Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for making a laminate comprising at least the following steps: placing a metal sheet on a form tool or a substrate, placing an adhesive layer on top of the first metal sheet, placing a second metal sheet on top of the adhesive layer such that at least one of the metal sheets overlaps at least one edge of the other metal sheet, applying heat and pressure to the thus obtained stack, where during the application of pressure at least one of the metal sheets is bent towards the plane of the other metal sheet. Thus, complicated structures can be optimized for a certain application and, besides, manufactured in one go using comparatively inexpensive tools.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a coating material comprising: a functional coating component; and a fluorescent additive component whose fluorescence is substantially unquenched by the coating component, the fluorescent additive component having a peak fluorescence emission under excitation by visible or infrared light, the wavelength of that peak fluorescence emission being greater than 500 nm and lying outside the principal fluorescence absorption and emission wavelengths of the coating component.

Abstract: This invention provides a biodegradable and bioabsorbable implant material having a high mechanical strength wherein its shape after deformation within ordinary temperature range can be fixed and maintained so that its shape can be easily adjusted at the site of operation, and it has substantially no anisotropy in view of strength so that it does not cause whitening, breakage and sharp decrease in strength when its bending deformation is repeated in any direction and it has toughness.

Abstract: An article includes an antireflection composite material, a substrate, and an inorganic layer deposited onto the substrate. The inorganic layer has a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 10 nm. The article includes a polymer layer in contact with the inorganic layer to form an outer surface of the antireflection composite material. The polymer layer has a thickness of from about 70 nm to about 120 nm.

Abstract: A multi-layer sheet made from olefin polymer materials includes (1) at least one outer layer of (a) a propylene polymer, (b) graft copolymer comprising a backbone of a propylene polymer material, to which is graft polymerized a vinyl monomer, either (a) or (b) optionally containing a nucleating agent, or (c) an olefin polymer composition, and (2) at least one layer made from alternating layers of a propylene polymer material and glass fiber mat.

Abstract: A functional film of the invention includes a microparticulate-containing layer containing functional microparticulates. The microparticulate-containing layer inhibits the occurrence of cracks even when drawn 10%. When the functional film includes a microparticulate-containing layer containing conductive microparticulates, the microparticulate-containing layer exhibits a surface resistivity after drawn 10% which is at most 10 times greater than the surface resistivity prior to drawing. The invention thus implements a functional film which is unsusceptible to reduction or loss of its function due to deformation.

Abstract: Sanitary applicances with a casing, such as bath tubs, shower trays or washbasins, are glass fiber- and asbestos-free, and are further characterized in that the reinforcing material is 1.5 to 10 mm thick and consists of one or two layers. The one layer or the first layer of a multilayered reinforcement is obtained by hardening a first polylmerizable, cole-hardenable, reactive (meth)acrylate system sprayed on the back of the acrylic glass moulding. The (meth)acrylate system contains as filler hollow microparticles, preferably made of plastics, filled with an inert gas. The composition of the (meth)acrylate system is defined by the invention. The disclosed sanitary appliances meet all requirements of the DIN EN 19 norm and can be recycled.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical sheet suitable for use in displays such as LCD and EL and having good light transmission property and diffusiveness and moreover possessing excellent durability that the optical properties of the optical sheet can be retained even under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions. The optical sheet has a transparent substrate and a binder layer laminated directly or through another layer on the transparent substrate, wherein spherical fine particles having a particle diameter distribution of from 0.8 to 1.0 are embedded in a state of a monoparticle layer in the binder layer so as to partly project from the surface of the binder layer, and a distance from the top of the projected fine particles to the surface of the transparent substrate is from 100% to 110% of the volume average particle diameter of the spherical fine particles.

Abstract: A lightweight insulating sandwich tile (110) having applications such as spacecraft and reusable launch vehicle thermal protection is disclosed. In one embodiment, the lightweight insulating sandwich tile (110) includes an outer structural facesheet (120) that is bonded or co-cured with an inner insulating core (130). The outer structural facesheet (120) is comprised of carbon-carbon and includes an oxidation resistant layer (140) on an outer surface thereof. The oxidation resistant layer (140) may comprise a coating or surface treatment of, for example, MoSi2, amorphous SiCN, amorphous SiCBN, Ti3SiC2, HfC, HfO2, HfB2, SiC, Ir, and ZrB2. The inner insulating core (130) is comprised of bonded discontinuous carbon fibers, a network of vitreous carbon ligaments, carbon aerogel, or graphite felt or a hybrid combination of these materials.

Abstract: Construction material from granular material reclaimed from the ash of a municipal waste combustor wherein the ash is subjected to sorting and separating recovered metals, the granular material including particles having a maximum particle diameter of 5 to 40 mm, a U-coefficient of 10 or more, and ignition loss of 10% or less in weight and being subjected to at least one heavy metal immobilization agent, preferably phosphoric acid; and a second heavy metal immobilization agent consisting of ferrous sulfate. The ash is further subjected to drying before subjecting the ash to the at least one heavy metal immobilization agent. The ash is further subjected to mulling the material after subjecting the ash to the at least one heavy metal immobilization agent.

Abstract: An exterior panel (10) for a motor vehicle has a coefficient of linear thermal expansion of less than 20×10−6 inches of expansion per inch material per degree Fahrenheit. The exterior panel (10) comprises a rigid structure (14) formed from at least one thermoplastic material and reinforcement particles dispersed within the at least one thermoplastic. The reinforcement particles comprise less than 15% of a total volume of the rigid structure. At least 40% of the reinforcement particles have a thickness less than about 50 nanometers. A decorative coating layer (12) having at least one coloring agent is disposed on the rigid structure (14).

Abstract: Disclosed is a label having a base layer (A) of a uniaxially stretched film containing 55 to 95 wt % of a thermoplastic resin and an inorganic or organic fine powder having an average grain size of 0.2 to 2 &mgr;m in an amount more than 5 wt % and not more than 45 wt %; a surface layer (B) of a uniaxially stretched film provided on one surface of the base layer (A), containing 35 to 85 wt % of a thermoplastic resin and 15 to 65 wt % of an inorganic fine powder having an average grain size of 0.2 to 2 &mgr;m; and an adhesive layer (C) of a uniaxially stretched film provided on the opposite surface of the base layer (A), containing 90 to 99 wt % of a thermoplastic resin having a melting point of 80 to 140° C., and 1 to 10 wt % of an inorganic or organic fine powder having an average grain size of 0.7 to 3 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A touch panel is constructed of a top sheet member having a resistive membrane on its inner surface and a base sheet member having a resistive membrane on its inner surface, the top and base sheet members facing each other with dot spacers being located in between. The top sheet member is formed by laminating a PET film, a polarizing film, a ¼&lgr; retardation film, and a light isotropic film in this order from its outer surface. The PET film has a thermal expansion coefficient lower than the other films underneath, such as the polarizing film. Accordingly, the PET film serves to keep the other films of the top sheet member from bulging outward when the temperature rises.

Abstract: A process for forming an inorganic material layer pattern on a substrate. The process includes the steps of transferring an inorganic powder dispersed paste layer supported on a support film to the surface of the substrate to form the inorganic powder dispersed paste layer on the substrate; forming a resist film on the inorganic powder dispersed paste layer transferred to the surface of the substrate; exposing the resist film to light through a mask to form a latent image of a resist pattern; developing the exposed resist film to form the resist pattern; etching exposed portions of the inorganic powder dispersed paste layer to form an inorganic powder dispersed paste layer pattern corresponding to the resist pattern; and baking the pattern to form an inorganic material layer pattern.

Abstract: The present invention provides an &agr;-alumina powder, which is suitable for use as a filler for silicon rubber or the like for manufacturing a heat-conductive sheet. The &agr;-alumina powder includes &agr;-alumina particles having an average particle diameter of not less than about 2 &mgr;m and not more than about 5 &mgr;m, a particle size distribution such that a ratio of 90 wt % diameter D90 to 10 wt % diameter D10 represented by D90/D10 is not more than about 2, and a crystalline form represented by an index A of more than about 0.40 and not more than about 0.50, wherein the index A is obtained by substituting X-ray intensities I(110), I(300) and I(116) at (110) plane, (300) plane and (116) plane, respectively, determined by X-ray diffraction, into the following formula (I): A={I(110)+I(300)}/{2×I(116)}  (I).

Abstract: A metal-organic polymer composite structure comprising a microphase-separated structure from a block copolymer composed of two or more polymer chains which are incompatible with each other bonded in an end-to-end manner, wherein one of the polymer phases of said microphase-separated structure selectively contains ultrafine metal particles arranged in a row or rows. A process for producing said metal-organic polymer composite structure, which comprises (i) the step of dissolving “metal ions” and “a block copolymer comprising one or more polymer chains having an affinity for the metal and, bonded thereto in an end-to-end manner, one or more polymer chains having no or little affinity for the metal” in a mixed solvent of “a high-boiling solvent having the ability to reduce the metal ion and having a boiling point of 80 to 200° C.” and “a low-boiling solvent having a boiling point of 10 to 80° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plastic-coated metal plate for an automobile exterior plate which is a laminate metal plate coated on both faces or one face of the metal plate with a plastic layer, wherein the plastic layer has a surface tension of at least 30 mN/m, an elongation percentage of at least 30% at a tensile rate of 20 mm/minute/20° C. and a rupture strength of at least 600 kg/cm2 at a tensile rate of 20 mm/minute/20° C., and a part for a major external face side in a car body, wherein the above plastic-coated metal plate is cut, molded and joined to form the part for a major external face side in a car body, and a metal-exposed part thereof is coated by electrodeposition.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of making an edge assembly for an insulating glass unit, the edge assembly including a closed hollow spacer, the method comprising (1) dispensing a flowable desiccating matrix formulation onto a portion of the spacer which will be inside the hollow spacer when the spacer has been closed; (2) allowing or causing the formulation to solidify into a solid matrix and to detach from any attachment to the spacer; and (3) closing the spacer whereby the detached matrix will be retained within the spacer.

Abstract: A coated steel sheet having excellent corrosion resistance comprises: a zinc or a zinc alloy plated steel sheet or an aluminum or an aluminum alloy plated steel sheet; a composite oxide coating formed on the surface of the plated steel sheet; and an organic coating formed on the composite oxide coating. The composite oxide coating contains a fine particle oxide and a phosphoric acid and/or a phosphoric acid compound. The organic coating has thickness of from 0.1 to 5 &mgr;m.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an insulated reentry heat shield for minimizing heat transfer to a spacecraft structure or the like during atmospheric reentry. The heat shield (10) comprises an outer heat resistant layer (12) including an ablative first material backed by an inner insulating layer (14) including an insulating second material. The outer and inner layers (12, 14) are bonded to one another by a middle layer (16) disposed therebetween. The middle layer is formed by disposing at least one layer of a phenolic loaded third material between the outer and inner layers and heating all three layers simultaneously to remove phenolic volatiles from the middle layer. In one embodiment, the ablative first material is carbon-carbon, the insulating second material is carbon foam, and the phenolic loaded third material is carbon scrim cloth. The present invention also discloses a method for use in constructing a heat shield.