Abstract:
A porous material comprising vapor grown carbon fiber in an amount of 10 to 90 mass %, fiber filaments of the carbon fiber forming a three-dimensional network and having a diameter of 1 to 1,000 nm, an aspect ratio of 5 to 15,000, a specific surface area (by BET method) of 2 to 2,000 m2/g, and the ratio of the intensity of the peak at 1,360 cm−1 in a Raman scattering spectrum of the carbon fiber to that of the peak at 1,580 cm−1 in the spectrum(I1360/I1580) is 0.1 to 2.0, wherein the porosity of the porous material (V/V0) is 0.50 to 0.99 and a specific surface area is 5 to 1,000 m2/g; and a production method and use thereof. The vapor grow carbon fiber impregnated in the porous material of the present invention does not contain aggregates and a three-dimensional network is formed between the fiber filaments, wherein length of each of the fiber filaments is maintained. Therefore, the vapor grown carbon fiber enables to readily produce a composite material (porous material), in which even a small amount of addition of vapor grown carbon fiber can exhibit sufficient effect.
Abstract:
A process for producing a porous object is provided that makes it possible to control pore sizes, particularly not only smaller pore sizes but also larger pore sizes. The pore sizes are controlled by: preparing a mixed solution containing a polymer including a copolymer of lactide and caprolactone, a solvent in which the polymer has a relatively low solubility, and a solvent in which the polymer has a relatively high solubility and that is compatible with the solvent in which the polymer has a relatively low solubility; varying the content of the solvent in which the polymer has a relatively low solubility in the mixed solution, when the mixed solution is frozen and dried to produce the porous object; and cooling the mixed solution at a rate of 300° C./hr or lower in freeze-treating. Thus a porous object with a pore size of 30 to 1800 μm can be obtained.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for preparing biodegradable porous polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering, comprising: a) fabricating a polymer sample from a polymer solution containing at least one biodegradable polymer and an effervescent mixture; b) effervescing the polymer sample in the presence of an effervescent medium such as an aqueous alcohol solution; and c) drying. The method for preparing biodegradable polymer scaffolds of the present invention has the advantages that the process is simple, that pore size can be easily controlled, that the problem caused by the secretion and existence of the toxic substance can be avoid by using a material harmless to human body, and that high efficiency can be achieved. In addition, biodegradable porous polymer scaffolds prepared by above method have the advantages that high porosity can be achieved and an open cell structure in which pores are interconnected is obtained.
Abstract:
Biodegradable and biocompatible porous scaffolds characterized by a substantially continuous polymer phase, having a highly interconnected bimodal distribution of open pore sizes with rounded large pores of about 50 to about 500 microns in diameter and rounded small pores less than 20 microns in diameter, wherein the small pores are aligned in an orderly linear fashion within the walls of the large pores. Methods of preparing polymeric tissue scaffolds are also disclosed.
Abstract:
A method for preserving the porosity of porous materials is disclosed. In this method, the porous material is subjected to elevated temperature and vacuum conditions to thereby produce a dimensionally-stable, non-collapsible porous material.
Abstract:
The disclosed invention relates to films from a novel latex mixture which are non-porous, microcellular and opaque in the absence of an opacifying agent. The preparation of the films of the disclosed invention comprises providing control techniques for entrapping a sufficient amount of a liquid non-solvent for the polymer in the polymer matrix of a latex after the continuous phase removal, so that upon evaporation of the non-solvent from a coalesced and tack-free polymer matrix, a resulting opaque and continuous, non-porous film is produced which will have minute, discrete and substantially closed voids and which is opaque in the absence of an opacifying agent such as pigment.The disclosed invention also relates to opaque films with enhanced optical properties produced by the inclusion of pigments, fluorescent materials and optical brighteners in the opaque films in such a manner as to maximize their effectiveness therein.