging the backing creates an electrical repulsion force between the backing and the charged nanoparticles, so that the full adhesive strength of the adhesive system is decreased to a reduced adhesive strength. Disengaging the adhesive system from the contact surface comprises applying a disengagement force to the adhesive system sufficient to overcome the reduced adhesive strength.

An adhesive system for attachment to a contact surface of an object comprises a backing, carbon nanotubes, charged nanoparticles, and an electrical source. The carbon nanotubes each have a first end region and a second end region, opposite the first end region. Each of the charged nanoparticles is coupled to the second end region of at least one of the carbon nanotubes. The electrical source is configured to selectively electrically charge the backing to cause an electrical repulsion force between the backing and the charged nanoparticles. The first end region of each of the carbon nanotubes is coupled to the backing. The second end region of each of a number of the carbon nanotubes is coupled to none of the charged nanoparticles.