Abstract: The method for evaluating the compactness of a layer of railroad ballast near a railroad tie includes at least one step of taking at least two measurements (11,11a,11b) of the penetration resistance (Qd) of the ballast (13) near one and the same railroad tie (10), and a step of calculating the mean value (Qdmean) of these measurements (11,11a,11b) of penetration resistance (Qd). Also provided are a device for implementing such a method and a method for predicting the settlement of the ballast of a railroad track including a step of evaluating the compactness of a ballast near a railroad tie.

Abstract: A tire is provided with an external sidewall, said external sidewall comprising at least one elastomeric composition based on: (a) an elastomeric matrix comprising at least one diene elastomer, (b) a crosslinking system, and (c) at least one polymer incompatible with the elastomeric matrix. A process for the preparation of an elastomeric composition for an external sidewall is also disclosed.

Abstract: A rubber component for a tire is disclosed that is manufactured from a rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition that includes 100 phr of two elastomer types including at least 50 phr of a styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR) with a polybutadiene (BR) as the remainder. Such compositions may further include between 75 phr and 130 phr of a carbon black. Also included in such elastomers is a plasticizing system that includes a plasticizing resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of at least 25° C. and a plasticizing liquid. The plasticizing system is added in an effective amount to provide the cured rubber composition with a shear modulus G* measured at 60° C. of between 0.7 MPa and 1.6 MPa and a measured Tg of between ?30° C. and 0° C. The elastomer composition is cured with curing system that includes both a peroxide and sulfur.

Abstract: A pneumatic impulse wrench includes a motor, a housing with a pressure air inlet passage, an exhaust air outlet passage, and an air flow control valve provided in the exhaust air outlet passage and including a valve element shiftable between an exhaust air flow restricting position and an exhaust air flow non-restricting position. A rigid contact member is provided to positively define the exhaust air flow restricting position of the valve element, and a bypass passage of a well-defined flow area is provided to let through a limited exhaust air flow as the valve element occupies the flow restricting position in engagement with the contact member.

Abstract: A sound absorbing body comprises a non-woven fabric or a non-woven fabric laminate, the non-woven fabric or the non-woven fabric laminate comprises a fiber that has an average fiber diameter of less than 3,000 nm, the non-woven fabric or the non-woven fabric laminate has a thickness of less than 10 mm, the non-woven fabric or the non-woven fabric laminate has a unit thickness flow resistance of greater than 4.0 E+06 Ns/m4 and less than 5.0 E+08 Ns/m4, and the non-woven fabric or the non-woven fabric laminate has a bulk density of greater than 70 kg/m3 and less than 750 kg/m3.

Abstract: Improving endurance of bead of radial tire for heavy vehicle. Tire has two beads (2) contacting rim (3) connected by carcass reinforcement (4) having carcass layer (5), with main part (6) wrapped, in each bead (2), axially from inside towards outside of the tire, around bead wire (7) having diameter (L), to form turnup (8) having free end (E). Each bead (2) has filling element (9) with filling compound (10) and extending radially towards outside from bead wire (7) and axially between turnup (8) and main part (6). The distance (I) between turnup (8) and main part (6) decreases continuously from bead wire (7) as far as a first minimum distance (a) reached at a first point (A) of turnup (8), then increases continuously from the first point (A) of turnup (8) as far as a first maximum distance (b) reached at a second point (B) of turnup (8).

Abstract: A mold for a tire comprises first and second shells that are intended to mold lateral sidewalk of the tire, a plurality of sectors that are distributed in the circumferential direction and are intended to mold a tread of said tire, a first and a second support plate that each comprise a bearing face with which the associated shell is mounted axially in contact, and a plurality of first and second heating means for heating at least the first and the second shell, respectively.

Abstract: Tread having a plurality of generally circumferentially orientated grooves delimiting a plurality of relief elements, this tread further comprising a plurality of cut-outs in the form of transversely orientated grooves and/or slits, each relief element comprising a contact face intended to come into contact with the road and lateral faces cutting this contact face along edges intended to come into contact with a road during running, this tread having chamfers on at least a plurality of transverse edges of the relief elements, this tread having, in straight-line running, a total contact surface S comprising a part Sc in which all the transverse edges have chamfers and a part Snc in which all the transverse edges are free of chamfers, this tread having, in a cornering maneuver corresponding to a transverse acceleration of 0.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the production of butadiene from an ethanol feed comprising at least 80% by weight of ethanol, comprising at least one step A) for the conversion of ethanol into acetaldehyde A), a step B) for converting an ethanol/acetaldehyde mixture into butadiene, a step C1) for hydrogen treatment, a step D1) for butadiene extraction, a first butadiene purification step D2), a subsequent butadiene purification step D3), an effluent treatment step E1), a step E2) for eliminating impurities and brown oils and a step F) for scrubbing with water.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a composition for a laminated coating film having designability to a coated body and weather resistance. The present invention provides a composition for a laminated coating film, comprising silicon oxide-coated iron oxide particles, wherein at least a part of the surface of said iron oxide particles is coated with silicon oxide, wherein the diameter of said iron oxide particles is 1 to 50 nm, and wherein the average reflectivity of said silicon oxide-coated iron oxide particles for the light of the wavelengths of 620 to 750 nm is 25% or less. It is preferable that the transmittance of the dispersion comprising said silicon oxide-coated iron oxide particles for the light of the wavelength of 200 to 420 nm is 2.0% or less, and the transmittance of the same for the light of the wavelength of 620 to 780 nm is 80% or more.

Abstract: The device for monitoring the wear of a tread during running comprises at least one internal cavity intended to form a void opening on to a tread surface after predefined partial wearing of the tread, this tread comprising a wear limit corresponding to a maximum thickness of wearable material, this device comprising a measurement well opening on to the tread surface, this measurement well having a bottom formed of a first part and of a second part which are offset from one another in the depth, these two parts of the bottom being situated at different distances with respect to the tread surface when new.

Abstract: Adapter providing the connection between one tire bead and the rim. An axially inner end of the adapter is mounted on the rim seat, an axially outer end is mounted on the rim seat, a body connects said outer end to said inner end, a substantially cylindrical adapter seat receives one of said beads, and an adapter bearing face is substantially contained in a plane perpendicular to the axis. The reinforcer element of the axially outer end is entirely situated axially outside the bearing face. The body comprises, opposite the adapter seat, an annular seat protuberance, said protuberance comprising at least one rubber composition.

Abstract: A tire for a handling vehicle, designed to transport heavy loads, over short distances and at low speeds, and a mounted assembly consisting of a tire mounted on a rim. Also, a method for producing such a mounted assembly. A mounted assembly includes a tire mounted on a rim, having a tread designed to come into contact with a ground, two sidewalls extending radially inwards from the ends of the tread, and two beads extending the sidewalls radially inwards and in contact with the rim, an internal cavity containing a filling component consisting of at least one incompressible solid element, and which is a granular filling component consisting of granules at least partly separated from one another by interstices containing at least gas, and the fill rate, which is the ratio between the total volume of the granules, the total of the elementary volumes of the granules, and the volume of the internal cavity, is at least equal to 0.8.