The University of Tennessee Research Foundation

University of Massachusetts

The UAB Research Foundation (the University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Asius Technologies, LLC

Fraunhofer-gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.v.

Ut-battelle, Inc.

The University of Southern Mississippi

Jimmy Wayne Mays

Samuel P Gido

Roland Weidisch

Robert B Schulein

Lujia Bu

Stephen D Ambrose

Kunlun Hong

Nam-Goo Kang

Robin Don Rogers

Tomonori Saito

Shannon Mark Mahurin

Qiuyu Zhang

Mohammad K Hassan

Sabornie Chatterjee

Brian Keith Long

De-en Jiang

Jack E Lemons

Suxiang Deng

Tao Hong

Kenneth A Mauritz

Tianzi Huang

Aaron D Puckett, Jr

Hongwei Zhang

Vikram Srivastava

Wei Lu

Wenwen Wang

Alexei P Sokolov

Josh Fogle

Gajanan Bhat

Composite materials capable of absorbing and dissipating high energy forces such as ballistic impacts and explosive blasts. Composites of elastomers and reinforcing nanoparticle materials are configured to absorb and dissipates high energy forces. Composites can be configured as nonwoven webs, and can be layered. Methods of making a ballistic resistant composite material capable of absorbing and dissipating high energy forces.

Energy absorbing nanocomposite materials and methods thereof

Thermoplastic elastomer compositions comprising acrylic multigraft copolymers are described. The multigraft copolymers comprise a rubbery polyacrylate backbone and a plurality of randomly spaced glassy polyacrylate side chains. The multigraft copolymers can be prepared using a facile grafting through method that can provide copolymers with enhanced purity. The acrylic multigraft copolymers exhibit microphase separated morphologies and 'superelastomeric' properties, including an elongation at break, stress at break, and/or strain recovery behavior that exceeds that of conventional triblock copolymer polyacrylate thermoplastic elastomers.

All-acrylic multigraft copolymer superelastomers

Multigraft copolymers having various structures, e.g., comb and centipede structures, can be prepared from emulsion copolymerization of monomers and macromonomers. The emulsion copolymerization can be initiated by a thermally activated radical initiator or a redox initiation system. The multigraft copolymers can have high molecular weight and/or a large number of branch points. Elastomer or adhesive compositions of the copolymers can be prepared. Also described are poly(n-alkyl acrylate-graft-styrene) multigraft copolymers.

Multigraft copolymer superelastomers by emulsion polymerization

A membrane useful in gas separation, the membrane comprising a cross-linked polysiloxane structure having a cross-link density of about 0.1&#xd7;10mol/cmto about 6&#xd7;10mol/cm, where, in particular embodiments, the cross-linked polysiloxane structure has the following general structure: wherein R, R, R, R, R, and Rare independently selected from hydrocarbon groups having at least 1 and up to 6 carbon atoms; Aand Aare independently selected from cyclic hydrocarbon groups; Land Lare linking groups or covalent bonds; n is an integer of at least 1; r and s are independently selected from integers of at least 1; and p is an integer of at least 10. The invention also includes methods for making and using the above-described membranes for gas separation.

Cross-linked polymeric membranes for carbon dioxide separation

Thermoplastic elastomer compositions are described comprising multigraft copolymers. The multigraft copolymers can comprise a rubbery polymeric backbone and a plurality of glassy polymeric side chains, each attached at one of a plurality of branch points randomly spaced along the backbone. The copolymer materials have high tensile strength, high strain at break, and low residual strain after elongation. The compositions can be used as adhesives and in a wide variety of high tech, medical, and commodity applications.

Multigraft copolymers as superelastomers

The disclosed methods and devices incorporate a novel expandable bubble portion which provides superior fidelity to a listener while minimizing listener fatigue. The expandable bubble portion may be expanded through the transmission of low frequency audio signals or the pumping of a gas to the expandable bubble portion. In addition, embodiments of the acoustic device may be adapted to consistently and comfortably fit to any ear, providing for a variable, impedance matching acoustic seal to both the tympanic membrane and the audio transducer, respectively, while isolating the sound-vibration chamber within the driven bubble. This reduces the effect of gross audio transducer vibration excursions on the tympanic membrane and transmits the audio content in a manner which allows the ear to utilize its full inherent capabilities.

Diaphonic acoustic transduction coupler and ear bud

Materials prepared from polydienes, such as poly(cyclohexadiene), and hydrophilic polymers, such as poly(alkylene oxide), are described. Methods of making the materials and their use in fuel cell membranes, batteries, breathable chemical-biological protective materials, and templates for sol-gel polymerization are also provided. The materials can be crosslinked and sulfonated, and can include copolymers and polymer blends.

Materials comprising polydienes and hydrophilic polymers and related methods

Copolymers of fluorinated polydienes and sulfonated polystyrene and their use in fuel cell membranes, batteries, breathable chemical-biological protective materials, and templates for sol-gel polymerization.

Copolymers of fluorinated polydienes and sulfonated polystyrene

A bone cement formulation stored as a solid component pack having 0.3 to 20 solid component pack weight percent of an elastomer and a polymer bead core having a polyacrylate terminated surface. The second component pack is a liquid component pack including an acrylate monomer. An alternate solid component pack includes 3 to 25 solid component pack weight percent of a polyacrylate and a rubber toughened polymethyl methacrylate. A cement mixing and delivering system according to the present invention includes a tube having an exit nozzle and an aperture. An end plate is adapted to seal against the interior of the tube aperture and the end plate has a plurality of needles protruding therefrom into the tube. A rotatable and slidable divider is received within the tube intermediate between the end plate and the exit nozzle. The divider includes at least two plates. Each of the plates has a plurality of apertures that upon alignment the needles of the first plate are urged through the apertures of the at least two divider plates.

Bone cement and a system for mixing and delivery thereof

Methods and compositions for polymerization in ionic medium liquid at room temperature provide the benefit of allowing polymerization reactions to be carried out cheaply, and relatively quickly. The replacement of VOCs by these environmentally benign solvents has the further advantage of increased safety for chemical workers.

Polymer formation in room temperature ionic liquids

Growing community of inventors

Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Jimmy Wayne Mays