The invention is related to an elastomer composition comprising an elastomeric polymer comprising ethylene and a-olefin derived units, a curing package and a blowing agent wherein the blowing agent comprises a compound containing water of crystallization.

The invention also relates to a process for the manufacture of a foamed article comprising the steps of preparing an elastomeric composition, shaping, foaming and curing the elastomeric composition. The invention further relates to a foamed article.

Provided are a proton-exchange membrane of which the ionic conductivity is high and the methanol crossover is low, and a fuel cell of high power that comprises the proton-exchange membrane. The proton-exchange membrane has a structure of mesogen-containing organic molecular chains and a proton-donating group-containing group covalent-bonding to a silicon-oxygen three-dimensional crosslinked matrix, in which at least a part of the organic molecular chains are oriented to form an aggregate thereof; and the fuel cell comprises the membrane.

The present invention provides a silicone elastomer composite powder with excellent flowability and dispersibility. Also, the present invention provides a method for producing a silicone elastomer composite powder, comprising a step of converting a mixture of a silicone elastomer powder and a clay mineral to the composite powder with a high-speed rotation dispersing machine under a condition of a peripheral speed of 40 m/sec or higher and a Froude number of 70 or higher, wherein a surface of the silicone elastomer powder is coated with the clay mineral, a specific volume of the composite powder is 2.50 ml/g or less, and an oil absorption amount of the composite powder is 180 g/100 g or less. Furthermore, the present invention provides a cosmetic without sticky feeling inherent in the silicone elastomer powder, and excellent in the feeling during use and in impact resistance.

A proton conducting membrane having a high ionic conductivity and an excellent high temperature dimensional stability which can perform stably even at high temperatures, a method for producing the same and a solid polymer-based fuel cell comprising same are provided. In other words, the present invention concerns a method for producing a proton conducting membrane having a crosslinked structure formed by a silicon-oxygen covalent bond and having a sulfonic acid-containing crosslinked structure represented by the following formula (1) therein, which comprises a first step of preparing a mixture containing a mercapto group-containing oligomer (A) having a plurality of mercapto groups and a reactive group which can form a Si-O-Si bond by condensation reaction, a second step of forming said mixture into a membrane, a third step of subjecting said membrane-like material to condensation reaction in the presence of a catalyst to obtain a crosslinked gel and a fourth step of oxidizing the mercapto group in the membrane so that it is converted to a sulfonic acid group, a proton conducting membrane obtained by same and a fuel cell comprising same:

Provided are a proton-exchange membrane of which the ionic conductivity is high and the methanol crossover is low, and a fuel cell of high power that comprises the proton-exchange membrane. The proton-exchange membrane has a structure of mesogen-containing organic molecular chains and a proton-donating group-containing group covalent-bonding to a silicon-oxygen three-dimensional crosslinked matrix, in which at least a part of the organic molecular chains are oriented to form an aggregate thereof; and the fuel cell comprises the membrane.

This invention relates to a proton conducting membrane, excellent in resistance to heat, durability, dimensional stability, flexibility, mechanical strength and fuel barrier characteristics, and showing excellent proton conductivity at high temperature, method for producing the same, and fuel cell using the same.

The present invention provide a proton conducting membrane comprising a three-dimensionally crosslinked structure (A) containing the silicon-oxygen bond, organic structure (B), structure (C) containing amino group and proton conducting agent (D), and a method for producing the same, comprising steps of preparing a mixture of an organic silicone compound (E) having 2 or more hydrolysable silyl groups, organic silicon compound (F) having 1 or more hydrolysable silyl groups and amino group, and proton conducting agent (D) as the first step; forming the above mixture into a film as the second step; and hydrolyzing/condensing the hydrolysable silyl group contained in the mixture formed into the film, to form the three-dimensionally crosslinked structure having the silicon-oxygen bond as the third step.