Abstract: A porous water-treating material comprising cut porous strands each comprising a resinous matrix material which consists essentially of a thermoplastic polymer material or a mixture thereof with an inorganic particulate material. Each strand having a number of pores connected to each other and an irregularly rugged peripheral surface which has a ratio in diameter of a circumscribed circle to an inscribed circle in any cross-sectional profile from 1.10:1 to 5.00:1 and a ratio of the distance between circumscribed lines to that between inscribed lines in any side projection profile of from 1.10:1 to 3.00:1. The cut porous strands are prepared by melt-extruding a resinous mixture of the resinous matrix material with a blowing agent at a temperature higher than the melting point of the thermoplastic polymer material and the thermally decomposing point of the blowing material so as to cause the strands to have a number of pores and an irregularly rugged peripheral surface thereof.

Abstract: A polypropylene film which is useful for electrical devices is produced by biaxially stretching an unstretched polypropylene molded article having, on at least one side, a surface layer having .beta.-form crystals, of mean diameter over 7 .mu.m, under such conditions that the stretching temperature at the stretch initiation point is in the range of 145.degree. to 176.degree. C., and the stretch ratio in one direction is less than a factor of 8. The resulting stretched polypropylene film is characterized by excellent mechanical properties, a very dense inner structure, and high air-tightness. The surface of the film has an efficiently roughened, fine, uneven structure containing crater-like patterns or an isotropic network structure and an anisotropic network structure, which is aligned in the extrusion direction.

Abstract: A translucent polypropylene film containing no .beta.-type crystallization nucleating agent which has, on at least one side, a surface layer composed of a two- or three-dimensional network structure, in which at least 1,000 network elements constituting the said network structure are present per cm.sup.2 of the film surface. The said film is obtained in such a manner that an unstretched polypropylene film having, on at least one side, a surface layer having a K value, which represents the amount of .beta.-type crystals present at a portion from the surface to a thickness of 10% in the thick-wall direction, of at least 0.1 is biaxially stretched under such conditions that the stretching temperature at the stretch initiation point is in the range of 145.degree. to 176.degree. C. and the stretch ratio in one direction is less than 8 times.