Formed article and process for the production thereof

Abstract

This invention is made to provide a formed article which ensures that an active substance included therein and a substance outside capsules can effectively come in contact with each other without suffering influences such as a pressure loss, that the surface area thereof can be utilized to the utmost without having the surface of an active substance coated with a polymer, that the active substance does not easily come off or separate even when external friction or the like is exerted and that an active substance does not directly come in contact with a human body or is not sucked into a human body. This invention is a formed article having a plurality of cells formed in a polymer (Z), (1) each cell including an active substance, (2) the polymer (A) having pores, each pore communicating with other pores in the polymer (A) and having a diameter in the range of 1 nm to 1 μm, and (3) the internal wall of each cell and the active substance being substantially not in contact with each other, and process for production thereof.

1 . A formed article having a plurality of cells formed in a polymer (A), wherein
 (1) each cell includes an active substance,   (2) the polymer (A) has pores, the pore connects with other pores in the polymer (A) and the pore has a diameter in the range of 1 nm to 1 μm, and   (3) the internal wall of each cell and the active substance are substantially not in contact with each other.   
   
   
       2 . The formed article of  claim 1 , wherein a polymer (C) is filled between the internal wall of each cell and the active substance. 
   
   
       3 . A process for the production of a formed article having a plurality of cells formed in a polymer (A), wherein each cell including an active substance, the process comprises coagulating a dope in a coagulating liquid, characterized in that
 (1) the dope contains the polymer (A), a solvent (B) and an active substance coated with a polymer (C),   (2) the coagulating liquid contains a solvent (D) that is a poor solvent to the polymer (A),   (3) the polymer (C) is incompatible with the polymer (A), and   (4) the solvent (B) is a good solvent to the polymer (A) and is a poor solvent to the polymer (C).   
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the polymer (A) is a hydrophobic polymer. 
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the dope contains, per 100 parts by mass of the polymer (A), 100 to 10,000 parts by mass of the solvent (B). 
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the polymer (A) is poly-m-phenyleneterephthalamide, the solvent (B) is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, the polymer (C) is a water-soluble polymer and the solvent (D) is water. 
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the polymer (A) is an acryl polymer, the solvent (B) is dimethyl sulfoxide, the polymer (C) is a water-soluble polymer and the solvent (D) is water. 
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the active substance is at least one member selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metals, inorganic substances, minerals, synthetic resins and organisms. 
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the coagulation is followed by washing the formed article with a solvent (E) that is a good solvent to the polymer (C), to remove the polymer (C). 
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the solvent (E) is water. 
   
   
       11 . A process for the production of a formed article having a plurality of cells formed in a polymer, wherein each cell includes an active substance, the process comprises coagulating a dope in a coagulating liquid, characterized in that
 (1) the dope contains a polymer (A), a solvent (B) that is a good solvent to the polymer (A) and an active substance,   (2) the coagulating liquid containing a solvent (D) that is a poor solvent to the polymer (A), and   (3) the active substance is hydrophilic when the polymer (A) in the dope is a hydrophobic polymer or the active substance is hydrophobic when the polymer (A) in the dope is a hydrophilic polymer.   
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the polymer (A) is a hydrophobic polymer and the active substance is hydrophilic. 
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the dope contains, per 100 parts by mass of the polymer (A), 100 to 10,000 parts by mass of the solvent (B). 
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the polymer (A) is poly-m-phenyleneterephthalamide, the solvent (B) is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and the solvent (D) is water. 
   
   
       15 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the polymer (A) is an acryl polymer, the solvent (B) is dimethyl sulfoxide and the solvent (D) is water. 
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the active substance is at least one member selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metals, inorganic substances, minerals, synthetic resins and organisms.