Abstract: A pipe bell-end ring flare device for use with a mandrel to form bell ends with a flared outer edge in plastic pipe sections either as part of the pipe manufacturing process or subsequent to the manufacturing process. The flared edge creating a wider bell end opening to make it easier to insert a non-bell end of another pipe into the flared bell end.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, an electrode includes a body of material formed in substantial part of carbon, the body having an exterior surface and an interior located within the exterior surface, and a plurality cavities located in the interior of the body. Each of the cavities is in communication with the exterior of the body and has an interior surface. The cavities can each be sized to accommodate a battery separator located therein and substantially covering the interior surface of the cavity.

Abstract: A method for forming a balloon provides a preform that encloses an internal space. The preform is pre-heated to a shaping temperature by passing a heated gas or fluid via an inlet of the preform into the internal space. The preform is then shaped the preform into a balloon. A device is configured to heat a preform using heated gas or fluid to decouple heating from the temperature of a shaping tool.

Abstract: Disclosed are polyurethane-based foams. The foams may have one or more vicrucidal/bactericidal agents. The foams may be used as filters that capture and/or inactivate viral particles, such as, virions associated with COVID-19. Also described are methods of making the foams and methods of using the foams.

Abstract: A battery separator includes a polyolefin microporous membrane and a porous layer placed on at least one surface of the polyolefin microporous membrane. The polyolefin microporous membrane has a variation range of an F25 value in a longitudinal direction of 1 MPa or less. The F25 value indicates a value obtained by dividing a load value measured at 25% elongation of a specimen with use of a tensile tester by a cross-sectional area of the specimen. The porous layer contains a fluorine-based resin and an inorganic particle and has an average thickness T(ave) of 1 to 5 ?m.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a secondary battery electrode manufacturing device including a slurry supply unit for supplying a secondary battery electrode mixture slurry, an electrode mixture layer forming mold configured to have a hollow structure having a first open surface and a second open surface, the first open surface and the second open surface being opposite each other, the electrode mixture slurry supplied from the slurry supply unit being injected into a hollow region of the electrode mixture layer forming mold, a drying unit for drying the electrode mixture slurry injected into the hollow region of the electrode mixture layer forming mold, a press for pressing the dried electrode mixture slurry to form an electrode mixture layer sheet, and a mold support unit for supporting the electrode mixture layer forming mold in the state in which the top surface of the mold support unit faces the first open surface of the electrode mixture layer forming mold.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for making a housing for a mobile communication device, comprising: step S1: mixing a zirconia ceramic powder, a solvent and a binder to form a mixed slurry; step S2: tape-casting the mixed slurry to form a single layer of base membrane band, and then preparing at least one layer of laminated membrane band on the base membrane band by lamination and isostatic pressing, so as to form a laminated body; step S3: debinding, sintering and hot-bending the laminated body to obtain a compact ceramic housing for a mobile communication device; wherein step S3 is performed in one common step combining sintering and hot bending or by hot bending a flat sample, which has beneficial effects such as high yield, low production cost, good product compactness, good fracture toughness, and good flexural strength, etc.

Abstract: A battery separator includes a polyolefin microporous membrane having a width of 100 mm or more, and a porous layer laminated on at least one surface of the polyolefin microporous membrane. The polyolefin microporous membrane has a variation range of an F25 value in a width direction of 1 MPa or less, and the F25 value indicates a value obtained by dividing a load value measured at 25% elongation of a specimen with use of a tensile tester by a cross-sectional area of the specimen. The porous layer contains a fluorine-based resin and an inorganic particle.

Abstract: A long-length film formed of a resin containing a polymer having crystailizability, wherein the long-length film has an orientation axis perpendicular to a long side direction of the long-length film, the long-length film has an Nz factor Nz1 satisfying (formula 1), the long-length film has a birefringence ?n satisfying (formula 2), and the polymer has a crystallization degree X satisfying (formula 3): 1.0?Nz1?1.15??(formula 1) 0.01??n?0.1??(formula 2) 15%?X??(formula 3).

Abstract: A polyolefin microporous membrane is disclosed. The membrane has a width of not less than 100 mm, and a variation range of an F25 value in a width direction is not greater than 1 MPa. The F25 value is a value obtained by dividing a load at 25% elongation of a sample of the laminated polyolefin microporous membrane as measured with a tensile testing machine by a cross-sectional area of the sample.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in preparing heterostructures having a reduced concentration of defects including apparatus for stressing semiconductor substrates to allow them to conform to a crystal having a different crystal lattice constant.

Abstract: A forming and trimming tool (100) operable to form and trim a composite material part. The tool includes a lower die (150), a core (115) mounted to the lower die, at least one lower pressure pad (120) mounted to the lower die, and a cutter (125) mounted to the lower die. Additionally, the tool includes an upper die (105), a cavity mounted to the upper die, and at least one upper pressure pad (110) mounted to the upper die.

Abstract: Antistatic polymers include divalent segments having the formulas (I) and (II) and wherein R1 represents an alkyl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, R2 and R3 represent alkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R4 represents an alkylene group having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and R5 independently represents H or methyl. Methods of making antistatic polymers are also disclosed.

Abstract: A polymer workpiece is described. The workpiece has an upper main surface, a lower main surface, an injection-mold separating surface and a flow attack edge surface. The flow attack edge surface is formed in the region between the injection-mold separating surface and the lower main surface as a planar surface with an angle ? with respect to the injection-mold separating surface of 20° to 70°, and/or deviates by an amount a from 0.0 mm to 0.5 mm from the planar surface.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for screw removal from bone plates used in osteosynthesis. The method includes the steps of: performing an incision in the soft tissue surrounding an implanted bone screw having a screw head inserted in an elongated plate hole of a bone plate; positioning an expandable tip of the apparatus in a portion of the plate hole which is not occupied by the bone screw and in the proximity of the screw head of the bone screw, wherein the expandable tip is in an unexpanded position; and widening the plate hole in a lateral direction essentially perpendicular to a major axis of the elongated plate hole by expanding the expandable tip of the apparatus from the unexpanded position to an expanded position.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing carbon fiber bundles excellent in productivity without impairing the quality in the process for producing carbon fibers. The method includes a flame-retarding step, a precarbonization step, and a carbonization step. When traveling pitches of the fiber bundles in the flame-retarding step, precarbonization step and carbonization step are represented by P1, P2 and P3, respectively, 0.8?P2/P1?1.0 and 0.4?P3/P1?0.8 are satisfied; when traveling pitches of the fiber bundles at the inlet and the outlet of a heat treatment section of a precarbonization furnace are represented by P11 and P12, respectively, 0.40?(P12/P11)?0.90 is satisfied; or when traveling pitches of the fiber bundles at the inlet and the outlet of a heat treatment section of a carbonization furnace are represented by P13 and P14, 0.40?(P14/P13)?0.90 is satisfied.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a cellulose ester film which satisfies the requirement 0.95<plasticizer content of A surface/plasticizer content of B surface<1.05, provided that A surface represents one surface of the cellulose ester film and B surface represents the other surface, has a high sound velocity of the film and is excellent in light leakage and color unevenness, and a film-forming method of this cellulose ester film. The cellulose ester film of the present invention, which contains a cellulose ester, is characterized by satisfying the requirement 0.95<plasticizer content of A surface/plasticizer content of B surface<1.05, provided that A surface represents one surface of the cellulose ester film and B surface represents the other surface, and having a sound velocity along at least one of a film transport direction and the lateral direction at 23.° C. 55% RH of 2.0-2.7 km/s.

Abstract: Polyolefin block and graft copolymers comprised of two or more semicrystalline polyolefin blocks or grafts and one or more amorphous polyolefin blocks can be blended with a low molecular weight fluid diluent that preferentially locates within and swells the amorphous domains of the block or graft copolymer, while preserving the crystallinity of the semicrystalline block domains. After mechanical or thermomechanical processing, such compositions combine softness with high strength and high recoverable elasticity. Compositions are also disclosed whereby the diluent species is removed from the composition, either before or after the mechanical or thermomechanical processing, in order to create a strong elastic material with an ultra-low entanglement density within the amorphous domains.

Abstract: A film (F) is transported with one end side in a width direction moved relatively in a preceding manner and the other end side moved relatively in a delayed manner and thus the film (F) is stretched in an oblique direction with respect to the width direction. In the individual positions of the film (F) in the width direction, the film (F) is asymmetrically heated in the width direction such that the amount of displacement (?L) of an orientation angle from a desired angle caused by bowing (Bo) asymmetrically produced in the width direction by the stretching of the film (F) in the oblique direction is reduced, and thus a maximum value in the temperature distribution of the film (F) is present between a center portion in the width direction and any one of end portions.

Abstract: The present invention concerns yarns comprising copolymer derived from the copolymerization of para-phenylenediamine, 5(6)-amino-2-(p-aminophenyl)benzimidazole; and terephthaloyl dichloride wherein the ratio of moles of 5(6)-amino-2-(p-aminophenyl)benzimidazole to the moles of para-phenylenediamine is 30/70 to 85/15; the yarn having a sulfur content greater than 0.1%; and the hydrolytic strength retention of the yarn is greater than 60%. The invention also concerns processes for making such yarns.

Abstract: The invention relates to tunable elastomeric nanochannels for nanofluidic manipulation. In particular, the present invention relates to nanochannels for performing biological assays.

Abstract: A molded article selected from the group consisting of (1) a sheet or a film, (2) a thermoformed article, (3) a stretched film, wherein the molded article is made of a polyester resin composition containing a polyester resin and a polyester-based plasticizer represented by the following formula (I): R1O—CO—R2—CO—[(OR3)mO—CO—R2—CO—]nOR1 (I), wherein R1 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R2 is an alkylene group having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms, R3 is an alkylene group having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, m is the number of from 1 to 6, and n is the number of from 1 to 12, with proviso that all the R2's may be identical or different, and that all the R3's may be identical or different.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for producing a three-dimensional preform (19) from a fibre fabric (1) as part of production of fibre-reinforced formed components, comprising a draping device (3) and a transport device (21) for the fibre fabric (1), wherein said draping device (3) at least comprises a draping form (18) for a fibre fabric (3) and means, movable in relation to the draping form (18), for reshaping the fibre fabric (3) on the basis of the contour of the draping form (18). The problem addressed by the invention is that of ensuring swift yet high-quality reshaping, particularly of large-area and/or complex geometries of a preform. To solve the method problem, the invention states that the transport device (21) successively releases the fibre fabric (1) in the direction of the draping form (18) and the released regions of the fibre fabric (1) are fixed and/or draped on the draping form by means of a fixing stamp (4) and/or a draping stamp (5).

Abstract: A material layering device may include a first pinning roller and a second pinning roller. A distance between the first pinning roller and the second pinning roller is less than a diameter of a substrate. The device also includes a return system, wherein the return system comprises a plurality of rollers. The device also includes a belt, which may have a first loop portion disposed between and protruding beyond the first pinning roller and the second pinning roller. The first loop portion also wraps about an intended substrate along an arc greater than about 180 degrees. The device further includes a feed portion coupled to the first loop and extending outwardly from the second pinning roller opposite the first loop and providing a surface upon which a sheet can be placed. Furthermore, the device also includes an adjustment mechanism coupled to one of the rollers.

Abstract: A method for using a Poisson's ratio material includes a carbon nanotube film structure is provided. The carbon nanotube film structure includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes. A first part of the carbon nanotubes are aligned a first direction, a second part of the carbon nanotubes are aligned a second direction. The first direction is substantially perpendicular to second direction. When the Poisson's ratio material is stretched or compressed substantially along the first or second direction, a Poisson's ratio value is negative.

Abstract: This invention relates to a multi-stage stretching operation for production of expanded stretched porous polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) fibrous materials with minimal node size and minimized filament sizes. A plurality of stretching or expansions may be implemented on the film including combinations of MDO and TDO stretches including at least two longitudinal stretches and at least one transverse stretch. Subsequent stretches occur at rates generally less than a prior similar longitudinal or transverse type of expansion.

Abstract: A method for producing a film having a fine irregular pattern intermittently includes feeding a film to be processed intermittently from upstream side to the vicinity of the surface of a die having a fine irregular pattern, transferring the pattern to the surface of the film by pressing the film against the surface of a die, stripping the processed film on which a pattern is formed from the surface of a die, and then feeding a new film to be processed to the die, wherein the processed film is stripped from the surface of a die by gripping and moving the processed film to the upstream side, and then the processed film is fed by a length of intermittent feed to the surface of a die while preventing the processed film from creasing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a biaxially oriented microporous film composed of at least three coextruded layers encompassing an internal cut-off layer and two external layers, wherein all three layers contain a mixture of propylene homopolymer and propylene block copolymer and ?-nucleation agent. The propylene block copolymer I of the external layers has a melting point exceeding 140° C. and the propylene block copolymer II of the internal layer has a melting range starting at a temperature ranging from 50 to 120° C. and the melting point of the propylene block copolymer I is greater than the melting point of the propylene block copolymer II.

Abstract: Provided is a method for reproducibly and efficiently producing a polyolefin porous film having a porous structure suitable for a separator for a battery without requiring a special apparatus. The method according to the present invention is a method for producing a polyolefin porous film, the method including conveying a raw material polyolefin sheet having pores into a furnace of a tenter type stretching machine, and tenter-stretching the sheet in a plurality of stretching regions in the furnace to produce a polyolefin porous film, wherein the plurality of stretching regions include at least two stretching regions having different film widening speeds, and the temperature of a stretching region having a high film widening speed is lower than that of a stretching region having a low film widening speed in the at least two stretching regions, and a stretching region having the highest film widening speed is situated in the front stage with respect to a stretching region having the lowest film widening speed.

Abstract: A method of making a sheet of building material, useful for roofing or siding applications, and the sheet material made by such method. A mixture of a thermoplastic resin and mineral filler is prepared, the resin comprising about 10% to 40% by weight of the mixture and the filler comprising about 60% to 90% by weight. The mixture is mixed at a temperature above the melting point of the resin and is formed into a sheet at such temperature. The sheet is allowed to cool until the surface is at a temperature below the midpoint of the melting range of the thermoplastic resin, e.g. in the range of 210 to 220 degrees F. (99 to 104 degrees C.), for polyethylene, at which point it is strained by passing it through calendering rollers. The sheet material made by this process, having a high concentration of mineral filler, is fire resistant, durable, ductile, of moderate weight and resistant to weathering. It can be produced using relatively inexpensive manufacturing equipment.

Abstract: A hinge element has at least one planar structure made of a thermoplastic material. Following a stretching process, the thermoplastic material undergoes a shrinking process under the effects of heat.

Abstract: A method for preparing a flexible film substrate with a low glass transition temperature can be used in the production of an article that retains dimensions and improves the surface smoothness after high temperature processing. The invention, for example, would enable low temperature films such as PET and PEN to be dimensionally stable and ultra flat at conditions commonly used in electronic processing which can typically exceed 200° C. More specifically, the methods enable the use of e.g. barrier films based on PET or PEN in OLED/PLED manufacturing.

Abstract: Thin PTFE layers are described having little or no node and fibril microstructure and methods of manufacturing PTFE layers are disclosed that allow for controllable permeability and porosity of the layers. In some embodiments, the PTFE layers may act as a barrier layer in an endovascular graft or other medical device.

Abstract: Fibrous materials and methods of manufacturing fibrous materials are disclosed. In particular, this application discloses methods of making and processing serially deposited fibrous structures, such as serially deposited fibrous mats. Serially deposited fibrous mats may be used in implantable medical devices with various characteristics and features. Serially deposited fibrous mats of various mat thickness, fiber size, porosity, pore size, and fiber density are disclosed. Additionally, serially deposited fibrous mats having various amounts of fiber structures (such as intersections, branches, and bundles) per unit area are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides a piezoelectric polymer material comprising a helical chiral polymer having a weight average molecular weight of from 50,000 to 1,000,000 and optical activity, the piezoelectric polymer material having: crystallinity as obtained by a DSC method of from 20% to 80%; a transmission haze with respect to visible light of 50% or less; and a product of the crystallinity and a standardized molecular orientation MORc, which is measured with a microwave transmission-type molecular orientation meter at a reference thickness of 50 ?m, of from 40 to 700.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for obtaining high-tenacity aramid yarn, wherein the yarn is made of a copolymer obtained from a mixture of monomers comprising DAPBI, an aromatic para-diamine, and an aromatic para-diacid, wherein the yarn is heated in at least two process steps, characterized in that in a first step the yarn is heated at a temperature of 200 to 360° C. at a tension of at least 0.2 cN/dtex, followed by a second step wherein the yarn is heated at a temperature of 370 to 500° C. at a tension of less than 1 cN/dtex. The invention further pertains to a multifilament aramid yarn spun from a sulfuric acid spin dope and having a tenacity of at least 2500 mN/tex.

Abstract: Disclosed is a bottle for containing a beverage which has plastic body. The bottle includes a bottom surface having a non-sliding element located to be in contact with a surface when the bottle is in the upright position. In addition or alternately, the bottle includes a neck portion which has at least two spaced apart circumferential ribs. Preferably, each of the ribs is disposed normal to a vertical axis of the bottle in its upright position. In another embodiment of the invention, the ribs are continuous along the exterior of the neck.

Abstract: A method for stretching a carbon nanotube film includes providing one or more carbon nanotube films and one or more elastic supporters, attaching at least one portion of the one or more carbon nanotube films to the one or more elastic supporters, and stretching the elastic supporters.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a microporous polyolefin film useable as a battery separator, which is easy to control strength, permeability and shrinking properties of the microporous film and embodies excellent quality uniformity and production stability in fabricating the microporous film.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a polyethylene film and a process for manufacturing such film. The polyethylene film may have a ratio between the strength in a first direction in the film plane and the strength in a second direction in the film plane perpendicular to the first direction in the range of 0.1-10:1, the strength in at least one direction being at least 0.2 Gpa. The process for manufacturing a polyethylene film may have a starting UHMWPE polymer with an average molecular weight of at least 500,000 grams/mole, an elastic shear modulus determined directly after melting at 160° C. of at most 1.4 MPa, and a Mw/Mn ratio of at most 6 to a solvent-free compacting process and a stretching process under such conditions that at no point during the process the temperature of the intermediate polymer film is raised to a value above its melting point.

Abstract: A method for laying carbon nanotube film includes following steps. A carbon nanotube film is provided. The carbon nanotube film includes a number of carbon nanotube strings substantially parallel to each other and extending along a first direction. The carbon nanotube film is stretched along a second direction substantially perpendicular with the first direction to form a deformation along the second direction. The carbon nanotube film is placed on a surface of a substrate. The deformation along the second direction is kept.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to a tire innerliner comprising a dynamically vulcanized alloy of an elastomer and an engineering resin; wherein the innerliner is contoured. The disclosure further relates to methods of making such innerliners and tires made from such innerliners.

Abstract: Disclosed is a shrink film containing a copolyester having a minimum crystallization half-time of at least 8.6 minutes and a polyester plasticizer having a weight-average molecular weight of 900 to 12,000 g/mol. The polyester plasticizer includes (i) a polyol component comprising residues of a polyol having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and (ii) a diacid component comprising residues of a dicarboxylic acid having 4 to 12 carbon atoms.

Abstract: Flexible tubular film (10) is helically cut into a flat strip by unwinding the tubular film in flattened form by a tumbling unwinder (1), advancing the flat film tube to a tube expansion zone (17) in which the flat tube is expanded into a circular cylindrical tube and is passed axially over a hollow mandrel (14) slightly lower in external diameter than the diameter of the expanded tube to be cut by knife (18) helically while on the mandrel into a flat strip that is removed at an angle to the mandrel axis. The flat tube is longitudinally stretched by stretching rollers (107-112), which tumble with the tumbling unwinder. The apparatus further comprises stabilization means for stabilizing the orientation applied by the tumbling stretching rollers, applied to the helically cut film strip after it has been drawn from the mandrel.

Abstract: A method of producing a stretched film comprising melt-coextruding a thermoplastic resin A and a thermoplastic resin B to produce a composite film 1 having both-end films 2 of the thermoplastic resin B arranged in parallel at both end portions of the main film 1a of the thermoplastic resin A in the direction of width thereof, stretching the composite film, and cutting and removing both end portions of the stretched film in the direction of width, wherein a film stretch stress value of the both-end films 2 is larger than a film stretch stress value of the main film 1a at the same stretching ratio. This minimizes an increase in the thickness at both end portions of the film in stretching the film and decreases the widths by which both end portions of the expensive resin film are to be cut and removed for producing a film.

Abstract: A nonwoven composite that exhibits latent elastic properties is provided. The composite is formed from a multi-layered, elastic film laminated to a nonwoven web facing. Latent elasticity is imparted to the composite through the use of at least one base layer that contains a thermoplastic elastomer and at least one skin layer that contains a propylene/?-olefin copolymer. During formation, the film is stretched in one or more directions to orient the elastomer chains. Without intending to be limited by theory, the present inventors believe that the oriented state of the chains may be held in place by the relatively stiff semi-crystalline domains of the propylene/?-olefin copolymer. The stretched elastic film may subsequently be relaxed and bonded to a nonwoven web facing to form the composite. The composite may be later activated (e.g., heated at or above the softening point of the copolymer) to soften the crystalline domains and allow the chains to return to their unoriented state.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermoforming device for thermoforming a product (1) from a plastic foil (23), and to a corresponding method. The invention relates particularly to a thermoforming process and device in which a slot (2) is arranged in a product (1) to be formed. The invention also relates to a product (1), particularly a flowerpot, manufactured using this thermoforming device or method. The thermoforming device is characterized in that the cutting sleeve (10) and cutting plate (7) and/or hold-down element (8) define an auxiliary cutting line through which the plastic foil (23) is cut in order to arrange a slot (2) in the product (1) to be formed. The functions of slot-forming and product-foil separation are hereby performed by substantially the same components.

Abstract: Systems and processes for die-cutting stretched base films are disclosed. In some examples, the systems can include fixed or adjustable die-cut heads that are offset from one another based on an amount of distortion of the base film. Systems and processes for reducing the amount of distortion or shrinking of base films are also disclosed. In some examples, the processes can include pre-shrinking the base film by exposing the film to elevated temperatures sufficient to shrink the film. The pre-shrinking can be performed on the base film material alone, or can be applied during subsequent annealing stages. The pre-shrinking can be used alone or in combination with the offset die-cutters.

Abstract: A water-proof sound-transmitting membrane 10 includes a polytetrafluoroethylene porous membrane 1 and has a surface density of 1 to 20 g/m2. The polytetrafluoroethylene porous membrane 1 includes a first porous layer 1a, and a second porous layer 1b stacked on and integrated with the first porous layer 1a by a binding force acting between polytetrafluoroethylene matrices.

Abstract: Provided are a shape-retaining film which has excellent adhesion to inks and other functional layers while retaining high shape-retaining properties and a process for producing the shape-retaining film. The shape-retaining film comprises an ethylene homopolymer or an ethylene/a-olefin copolymer having a C3-6 a-olefin content less than 2 wt. %, the ethylene homopolymer or copolymer having a density of 950 kg/m3 or higher and a weight-average molecular weight (Mw)/number-average molecular weight (Mn) ratio of 5-20. The film has a tensile elasticity modulus of 6-50 GPa and has either an angle of recovery from 90 bending of 8 or less or an angle of recovery from 180 bending of 65 or less.