Abstract: The present invention provides powder fluidization additives for increasing flowability of fine powders. The powder fluidization additives have both a smaller size than the fine powder and a mean apparent particle density less than the mean apparent particle density of the fine powder. The particles of the additive act to separate the fine powder particles and reduce interparticle forces allowing the flowability of the fine powder to be increased.

Abstract: Hollow polymeric structures with unique morphologies are manufactured with a rotational spinning technique wherein phase separation of soluble solutions is induced within a filled mold as it is rotated. As phase-separation occurs, an increase in density of one phase results in sediment at a periphery under centrifugal forces and after or during sedimentation, gelation of phase-separated particles fixes a tube morphology. By controlling the rotational speed and the formulation chemistry, the tube dimensions and wall morphology can be manipulated. The method requires small quantities of starting material, permits multi-layering of tubes, is applicable to diverse polymers and results in highly diffusive hollow structures while maintaining good mechanical strength.

Abstract: A nanocomposite material having a plurality of core particles formed of a core material. The core material has a first glass transition temperature. A shell encapsulates each core particle. The shell is formed of a shell material that has a second glass transition temperature less than the first glass transition temperature. When subjected to a temperature greater than the second glass transition temperature and less than the first glass transition temperature, the shells form a continuous matrix surrounding the core particles. The shell material includes a functional component that can be activated in response to an external excitation. This functional component can include either photosensitive, semiconductor, magnetic, piezoelectric or electro-active components just to mention a few. The different components may be chemically or physically bound to the shell or cores. These nanocomposite materials are used as storage media.

Abstract: A process for the production of oxygenated C2 hydrocarbons from cellulose is disclosed. The input cellulose waste is gasified using steam in the absence of air and the primary gaseous products of carbon monoxide and hydrogen are subjected to heat, pressure, and catalysts to form methyl alcohol. Carbon monoxide is added to the methyl alcohol and further subjected to heat, pressure and catalysts to form acetic acid. The acetic acid is purified using a distillation tower, and removed for sale. Output production is increased by adding further carbon monoxide and hydrogen from burners used to heat the gasifiers. Further carbon monoxide and hydrogen are also produced by steam gasification of the carbon residue to promote a water/gas shift. These gases are fed into the gas stream produced by the gasification of cellulose, and provide more feedstock for the reactions.

Abstract: The present invention provides highly branched block copolymers comprising branched soft segments with a low glass-transition temperature (Tg) and hard segments with a high Tg or crystalline melting point that exhibit thermoplastic elastomeric properties. More particularly the invention provides a highly branched block copolymer of a polyisoolefin and a polymonovinylidene arene characterized by having thermoplastic elastomeric properties wherein the aforesaid block copolymer comprises a highly branched polyisoolefin block and some of the branches of the aforesaid polyisoolefin block terminate in polymonovinylidene arene endblocks.

Abstract: Linear copolymers of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon monomers. The present invention provides linear copolymers and terpolymers of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon monomers, and particularly the invention provides a linear copolymers, of fluoromonomers, such as tetrafluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, or vinylidene fluoride, with hydrocarbon monomers, such as vinyl acetate, acrylic acid ethyl acetate or tertiary butyl acrylate. The copolymers were synthesized by polymerization by a free radical mechanism in supercritical carbon dioxide and they are linear because of synthesis in carbon dioxide. The copolymer composition was controlled by the monomer feed concentration to have between 7 and 71 mol % TFE. Additionally, new and predominantly linear co- and terpolymers were prepared by hydrolysis and trans-esterification of the latter copolymers. Furthermore, neither surfactants nor dispersing agents are required to produce the linear copolymers, but may be used.

Abstract: A novel multimode fiber structure with modal propagation characteristics tailored to facilitate the creation of narrowband, high reflectivity, fiber Bragg gratings is disclosed. The fiber structure comprises concentric cylindrical shells of higher and lower refractive index material. A full vector, second order finite element method is used to analyze the proposed multimode fiber structure. Simulations of the modal profiles show that high order modes are localized to particular high refractive index shells. We present the theoretical characterization of the modal propagation constant as a function of inner shell radius, shell separation, and harmonic mode parameter. It is shown that a fiber with a minimum inner shell radius of at least 25&lgr; (where &lgr; is the vacuum wavelength), and a minimum shell separation of at least 10&lgr; provides a reasonable trade off between fiber size and grating performance.

Abstract: A wave generating apparatus for generating waves in, for example, beds, chairs and the like. The wave generating apparatus can be constructed to include a motor and crank assembly connected to a flexible sheet and a stationary inertial member. The apparatus includes a flexible member and an oscillatory drive attached to the flexible member. The oscillatory drive includes a crank assembly having an axis of rotation and at least two link members each having opposed first and second end portions. The two link members are spaced apart a first pre-selected distance from each other and each is rigidly attached at their respective first end portions to the flexible member; and at least one elongate beam.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fluidized bed for dispensing small quantities of powders. The fluidized bed is made using a porous housing to permit injection and removal of fluid through the surrounding walls to improve the operation of the bed particularly for small particles of the group C size, including significantly reducing powder adhesion to the walls. In one aspect of the invention the fluidized bed housing is rotated about its longitudinal axis, which may be oriented at any suitable angle. A system for changing the volume of the bed is described as is a system for incorporating injection nozzles within the bed for constant agitation and prevention of powder adhering to the walls of the housing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a simple design for a temperature-insensitive extrinsic polarimetric strain sensor. The sensing element is a thin sheet of photoelastic material that is bonded to the test object. It is illuminated with linearly polarized light with the polarization direction at 45 degrees relative to the strain-induced fast and slow axes in the photoelastic material. The sensor measures the difference between the strains along these two orthogonal directions. The reduced sensitivity of the sensor to temperature results from the fact that the illumination is perpendicular to the surface of the test object. All polarization components that are parallel to the surface will experience identical refractive index changes due to thermal effects. Consequently, a measurement of the difference in strains along two directions in the surface plane is insensitive to temperature.

Abstract: A turbine motor of the present invention includes a noise reduction system. The turbine motor includes a housing, a motor, a cooling fan, an air intake assembly, an exhaust assembly, an air intake motor cover assembly and a conduit. The motor is positioned in the housing and the motor has an air intake. The cooling fan is attached to the motor and is for cooling it. The air intake assembly is proximate to the cooling fan and is attached to the housing. The exhaust assembly is proximate to the cooling fan and is attached to the housing. The air intake motor cover assembly is proximate to the air intake on the motor and is attached to the housing. The conduit extends between the air intake assembly and the air intake motor cover.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laser processing and autofocusing system that measures the position of the work-piece at the machining spot, to allow the laser processing of work-pieces which are not flat and have surface variations, with the autofocusing system being able to compensate for these variations. During laser machining, it is desirable to keep the laser focus at the same height with respect to the surface of the sample for the best possible machining quality. Not all samples are flat, though, and it thus becomes necessary to map the surface of the sample accurately and to correct the focusing of the laser beam on the fly. The system includes a processing laser beam directed onto the surface at normal incidence and a light line projected onto the surface in the vicinity of the area being machined but at an angle with respect to the surface normal. The focusing optics for the machining laser and light line generator are fixed relative to each other on a positioning stage.

Abstract: Variable melting point solders and brazes having compositions comprising a metal or metal alloy powder having a low melting point with a metal powder having a higher melting point. Upon heating, in-situ alloying occurs between the low and high melting point powders such that solidification occurs at the solder or braze temperature thus creating a new, higher solidus (or melting) temperature with little or no intermetallic formation. A solder comprising Sn powder mixed with a Sn—Bi eutectic powder having a composition of 63 wt % Sn:57 wt % Bi such that the bulk composition of the mixture is 3 wt % Bi has an initial melting point of 140° C. and a re-melt temperature of 220° C. after heating due to in-situ alloying. A composition of Pb powder mixed with a Pb—Sn eutectic powder having a composition of 62 wt % Sn:58 wt % Pb such that the bulk composition of the mixture is 15 wt % Sn has an initial melting point of 183° C. and a re-melt temperature of 250° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to photonic band gap (PBG) materials and more specifically, it describes a new type of photonic crystal structure which exhibits a large and complete three-dimensional PBG. This PBG is highly robust to the effects of disorder. The photonic crystal has a tetragonal or hexagonal lattice symmetry and is comprised of a lattice of polygonal spiral posts of a high refractive Index material in a low index background. The corresponding inverse structure comprises a lattice of low refractive index posts in a high refractive index background also has a very large PBG. These new photonic crystals exhibit very large (up to 23.6% when made of silicon and nearly 29% when made of germanium) complete 3D photonic band gaps. The posts exhibit a spiral profile and all the spiral posts wind in phase with each other. The identity of the winding phase from one post to the next makes the present invention amenable to micro-fabrcation using the Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and devices for time division multiplexing of a fiber optic serial Bragg grating sensor array containing more than one Bragg grating. The device provides a pulse read-out system that allows for a reduction in system noise and an increase in sensor resolution and flexibility. In one aspect the optical signals reflected from the Bragg grating sensor array are gated by an electronically controlled optical modulator before any wavelength measurement is performed to determine the sensor information. This offers significant advantages since the sensor information is encoded into the wavelength of the optical signal and not its intensity. Therefore the sensor signal information is not distorted by the gating.

Abstract: A method of laser processing or laser modification of materials. The combination of ultrafast laser pulses and high-repetition rate (>100 kHz) bursts (or continuous operation) defines a new and unexpected regime for material processing. The high repetition rate controls thermal and/or other relaxation processes evolving between each ultrafast laser pulse that ‘prepares’ the sample surface or bulk to alter the interaction with subsequent ultrafast laser pulses and thereby improve or optimize the process, or enable a new process, that are not available at lower repetition rate. The addition of this laser-controlled thermal component, and/or the general control of relaxation processes, overcomes several current limitations of ultrafast laser processing at lower repetition rates (<100 kHz), providing means to further harness the many attributes of ultrafast lasers for general material processing and material modification applications.

Abstract: The present invention provides new fluoromonomers having the generic structure: CF2═CF(OCH2CH2)nOR where n is an integer and R is a functional group and methods for producing same. A new method of synthesizing the fluoromonomers is provided. The present invention also relates to new fluoropolymers prepared from any one or combination of the new fluoromonomers and having the generic structure: —[—CF2CF{(OCH2CH2)nOR}—]m— where n is an integer, m is an integer and R represents an unsubstituted or inertly substituted hydrocarbyl group. The method also relates to new copolymers or terpolymers prepared from the new fluoromonomers alone, the new fluoromonomers and existing fluoromonomers or the new fluoromonomers and existing hydrocarbon or functionalized hydrocarbon monomers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a simple design for a temperature-insensitive extrinsic polarimetric strain sensor. The sensing element is a thin sheet of photoelastic material that is bonded to the test object. It is illuminated with linearly polarized light with the polarization direction at 45 degrees relative to the strain-induced fast and slow axes in the photoelastic material. The sensor measures the difference between the strains along these two orthogonal directions. The reduced sensitivity of the sensor to temperature results from the fact that the illumination is perpendicular to the surface of the test object. All polarization components that are parallel to the surface will experience identical refractive index changes due to thermal effects. Consequently, a measurement of the difference in strains along two directions in the surface plane is insensitive to temperature.

Abstract: The present invention provides photodiodes exhibiting photoconductive gain. It is shown that photodiodes may exhibit photoconductive gain under certain conditions, and traditional photoconductive gain theory has been extended to describe these cases. Particularly, there is introduced the basic principles of photoconductive gain in p-i-n diodes, and there is described several approaches to designing photodiodes with photoconductive gain. In one approach, photogenerated carrier delay is used to obtain photoconductive gain in a photodiode. Delay structures inserted into the intrinsic region preferentially impede the flow of one of the carriers relative to the other to obtain the gain. Another method of obtaining photoconductive gain in a photodiode is to increase the rate at which electron-hole pairs are generated in the p-region or n-region, so as to decrease the times &tgr;p or &tgr;n.

Abstract: A polymer scaffold is provided having an extensively interconnected macroporous network with macropores having microporous struts as walls. Macropore diameter ranges from about 0.5 to about 3.5 mm. The polymer may be a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer such as poly(lactide-co-glycolide) containing 75% polylactide and 25% polyglycolide. The polymer scaffold is prepared by mixing a liquid polymer with particles, precipitating the liquid polymer with a non-solvent for the liquid polymer and dissolving the particles with a solvent to form the macroporous polymer scaffold which preferably has porosity greater than 50%. The surface of the polymer scaffold may be modified by acid or base treatment, or by collagen or calcium phosphate deposition. The polymer scaffold has utility for tissue engineering, particularly as a scaffold for in vitro and in vivo cell growth.