TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The poly(o-hydroxy amide) polymer comprises pendent phenolic hydroxyl groups ortho to an amide nitrogen. (I) comprises: aryl repeating units of a formula (1a); and many first aryl repeating units of formula (2a).Ar1 = benzene-1,2,4,5-tetrayl, biphenyl-3,3',4,4'-tetrayl or a phenyl group of formula (a);Ar2 = biphenyl-4,4'-diol group or hydroxy phenyl group of formula (b) (both preferred) or benzene-1,3-diol group,R = -C(CF3)2-, -C(CH3)2-, -S(=O)2-, O or S, preferably -C(CF3)2- in (II); andAr1a = diphenyl ether group, diphenyl ketone group, diphenylsulfone group, diphenyl di(trifluoromethyl)methane group, diphenyl di(methyl)methane group, naphthalene group, 1-(1-methyl-1-(4-phenoxyphenyl)ethyl)-4-phenoxy-benzene group, 1,4-diphenoxy-benzene group, biphenyl group, benzene-1,3-diyl, 2-benzoyloxyethyl benzoate group or diphenyl sulfide group, where in (II), Ar1a is preferably diphenyl ether group, diphenyl ketone group, diphenylsulfone group or diphenyl di(trifluoromethyl)methane group.Preferred Process: The process further comprises crosslinking (I). The step of crosslinking is carried out by UV crosslinking of (I), where (I) comprises UV crosslinkable functional groups. The process further comprises coating a selective layer surface of (I) with a thin layer of a material comprising a polysiloxane, a fluoro-polymer, a thermally curable silicone rubber or a UV radiation curable epoxy silicone. (I) is fabricated into a geometry comprising flat sheet, spiral wound, disk, tube, hollow fiber or thin film composite. EXAMPLE - Poly(o-hydroxy amide) synthesized by polycondensation of 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl)-hexafluoropropane with 4,4'-oxydibenzoyl chloride (PA(APAF-ODBC)) (7.5 g) dissolved in solvent mixture of 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (10 g) and 1,3-dioxolane (5 g). The mixture was mechanically stirred for 2 hours. The resulting homogeneous casting dope was allowed to degas overnight. The PA(APAFODBC) polymer membrane was prepared from the bubble free casting dope on a clean glass plate using a doctor knife with a 20-mil gap. The membrane together with the glass plate was then put into a vacuum oven. The solvents were removed and the membrane was dried 150 degrees C under vacuum for at least 48 hours to completely remove the residual solvents to form PA(APAF-ODBC) polymer membrane. The PA(APAF-ODBC) polymer membrane was thermally heated at 50-350 degrees C at a heating rate of 3 degrees C/minutes under nitrogen flow. The membrane was held for 1 hour at 350 degrees C and then cooled down to 50 degrees C at a heating rate of 3 degrees C/minutes under nitrogen flow to give polybenzoxazole polymer membrane.