Abstract: A method for making a composite membrane includes the steps of coating a first layer of ionomer on an intermediate support, laminating a dry porous support into the wet first layer of ionomer, impregnating the porous support with ionomer from the coated ionomer layer, optionally drying the impregnated porous support and the first layer of ionomer, coating a second layer of ionomer on the impregnated porous support, drying the second layer of ionomer until most of the solvent is evaporated, and delaminating the composite membrane from the intermediate support. The composite membrane thus obtained includes a porous support impregnated with the ionomer and on each side of the impregnated support a dense ionomer layer.

Abstract: A method for making a composite membrane includes the steps of coating a first layer of ionomer on an intermediate support, laminating a dry porous support into the wet first layer of ionomer, impregnating the porous support with ionomer from the coated ionomer layer, optionally drying the impregnated porous support and the first layer of ionomer, coating a second layer of ionomer on the impregnated porous support, drying the second layer of ionomer until most of the solvent is evaporated, and delaminating the composite membrane from the intermediate support. The composite membrane thus obtained includes a porous support impregnated with the ionomer and on each side of the impregnated support a dense ionomer layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly of a porous metallic gas diffusion substrate and a polymeric separator membrane for use in an alkaline electrolyser or alkaline fuel cell. The polymeric separator membrane of the assembly comprises inorganic hydrophilic particulates dispersed in an organic polymeric binder. The polymeric separator membrane is gas tight when filled with electrolyte. The polymeric separator membrane is penetrating into at least a top portion of the porous metallic gas diffusion substrate. Also disclosed is a method to produce such an assembly via coating a paste on a porous metallic gas diffusion substrate.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for measuring viscosity and/or surface tension of a liquid are described in which droplets are formed at a needle or pipette containing a sample of the test liquid and a size-related characteristic of the droplets such as droplet size, volume, diameter, or weight of the test liquid are measured by means of by capturing an image of the droplets and obtaining the size-related characteristic from the captured image. Subsequently or previously, a volume of the same sample of the test liquid is drained from the needle or pipette under pump pressure or a hydrostatic pressure, and an elution time is measured. The method and apparatus allows or includes determining the viscosity from the elution time, and determining the surface tension from the viscosity and the size-related characteristic of the droplet such as droplet size, volume, diameter, or weight of the test liquid.

Abstract: A radiation curable ink-jet printing process is disclosed, exhibiting consistent image quality on a wide variety of different ink-receivers. The ink-jet printing process includes the steps of: a) providing an ink-receiver; b) providing a surface layer on at least a portion of the ink-receiver with a dotsize control fluid; c) jetting at least one radiation curable ink-jet ink droplet to the surface layer on the ink-receiver; characterized in that the dotsize control fluid contains a surfactant, a film forming polymeric resin and an inorganic filler, wherein the ratio P/F is greater than 3.0, with P being the weight % of film forming polymeric resin and F being the weight % of inorganic filler, both based on the total weight of the dotsize control fluid, and the surfactant is present in the surface layer in the range of 0.1 to 20% by weight based on the total dry weight of the surface layer.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing system including at least one ink-jet ink and a means for jetting an ink-jet ink onto a surface of a substantially non-absorbing ink-jet ink-receiver, characterized in that the ratio ? Sd/? Ld of the dispersive surface energy of said ink-receiver surface ? Sd over the dispersive surface energy of said ink-jet ink ? Ld is greater than 0.9. A process for ink-jet printing is also claimed. High areal throughput ink-jet printing (e.g. >100 m2/hour) with curable inks can be performed on different kinds of ink-receiver surfaces with a good image quality and colour density due to a controlled spreading of the ink-drops which can be directly cured.

Abstract: The present invention relates to ink jet printing, and more particularly to a method of printing and an apparatus for providing images having grey levels of varying intensity. The present invention provides a method and device for printing grey scale images on a printing medium. The method includes delivering at least a number of first droplets of printing material of a color with a first volume from a first printhead and a number of second droplets of printing material of that color with a second volume from a second printhead, the first volume and the second volume being different, and merging together the number of first droplets and the number of second droplets on a target pixel position on the printing medium to obtain a given greyscale dot on the printing medium.

Abstract: A radiation curable ink-jet printing process is disclosed, exhibiting consistent image quality on a wide variety of different ink-receivers. The ink-jet printing process comprises the steps of: a) providing an ink-receiver; b) providing a surface layer on at least a portion of the ink-receiver with a dotsize control fluid; c) jetting at least one radiation curable ink-jet ink droplet to the surface layer on the ink-receiver; characterized in that the dotsize control fluid contains a surfactant, a film forming polymeric resin and an inorganic filler, wherein the ratio P/F is greater than 3.0, with P being the weight % of film forming polymeric resin and F being the weight % of inorganic filler, both based on the total weight of the dotsize control fluid, and the surfactant is present in the surface layer in the range of 0.1 to 20% by weight based on the total dry weight of the surface layer.

Abstract: In a method of preparing dispersions, wherein a is present step of adding ultrasonic energy to a probe, inserted into a dispersion formulation, said formulation advantageously comprises beads.

Abstract: In a combinatorial method of making and testing an array of nanoparticle formulations comprising the steps of making multi-compositional formulations; improving the dispersion quality of these formulations by high speed parallel homogenizing; rapid serial, semi-parallel or parallel characterising said formulations, said step of high speed parallel homogenizing proceeds by providing energy to said dispersion via an array of tips, wherein said energy is ultrasonic energy or high shear mixing energy.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing system comprising at least one ink-jet ink and a means for jetting an ink-jet ink onto a surface of a substantially non-absorbing ink-jet ink-receiver, characterized in that the ratio ? Sd/? Ld of the dispersive surface energy of said ink-receiver surface a ? Sd over the dispersive surface energy of said ink-jet ink a ? Ld is greater than 0.9. A process for ink-jet printing is also claimed. High areal throughput ink-jet printing (e.g. >100 m2/hour) with curable inks can be performed on different kinds of ink-receiver surfaces with a good image quality and colour density due to a controlled spreading of the ink-drops which can be directly cured.

Abstract: A web material is disclosed comprising a substrate in web form and multiple microwells, arranged on the substrate in a predetermined pattern and separated from each other by separating zones, each microwell comprising a bottom and an upstanding surface formed by the adjacent separating zones, wherein the composition of the bottoms on the one hand and the composition of the separating zones and upstanding surfaces on the other hand show a different hyrophilicity.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for evaluating the triboelectrical properties of at least two samples, comprising a grounded means (1) for holding a material in sheet form comprising a support provided on at least one surface thereof with at least two samples each in at least one predefined region thereof; a charging means (4) for tribocharging the at least two samples; and a means (7) for measuring an electrical property of the at least two samples. A method for evaluating an array of multiple samples on their triboelectrical properties with such an apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A web material is disclosed comprising a substrate in web form and multiple microwells, arranged on the substrate in a predetermined pattern and separated from each other by separating zones, each microwell comprising a bottom and an upstanding surface formed by the adjacent separating zones, wherein the composition of the bottoms on the one hand and the composition of the separating zones and upstanding surfaces on the other hand show a different hyrophilicity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to ink jet printing, and more particularly to a method of printing and an apparatus for providing images having grey levels of varying intensity.

Abstract: One or more pixel images are stored in a programmable computer. A lenticular sheet having a plurality of lenticules is placed in an inkjet printer having a printhead and a light sensor. The light sensor scans across the lenticular sheet and generates a scan data. A lenticular data is calculated based on the scan data, the lenticular data representing the lenticule spacing or frequency. At least a portion of the pixel images are formatted with a pixel spacing based on the lenticular data and printed. The formatting aligns the pixels with the lenticules.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for rapid screening of layered materials, for a useful property. In the method at least two layered materials are applied on one single substrate. Preferably the materials are applied by coating from a coating composition and are multi-layered materials having at least two distinct layers.

Abstract: One or more pixel images are stored in a programmable computer. A lenticular sheet having a plurality of lenticules is placed in an inkjet printer having a printhead and a light sensor. the light sensor scans across the lenticular sheet and generates a scan data. A lenticular data is calculated based on the scan data, the lenticular data representing the lenticule spacing or frequency. At least a portion of the pixel images are formatted with a pixel spacing based on the lenticular data and printed. The formatting aligns the pixels with the lenticules.

Abstract: Printing resolution parameters of a printer, preferably an inkjet printer, are obtained. The printer resolution values are used to fabricate an extrusion tool for extruding lenticular sheets or foils. A lenticular sheet or foil is extruded with the fabricated extrusion tool to have spacing between microlenses proportional to the printer resolution value. One or more images are digitized and stored in a general purpose programmable computer. The general purpose programmable computer segments the data for each image into raster pixel lines and interleaves the segments into a merged file. A printer of the type from which the printing resolution parameters were obtained prints the merged file on the lenticular sheet.

Abstract: A microtiter plate for combinatorial experimentation is disclosed comprising a substrate and multiple microwells, arranged on said substrate in a predetermined pattern and separated from each other by separating zones, each microwell comprising a bottom and an upstanding surface formed by the adjacent separating zones and extending at most 500 &mgr;m above the bottom, wherein the composition of said bottoms on the one hand and the composition of said separating zones and upstanding surfaces on the other hand show a different hydrophilicity, and wherein said bottoms have undergone a surface treatment to improve the dynamics of fluid spreading.