Manufacturing process for porous material

Abstract

A manufacturing process for a porous material is provided. The manufacturing process for a porous material includes the steps of: mixing a non-ionic surfactant with a precursor of a predetermined material to form a mixture comprising a continuous phase and a liquid crystalline mesophase comprising the non-ionic surfactants, wherein the precursor is essentially located in the continuous phase; coating or depositing the mixture onto a flexible substrate; and converting the precursor of the predetermined material.

1 . A continuous process for manufacturing a porous material, comprising:
 mixing a non-ionic surfactant with a precursor of a predetermined material to form a mixture comprising a continuous phase and a liquid crystalline mesophase comprising the non-ionic surfactants, wherein the precursor is essentially located in the continuous phase;   coating or depositing the mixture onto a flexible substrate; and   converting the precursor of the predetermined material.   
     
     
         2 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , further comprising coating or depositing a base onto a layer comprising the precursor of the predetermined material. 
     
     
         3 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , further comprising adding a base precursor or a mixture of a base and a fugitive acid into the mixture. 
     
     
         4 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystalline mesophase is a smectic phase or a smectic hexagonal phase. 
     
     
         5 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystalline mesophase is the form of a column having a diameter from about 2 nm to about 20 nm. 
     
     
         6 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactants have an HLB value from 5 to 24. 
     
     
         7 . The continuous process of  claim 6 , wherein the non-ionic surfactants have the HLB value from 10 to 14. 
     
     
         8 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprises two continuous phases, or a continuous liquid crystalline mesophase and a continuous non-liquid crystalline phase. 
     
     
         9 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , further comprising coating or depositing the mixture onto the flexible substrate in a roll-to-roll manner. 
     
     
         10 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises a metal or polymer. 
     
     
         11 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , further comprising heating or drying after converting the precursor of the predetermined material. 
     
     
         12 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , further comprising removing the surfactants. 
     
     
         13 . The continuous process of  claim 12 , wherein removing the surfactants comprises washing the surfactants by a solvent or a solvent mixture. 
     
     
         14 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the precursor is converted to obtain the predetermined material by precipitation, hydrolysis, condensation, redox reaction, polymerization, or crosslinking. 
     
     
         15 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture is coated or deposited onto the flexible substrate by casting, impregnation, spraying, dipping, attaching, gravure, doctor blade, slot, slit, curtain, reverse or transfer coating, or printing. 
     
     
         16 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined material is selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, nickel hydroxide, nickel oxide, and manganese oxide. 
     
     
         17 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the precursor comprises tetraethoxysilane, titanium salt, organotitanium, titanium alkyoxide, nickel salt, organonickel complex, manganese salt, organomanganese complex, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , further comprising adding an additive, metal salt, conductive agent, carbon nano-tube, carbon black, graphite, graphene or metal particles into the mixture. 
     
     
         19 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactants comprises a block, graft, or branch copolymer. 
     
     
         20 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactants comprises ethylene oxide (EO) copolymer, propylene oxide (PO) copolymer, butylene oxide copolymer, vinyl pyridine copolymer, vinyl pyrrolidone, epichlorohydrin copolymer, styrene copolymer, acrylic copolymer, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactants comprises polyoxyethylene alkylether having a chemical formula of C x H 2x+1 (EO) y H, where EO represents an ethylene oxide, x is not less than 12, and y is not less than 6. 
     
     
         22 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , wherein the molecular weight of the non-ionic surfactants is between 500 and 20000. 
     
     
         23 . The continuous process of  claim 22 , wherein the molecular weight of the non-ionic surfactants is between 600 and 10000. 
     
     
         24 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , further comprising adding a swelling agent into the mixture. 
     
     
         25 . The continuous process of  claim 1 , further comprising coating or depositing a base precursor or a mixture of a base and a fugitive acid onto a layer comprising the precursor of the predetermined material. 
     
     
         26 . The continuous process of  claim 25 , wherein the base precursor or the mixture of the base and the fugitive acid is a nitrogen-containing compound. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 25 , wherein the base precursor or the mixture of the base and the fugitive acid comprises guanidine, urea, amine, imine, or derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         28 . The continuous process of  claim 25 , wherein the base precursor or the mixture of the base and the fugitive acid is heated under a temperature ranging from 30° C. to 150° C. 
     
     
         29 . The continuous process of  claim 28 , wherein the base precursor or the mixture of the base and the fugitive acid is heated under a temperature ranging from 30° C. to 70° C. 
     
     
         30 . A process for manufacturing a porous material, comprising:
 mixing a non-ionic surfactant with a precursor of a predetermined material and either a base precursor or a first mixture of a base and a fugitive acid to form a second mixture comprising a continuous phase and a liquid crystalline mesophase comprising the non-ionic surfactants, wherein the precursor is essentially located in the continuous phase;   coating or depositing the second mixture onto a flexible substrate;   heating or illuminating the base precursor or the first mixture of the base and the fugitive acid; and   converting the precursor of the predetermined material.   
     
     
         31 . A continuous process for manufacturing a porous material, comprising:
 mixing a non-ionic surfactant with a precursor of a predetermined material to form a mixture comprising a continuous phase and a liquid crystalline mesophase comprising the non-ionic surfactants, wherein the precursor is essentially located in the continuous phase;   coating or depositing the mixture onto a flexible substrate;   depositing a base precursor or a mixture of a base and a fugitive acid onto a layer comprising the precursor of the predetermined material;   heating or illuminating the base precursor or the mixture of the base and the fugitive acid; and   converting the precursor of the predetermined material.   
     
     
         32 . A continuous process for manufacturing an electrode, comprising:
 mixing a non-ionic surfactant with a precursor of a predetermined material to form a mixture comprising a continuous phase and a liquid crystalline mesophase comprising the non-ionic surfactants, wherein the precursor is essentially located in the continuous phase;   coating or depositing the mixture onto a metal substrate; and   converting the precursor of the predetermined material.   
     
     
         33 . A continuous process for manufacturing a porous material, comprising:
 mixing a surfactant with a nickel salt or organonickel complex to form a mixture;   adding a silver halide and a developing agent or reducing agent into the mixture;   coating or depositing the mixture onto a flexible substrate;   reacting the silver halide with the developing agent or reducing agent under illumination; and   converting the nickel salt or organonickel complex to obtain nickel hydroxide.   
     
     
         34 . The continuous process of  claim 33 , wherein the developing agent or reducing agent comprises an organic compound. 
     
     
         35 . The continuous process of  claim 33 , wherein the developing agent or reducing agent comprises hydroquinone, aminophenol, phenylenediamine, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         36 . The continuous process of  claim 33 , wherein the developing agent or reducing agent comprises methyl p-aminophenol, N-methyl-p-aminophenol salt, 1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidinone, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         37 . A continuous process for manufacturing an electrode, comprising:
 mixing a surfactant with a nickel salt or organonickel complex to form a mixture;   adding a silver halide and a developing agent or reducing agent into the mixture;   coating or depositing the mixture onto a metal substrate;   reacting the silver halide with developing agent or reducing agent under illumination; and   converting nickel salt or organonickel complex to obtain nickel hydroxide.