Other

The B. F. Goodrich Company

Virginia Commonwealth University

Bnnt, LLC

Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Verdex Technologies, Inc.

Gary S Huvard

Alfred D Lobo

Georgios D Karles

Diane L Gee

Kevin R Ward

Kevin Carl Jordan

Michael W Smith

R Roy Whitney

Jonathan C Stevens

Larry Ray Marshall

Jose Nepomuceno

Michael Allen Bryner

Virgil Percec

Thomas G Dushatinski

Richard W Korsmeyer

Richard P Imbruce

Lee Traynor

Diego Pedrazzoli

Mark A McHugh

Zhihao Shen

Floyd L Ramp

Aharon Grossman

Deborah P Thompson

Gary Clauson

Gurbhagat Sandhu

Alan R Berens

Richard Kiral

Maxine Quitaro

Thermoresponsive composite switch (TRCS) membranes for ion batteries include a porous scaffolding providing ion channels and a thermoresponsive polymer coating. Boron nitride nanotube (BNNT)/polymer composite TRCS membrane embodiments are preferable due to unique BNNT properties. A BNNT scaffold coated with one or more polymers may form a composite separator with tunable porosity (porosity level and pore size distribution), composition, wettability, and superior electronic isolation, oxidative/reduction resistance, and mechanical strength. The BNNT/polymer composite TRCS membrane optimizes the performance of ion batteries with tunable separator thicknesses that may be under 5 &#x3bc;&#x3b9;&#x3b7;. Nano-scale porosity with thin separator thicknesses improves the charge density of the battery. Nano-scale architecture allows for reversible localized switching on the nano scale, in proximity to thermally stressed ion substrates. Polymer thermal expansion will decrease porosity at temperatures approaching the thermal runaway point. The BNNT polymers composite therefore functions as a TRCS.

Nano-porous BNNT composite with thermal switching for advanced batteries

A method is disclosed for producing a coform fibrous materials comprising the steps of supplying a first fiber forming stream comprising a first phase comprising a polymer melt and a second phase comprising a pressurized gas to a two-phase flow nozzle, supplying a separate second stream containing at least one secondary material to the two-phase flow nozzle, combining the first fiber forming stream and the second stream to form a composite fiber forming stream and fibrillating the composite fiber forming stream into a coform fibrous web. Superabsorbent and filtration coform fibrous materials for filtration and produced using the method are also disclosed.

Coform fibrous materials and method for making same

A perfluorocarbon gel composition is disclosed with numerous uses including topical medical and cosmetic uses.

Perfluorocarbon gel formulations

A portable apparatus is provided which generates high purity breathable oxygen. The oxygen is produced in a reaction chamber from the reaction between an oxygen generating composition and a water/catalyst solution. The reaction chamber comprises a first compartment containing an oxygen peroxide adduct and a temperature stabilizing material formulated into controlled release tablets and a second sealed compartment containing a catalyst dispersed in an aqueous solution. The temperature stabilizing material undergoes an endothermic reaction upon dissolution in the solution. The tablets dissolve in the solution releasing hydrogen peroxide at a constant rate. The hydrogen peroxide is further decomposed into oxygen and water from contact with the catalyst. A first membrane made from a hydrophobic and gas permeable material, lets oxygen through while containing the reaction materials. A second membrane made of hydrophilic superabsorbent material and impregnated with catalyst particles absorbs any unreacted hydrogen peroxide letting high purity oxygen through.

Portable chemical oxygen generator

A process of making fibers by electrostatic spinning includes the use of a mixing vessel (), a piston () for pressurizing the polymer, carbon dioxide sources () for lowering the viscosity of the polymer or pressurizing the collection vessel (), a pressure generator (), view ports (), a target (), a spinning needle (), a camera/TV recorder () and a voltage source ().

Method of producing fibers by electrospinning at high pressures

A de-labeler made with easily available structural elements which cooperate to remove a normally non-removable label from a labeled surface of a casing for magnetic media, film, and the like, without using a solvent of any kind. The labeled surface is heated just enough to cause desired viscous deformation of a thin layer of adhesive, or a sufficient decrease of viscosity to loosen the label and enable it to be manually removed, preferably by adhesive failure of the thin adhesive layer. A typical pressure sensitive adhesive ('PSA') is heated to a temperature in the range from 32.degree. C.-65.degree. C., for an interval of time in the range from 5 to 30 seconds, in inverse relationship to the temperature at which the labeled surface is heated. The label is manually peeled away from the surface with a force in the range from 0.5 lb-force to about 10 lb-force, without distorting or otherwise damaging either the casing or the magnetic recording medium encased therein. A delabeler has a housing with a receptacle adapted to hold the diskette between opposed first and second heater boxes, one larger than the other, mounted in spaced-apart relationship, preferably so as to heat only the labeled area. Heating is controlled with a timer and a starting switch.

De-labelling for removing apparatus labels adhered to a diskette

A de-labeler made with easily available structural elements which cooperate to remove a normally non-removable label from a labeled surface of a casing for magnetic media, film, and the like, without using a solvent of any kind. The labeled surface is heated just enough to cause desired viscous deformation of a thin layer of adhesive, or a sufficient decrease of viscosity to loosen the label and enable it to be manually removed, preferably by adhesive failure of the thin adhesive layer. A typical pressure sensitive adhesive ('PSA') is heated to a temperature in the range from 32.degree. C.-65.degree. C. for an interval of time from 5 to 30 seconds, in inverse relationship to the temperature at which the labeled surface is heated. The label is manually peeled away from the surface with a force in the range from 0.5 lb-force to about 10 lb-force, without distorting or otherwise damaging either the casing or the magnetic recording medium encased therein. A de-labeler has a housing with a receptacle adapted to hold the diskette between opposed first and second heater boxes, one larger than the other, mounted spaced-apart, preferably so as to heat only the labeled area; (c) control elements including (i) a timer element to provide a predetermined duration of current of requisite amperage and continuous voltage to at least said first heater box, (ii) a starting switch, and (iii) a signal recognizable by human senses, said control elements being connected to at least said first heater box means.

Method for removing labels adhered to a diskette and de-labeling means

A process is described for infusing an additive into a polymer using a compressed fluid that is normally a gas at room temperature and pressure. The additive must have some degree of solubility in the compressed fluid and the solution of compressed fluid and additive must have some degree of solubility in the polymer. In accordance with the process, the solution of the normally gaseous fluid and additive and the polymer are brought into contact under pressure until a desired quantity of the solution is absorbed into the polymer. The compressed fluid then is diffused from the polymer leaving additive infused within the polymer. The process can be used, for example, to add a colorant to a polymer or to add a biocide, insect repellant, medication or other additives to a polymer for subsequent sustained release, or to introduce monomer and a polymerization initiator into a polymer for subsequent polymerization.

Process for incorporating an additive into a polymer and product

A non-catalytic process converts oligomers of polyarylene polyethers (PAPE) having a mol wt Mn in the range from 1000 to about 10,000 to difunctionalized oligomers so as, in the first instance, to provide a reactive double bond (for example, a vinylbenzyl group) at each end of the PAPE; and, in the second instance to provide a triple bond (benzylethynyl group) at each end of the PAPE. The solubility of intermediate bisphenolates of (i) a dihydric phenol, and of (ii) the PAPE oligomer in particular solvents which allow (a) water of reaction to be removed without being degraded, and (b) essentially complete end-capping of the oligomer chains with vinyl chain ends, are the keys to the novel process. The PAPE most preferably has a repeating unit which is the residuum of two dihydric phenols or thiophenols ('DHP') linked through a C.dbd.O, --S--S--, or --SO.sub.2 - group, or a Si or C atom, and/or ether O, or thioether S atoms. The preferred repeating unit is formed by reaction of a DHP such as bisphenol A (BPA) with a halogenated DHP such as dichlorophenyl sulfone (DCPS) so as to provide an alternating configuration. The repeating unit may also include a linking residue of a reactive solvent which residue provides chain extension in the backbone. An oligomer which is a homopolymer having a repeating unit in which at least four benzenoid rings are connected through ether O atoms, may also be difunctionalized. In particular, .alpha..omega.-di(phenol)aromatic polyether sulfone oligomers ('APS') are esterified so as to have terminal methacrylyl groups; and, etherified so as to have styryl end groups which are thermally crosslinkable.

Non-catalytic process for the preparation of difunctionalized

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Chesterfield, VA, United States of America

Gary S Huvard