Patent ID: 7893125

Claim:
A method of producing a crosslinked polymer gel comprising: a) mixing at least one polymer with an organic solvent to produce a polymer solution, suspension or emulsion, wherein said at least one polymer is selected from the group consisting of: polyarylene oxide; a mixture of polyarylene oxide and at least one of polyalkylene oxide and polyglycidyl ether; and a copolymer of polyarylene oxide and at least one of polyalkylene oxide and polyglycidyl ether; b) dissolving a photoinitiator and a crosslinking agent in said organic solvent to produce a photoinitiator/crosslinking agent solution; c) mixing said photoinitiator/crosslinking agent solution with said polymer solution, suspension or emulsion to produce a crosslinkable solution, suspension or emulsion; and d) crosslinking said crosslinkable solution, suspension or emulsion with γ-radiation and/or ultraviolet (UV)-radiation to produce said crosslinked polymer gel, wherein said organic solvent is not a chemical reactant in said crosslinking.