1. A non-toxic, environmentally benign artificial snow comprising fine fragments of a material extruded from a mixture comprising:
starch 80% to 90% by volume;
polyvinyl alcohol 10% to 15% by volume;
talc 0% to 2\xbd% by volume;
hydrogenated soy flakes 0% to 2\xbd% by volume; and
colorant 0% to 5% by volume.
2. Artificial snow according to claim 1 comprising a colorant.
3. Artificial snow according to claim 2 wherein the colorant is a food coloring.
4. Artificial snow according to claim 2 wherein the artificial snow is one of pink, red, green, blue and yellow in color.
5. Artificial snow according to claim 1 having a water saturation in the range of 5% to 15%.
6. Artificial snow according to claim 1 having water saturation of up to 13%.
7. A method for making artificial snow comprising:
extruding a mixture comprising starch, polyvinyl alcohol and talc to yield an extruded product;
smashing the extruded product into fragments; and
sorting the fragments by size.
8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the mixture comprises hydrogenated soy flakes.
9. A method according to claim 7 wherein the extruded mixture has a water saturation in the range of 5% to 15%.
10. A method according to claim 7 wherein the extruded mixture has a water saturation of up to 13%.
11. A method according to claim 7 comprising packing the fragments in an anti-static package.
12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the anti-static package comprises a bag having an outer layer, an inner layer and an electrically-conductive anti-static layer between the inner and outer layers.
13. A method according to claim 7 comprising, after smashing the extruded product into fragments, sorting the fragments by size.
14. A method according to claim 7 comprising, after smashing the extruded product into fragments, urging the fragments in a flow of air to pass through a curved section of a channel wherein the channel has a fine screen on an outside periphery of the curved section.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A polymer electrolyte composite film, which contains a block copolymer comprising:
a hydrophilic block and a hydrophobic block; and
a solid acid,
wherein the polymer electrolyte composite film has a microphase separation structure comprising:
a hydrophilic domain formed from the hydrophilic block, and
a hydrophobic domain formed from the hydrophobic block, and
wherein the solid acid is localized in the hydrophilic domain.
2. The polymer electrolyte composite film according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic block comprises an ion conductive component and the hydrophobic block comprises an ion non-conductive component.
3. The polymer electrolyte composite film according to claim 1, wherein the microphase separation structure is a structure in which a continuous phase comprising the hydrophilic domain is present in a matrix comprising the hydrophobic domain.
4. The polymer electrolyte composite film according to claim 1, wherein the solid acid is a heteropolyacid.
5. A membrane-electrode assembly, which comprises the polymer electrolyte composite film according to claim 1.
6. A fuel cell, which comprises the polymer electrolyte composite film according to claim 1.
7. A process for producing a polymer electrolyte composite film, the process comprising the steps of:
applying to a substrate surface a solution, which contains a block copolymer comprising a hydrophilic block and a hydrophobic block, a solid acid, and a solvent; and
evaporating the solvent contained in the solution applied to the substrate surface.