Abstract: A flexible insulation material comprising a flexible porous medium defining a pore volume, and a phase change material (PCM) within the pore volume.

Abstract: A water vapor permeable multi-layer thermal insulation (10) includes two water vapor permeable outer layers (16, 18) encapsulating inner air and water vapor permeable layers (14) of insulation material and at least one inner separating layer (12) of an air-open fibrous material interleaved with the inner thermal insulation layers (14) and having a mean flow pore size that allows water vapor to move from one side of the at least one inner fibrous separating layer to the other and through the inner insulation layers yet restricts mass movement of air from one side to the other of the at least one inner fibrous separating layer (12) to form a barrier to convection.

Abstract: A water vapour permeable multi-layer thermal insulation (10) includes two water vapour permeable outer layers (16, 18) encapsulating inner air and water vapour permeable layers (14) of insulation material and at least one inner separating layer (12) of an air-open fibrous material interleaved with the inner thermal insulation layers (14) and having a mean flow pore size that allows water vapour to move from one side of the at least one inner fibrous separating layer to the other and through the inner insulation layers yet restricts mass movement of air from one side to the other of the at least one inner fibrous separating layer (12) to form a barrier to convection.

Abstract: An insulation material (3) for use in, or when used in, building and/or construction, including a moisture vapour permeable, liquid water and air impermeable, monolithic, dimensionally stable, substrate layer (1) bearing an overlying moisture vapour permeable, liquid water impermeable, low emissivity layer (2) applied as a thin organic coating containing infrared reflective matter. The substrate layer (1) may be laminated to a support layer (5) having a strength which is greater than that of the substrate layer by an intermittent adhesive 4.

Abstract: A chemical barrier fabric (12) and a method of manufacturing the fabric is described. The chemical barrier fabric (12) includes at least first (18) and second (20) chemical barrier layers which have an interfacial region therebetween and which are intermittently point bonded (34) providing a point-bonded area which is in the minority and an un-bonded area (36) which is in the majority in the interfacial region. The chemical barrier layers (18, 20) typically comprise single layer polymer films and/or co-extruded layers. A non-woven layer 22 may also be point-bonded to either the first (18) or the second (20) chemical barrier layer to give support to the fabric (12).

Abstract: A thermal insulation structure includes a plurality of inner air and water vapour permeable insulating layers which entrap air and a water vapour permeable, at least substantially air impermeable film layer separating two said water vapour permeable insulating layers, the inner layers being sandwiched between first and second outer air and liquid water impermeable, water vapour permeable outer film layers, the construction and arrangement of the layers being such as to control, in use, water vapour transmission through the thermal insulation structure. Alternatively, a thermal insulation structure includes a plurality of inner air and water vapour permeable insulating layers which entrap air and an inner air and water vapour impermeable film layer separating two said insulating air entrapment layers, the inner layers being sandwiched between first and second outer air, liquid and moisture vapour impermeable outer film layers.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for laminating a first material (40) such as a spunbonded polymer having a point emboss pattern (41) formed thereon, to a second material (43) such as a polymer film, involves use of a lamination process using a point lamination pattern (56) provided on a heated calender roll (50). One or more geometric characteristics of two patterns (41, 56) such as bonding/contact area, pitch or angle of axes, is selected and differentiated, prior to lamination, to control, during lamination, the amount of point or mis-registration between the two patterns (41, 56). The laminate (60) can have optimum all over lamination if the amount of point mis-registration is maximized. An adhesive can be provided between the first and second materials (40, 43) to enable lamination of dissimilar composition materials.

Abstract: A process for producing meltblown polyolefin fibres having an effective diameter of less than 5 microns, comprising providing a polyolefin having a melt flow index of at least 1000, mixing a fluorochemical with the polyolefin in order to increase the melt flow index of the polyolefin to at least 2000, and meltblowing the polyolefin with the fluorochemical in order to produce the meltblown polyolefin fibres, and the polyolefin being such that during the meltblowing the fluorochemical is able to migrate to the surface of the formed polyolefin fibres without the need for a separate annealing step.