Abstract: A hot drawn multilayered structure including a layer of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer composition containing 70 to 95 wt % of EVOH having an ethylene content of 25 to 60 mol % and a saponification degree of at least 90%; and 5 to 30 wt % of an aliphatic copolymer polyamide containing capramide as a main structural unit, having a ratio of the number of methylene gorups to the number of amide groups satisfying the equation:6.6.ltoreq.CH.sub.2 /NHCO.ltoreq.10having a melting point of 110.degree. to 180.degree. C. and exhibiting a melt index of 0.1 to 10 g/10 mins.; having a thermoplastic resin layer on at least one surface of said layer. The multilayered structure has excellent gas barrier properties and minimized variability in gas barrier properties measured in different areas and minimal gel, hard spots, etc.

Abstract: A composite hollow fiber type separation membrane which has three layers comprising a selective separation layer, an ultra-microporous layer and a porous layer, said selective separation layer, said ultra-microporous layer, said porous layer being arranged in said order commencing from the inner surface of said hollow fiber membrane;wherein said selective separation layer is formed on said ultra-microporous layer without penetrating into said ultra-microporous layer and has a non-porous, dense structure, the average thickness of said layer being 0.01-2.mu., and the coefficient of variation in thickness thereof being less than or equal to 25%;wherein said ultra-microporous layer has a surface in which the presence of pores cannot be confirmed by 24,000x scanning electron microscopy, but which has fluid permeability at least 10 times that of said selective separation layer, the thickness of said layer being less than or equal to 0.08.mu.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heat-resistant container comprising an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer layer and a crystalline polyester layer. In particular, when an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer containing a drying agent is used, the obtained container is both ovenable and retortable, thereby being highly useful.

Abstract: The tube of the present invention has no or very small local minute nonuniformity in thickness of EVOH layer, and therefore drawn-formed articles such as blow bottle obtained by draw molding the tube have no streaks and are superior in appearance.

Abstract: An injection stretch blow container consisting of a combination of 97 to 70 parts by weight of saturated polyester and 3 to 30 parts by weight of a saponification product of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, said container having many areas, particularly at the body wall portion of said container in each of which areas substantially two-dimensional thin layers of said saponification product of said ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer are laminated in parallel to the wall surface of said container in a matrix of saturated polyester, said saponification product of said ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer in said area (20.times.20.mu.; vertical section or longitudinal section of the body wall of said container) is 0.001 to 1 .mu.m in average thickness and at least 5 in average aspect ratio and the laminated structural index represented by the following formula is at least 5:Laminated structural index ##EQU1## wherein L.sub.

Abstract: A composite hollow fiber type separation membrane which has three layers comprising a selective separation layer, an ultra-microporous layer and a porous layer, said selective separation layer, said ultra-microporous layer, said porous layer being arranged in said order commencing from the inner surface of said hollow fiber membrane;wherein said selective separation layer is formed on said ultra-microporous layer without penetrating into said ultra-microporous layer and has a non-porous, dense structure, the average thickness of said layer being 0.01-2.mu., and the coefficient of variation in thickness thereof being less than or equal to 25%;wherein said ultra-microporous layer has a surface in which the presence of pores cannot be confirmed by 24,000 .times. scanning electron microscopy, but which has a fluid permeability at least 10 times that of said selective separation layer, the thickness of said layer being less than or equal to 0.08.mu.

Abstract: A method for the production of formed food products of a microfibrillar milk protein, which comprises mixing an aqueous gel of a milk protein comprising mainly calcium caseinate with a specific amount of dehydrating agent (e.g. sodium chloride) and a specific amount of a dispersant (e.g. dextrin, sodium caseinate) and optionally fats and oils at a specified temperature and forming the mixture at the same temperature range into the desired shapes. The formed food products are obtained in various states of from comparatively soft products (e.g. imitation cheese) to comparative hard products (e.g. imitation jerky) by controlling the temperature in the mixing and forming steps and/or the amounts of the dehydrating agent and dispersant.

Abstract: There is provided a hollow fiber membrane of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer which is produced by a process comprising extruding a spinning solution of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer in a solvent selected from the group consisting of dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylacetamide, pyrrolidone, N-methylpyrrolidone and mixtures thereof through a hollow fiber spinneret while a liquid coagulant is introduced into a central aperture of said spinneret, passing the spun fiber through a gaseous atmosphere in a manner such that the fiber is drawn 0.5 to 20 times its extrusion rate and then coagulating said fiber in a coagulating bath at a temperature within the range satisfying the following relationship:when 15.ltoreq.C.ltoreq.40, 1/4C+20.ltoreq.T.ltoreq.1/4C+57wherein C denotes the copolymer concentration of the spinning solution (wt. %) and T denotes the coagulation temperature (.degree.C.).

Abstract: A hollow fiber membrane made of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer is provided, which is characterized in that, when observed in a dry state with an electron microscope, the hollow fiber membrane has at least one dense, active layer (or skin layer) on the inside and/or outside surface thereof and further a three-layered structure comprising two layers respectively contacting the inside and outside surfaces and each consisting of a plurality of particles bonded together and having particle sizes of 0.01 to 2 microns and a substantially particle-free homogeneous layer lying between the two layers.

Abstract: The invention provides a blood treatment apparatus realizing double-step-membrane filtration, namely separation of blood into plasma and a corpuscular fraction and separation of high-molecular-weight substances (e.g. gamma-globulin) in the plasma from low-molecular-weight substances (e.g. albumin). A method of treating blood is also provided.The apparatus and method are effective e.g. in the treatment of blood of patients with peripheral circulatory insufficiency due to arteriosclerosis and of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease.

Abstract: A hollow fiber membrane made of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer is provided, which is characterized in that, when observed in a dry state with an electron microscope, the hollow fiber membrane has at least one dense, active layer (or skin layer) on the inside and/or outside surface thereof and further a three-layered structure comprising two layers respectively contacting the inside and outside surfaces and each consisting of a plurality of particles bonded together and having particle sizes of 0.01 to 2 microns and a substantially particle-free homogeneous layer lying between the two layers.

Abstract: A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) microporous membrane is disclosed which is prepared by a process which comprises forming a PVA membrane containing fine silica particles therein and substantially extracting said silica particles from said membrane, thereby forming a plurality of micropores therein with an average diameter of 0.01 to 50 microns and a porosity of at least 60%.

Abstract: There is described an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer membrane comprising at least a skin layer on its surface and a porous layer supporting the skin layer. The porous layer, when the membrane is observed in the dry state with an electron microscope, contains vacuoles or voids, which present a mono- or multi-layer structure and have straight-line lengths corresponding to 20-99% of the whole thickness of the membrane. In addition, the polymer portion of the porous layer has micropores with an average pore diameter of 0.1-5 microns and the membrane has a porosity of 60-90%.

Abstract: A fibrous milk protein product having a high tensile elongation (115 to 380%) and an excellent stability to hot water cooking (tolerant to treatment in hot water of 135.degree. C. for 4 minutes) which is produced by forming the starting milk protein into a fibrous composition and then treating the fibrous composition in an aqueous solution containing at least one of sodium, potassium and calcium salts and also an aldehyde type crosslinking agent having a ratio of molecular weight (M) to number of aldehyde groups (n) of 120 to 360 (e.g. lactose) at a pH of 2.5 to 6.5 and at 100.degree. to 140.degree. C. for 20 minutes to 3 hours.

Abstract: The invention relates to a blood dialyzing apparatus comprising at least one bundle of semi-permeable hollow filaments and a cylindrical housing positioning said bundle of filaments and having a large length to inside diameter ratio of 7 to 10.

Abstract: Leaks from a hollow fiber membrane module comprising a housing having one or more hollow fiber bundles positioned therein with at least one end of each bundle being sealed by a cementing layer includes the step of applying a pressurized gas to the external surfaces of the hollow fibers. The gas which is used must have a refractive index different from the refractive index of the ambient atmosphere. The atmospheric volume adjacent the sealed end of the module is optically monitored for refraction patterns caused by gas leaking through the sealed end into the volume. The optical system includes a light source and components for directing light from the source along an optical path including the monitored volume. Light which is passed through the monitored volume is directed to an optical display where the refraction patterns of the leaking gas will be visible. The method and apparatus permit leaks to be located without the use of liquids.

Abstract: A process for producing a meat-simulating, fibrous high-protein food from a starting milk material such as a milk, a skim milk, a casein or the like, which comprises the steps of (1) converting the starting milk material into a fibrous composition by a known method such as gelling the starting milk material and applying a stress to the resulting gel composition; (2) after or during the conversion step, prestabilizing the resulting fibrous composition in an acidic bath of pH 0 to 5 containing 0.5 to 25% by weight of one or more specific acidic compounds for 10 seconds to 5 minutes; and then (3) actually stabilizing the resultant fibrous composition in a saline bath of pH 2.5 to 6.5 containing at least one salt selected from a potassium salt, a sodium salt or a calcium salt in an amount of 0.3 to 6 gram equivalents/L as the total cation concentration of the bath, at 90.degree. to 130.degree. C. for 20 minutes to 3 hours.

Abstract: A polyvinyl alcohol semi-permeable membrane is prepared which has micropores with an average diameter of 0.02 to 2 microns as defined by the interpore partition walls having thicknesses in the range of 50 to 5000 A and which is characterized by substantial cross-sectional uniformity. The membrane is prepared by extruding a PVA composition containing PAG with a molecular weight of 400 to 4,000 and a carbon-to-oxygen ratio of not more than 3 in a proportion of 2 to 200 parts by weight per 100 parts of PVA into a coagulation bath. In another embodiment of the invention, the membrane is formed from a PVA composition wherein the PAG has a molecular weight of 600 to 3,000 and a C/O ratio of not more than 3, the proportion of the PAG being 15 to 150 parts by weight per 100 parts of PVA and wherein the composition satisfies the relation: 0.65 .ltoreq. CBR (critical blending ratio) .ltoreq. 1.0. The membrane is useful in ultrafiltration, dialytic and osmotic separation applications.

Abstract: A dialysis membrane comprising a plurality of polyvinyl alcohol hollow fibers of substantially homogeneous structure having a degree of orientation (.pi.) in the range of 60% .ltoreq. .pi. .ltoreq. 98% and a degree of swelling (.zeta.) in the range of 1.05 .ltoreq. .pi. .ltoreq. 1.80 times.