Abstract: A method for preparing a monodomain liquid crystal elastomer smart fiber incudes: during cross-linking process of the liquid crystal elastomer, drawing of liquid crystal elastomer fibers with uniform diameter from a polymer solution when the viscosity of the cross-linked polymer solution increases to a point where filaments can be drawn; heating by an infrared lamp to form filamentous liquid crystal elastomer fiber; natural air drying to remove excess solvent in the fiber; and stretching and collection of the fiber, followed by placement of the fiber, whereby the monodomain liquid crystal elastomer smart fiber is obtained.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a component (124) having a main body (116) and at least one ring sleeve (118) through a molding assembly (100), the method comprising: providing a mold (102) having an inlet (115) and defining a hollow portion (H); placing at least one core to form a free-space (104, 106) within the component (124) inside the mold (102) to bifurcate the hollow portion (H) into a first cavity and a second cavity; pouring a molding material (117) inside the mold (102) through the inlet (115); allowing the molding material (117) to set inside the mold (102) around the core within the first cavity and the second cavity to form a main body (116) and at least one ring sleeve (118) of the component (124); connecting the first cavity and the second cavity and forming at least one first bond and one second bond (130, 132, 134, 136) between the main body (116) and the at least one ring sleeve (118); and removing the at least one core from at least part of the hollow portion (H) within the mold (102); character

Abstract: A method of preparing a thermoplastic roofing membrane, the method comprising (i) extruding a composition including a thermoplastic polymer and a mineral filler to form an extrudate; (ii) forming the extrudate into a sheet having first and second planar surfaces; (iii) allowing the sheet to at least partially cool; and (iv) mechanically treating the first planar surface of the sheet to thereby expose the mineral filler.

Abstract: A method of recycling a PET-containing material comprises: (1) providing an MRS extruder having an MRS section comprising a plurality of satellite screws and an outlet; (2) providing a vacuum pump in communication with the MRS section; (3) providing a spinning machine comprising an inlet, wherein the inlet is directly coupled to the outlet of the MRS extruder; (4) heating a plurality of PET-containing flakes in the MRS extruder to form a PET-containing melt; (5) increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across the plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder; (6) drawing off vapors from the PET-containing melt by reducing the pressure in the MRS section with the vacuum pump; (7) collating the PET-containing melt in the MRS extruder; and (8) extruding the PET-containing melt through the outlet of the MRS extruder into the inlet of the spinning machine.

Abstract: The disclosed methods relate to forming microneedle arrays from a production mold that comprises a flexible mold material. The disclosed methods can be used to reproducibly manufacture undercut dissolvable and coated microneedle arrays with various shapes and structures.

Abstract: Disclosed are a soft bistable magnetic actuator, a fabrication method thereof, a fatigue testing device, and an auto underwater vehicle. The method for fabricating the soft bistable magnetic actuator includes the following operations: casting a soft precursor by injection molding, wherein the soft precursor consists of a soft deformable portion and a soft peripheral portion surrounded, the soft deformable portion is made of magnetic particles and polymer, and the soft peripheral portion is made of a magnetic particle, a mixture of organic liquid, and polymer; and extracting the organic liquid by an organic solvent shrinks the soft peripheral portion, buckles the soft deformable portion towards one side.

Abstract: Exemplary systems and methods utilize laser heating to improve the surface finish, dimensional tolerance, and material strength of objects constructed via fused filament fabrication.

Abstract: The present application discloses a preparation method of SM non-woven fabrics for roof anti-slip, which belongs to the technical field of roofing materials, comprising preparing spunbond non-woven fabric raw materials, preparing spunbond non-woven fabrics, preparing meltblown non-woven fabric raw materials, preparing primary SM non-woven fabrics, and post-processing; the spunbond non-woven fabric raw materials are prepared by uniformly mixing polypropylene with a low melt flow index, polypropylene with a high melt flow index, sodium alginate, antioxidant 1010, zinc stearate, ultraviolet absorber UV-531, polyvinyl alcohol, reinforcing agent, adhesive agent, and nano titanium dioxide. The present application can avoid the problem that the SM non-woven fabrics cannot be fully bonded together and are easy to delaminate when being combined, can also solve the problem of fabric breakage during high-speed production, and can also improve the wear resistance, strength, and stiffness of SM non-woven fabrics.

Abstract: In an embodiment a nanostamping method includes forming a nanostructure in a layer of optical embossing material on a first carrier substrate by a forming stamp having a nano-relief, wherein the nanostructure comprises a plurality of nano-elevations which are connected via an embossing material base, generating a coated nanostructure by covering the nano-elevations with a filler material layer, wherein the filler material layer and the optical embossing material comprise different refractive indices, applying a second carrier substrate on the coated nanostructure, detaching the first carrier substrate and removing a material of the embossing material base.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to the technical field of nonwoven fabric manufacturing, in particular to a novel antibacterial breathable fabric and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method includes following steps: S1, surface hot rolling treatment: performing the surface hot rolling treatment on a fiber mesh layer, where a lower surface of the fiber mesh layer is supported by a flexible belt, and a hot rolling member contacts and hot rolls an upper surface of the fiber mesh layer, so as to prepare the fiber mesh layer with fibers on the upper surface thermally bonded and fibers on the lower surface fluffy; and S2, spunlace processing treatment: performing the spunlace processing treatment on the lower surface of the fiber mesh layer prepared in the S1; and the flexible belt is made of a high-temperature resistant flexible material.

Abstract: A system and method for manufacturing three-dimensional structures is provided. The system comprises a plurality of printing stations for performing parallel printing in an confined space enclosed by a housing, wherein each printing station comprises a carrier, a deposition unit with at least one nozzle arranged for dispensing filaments of build material paste through an opening area thereof and a station controller configured to operate the deposition unit for deposition of filaments of a build material paste on the carrier in an interconnected arrangement in a plurality of stacked layers in order to form one or more three-dimensional structures, the at least one nozzle and the detachable carrier being relatively moveable with respect to each other, wherein the deposition unit is coupled to a reservoir unit configured to house the build material paste, wherein the reservoir unit includes at least one reservoir arranged outside of the confined space.

Abstract: A method for producing an object comprises the step of producing the object by means of an additive manufacturing process from a construction material. The construction material comprises a first polyurethane polymer which has: a weight percentage ratio of O to N of ?2 to ?2.5, determined by elementary analysis; a weight percentage ratio of N to C of ?0.1 to ?0.25, determined by elementary analysis; a full-width at half maximum of the melting peak of ?20 K, determined by dynamic differential scanning calorimetry DSC (2nd heating at heating rate 20 k/min); and a difference between the melting temperature and the recrystallisation temperature of ?5 K and ?100 K, determined by dynamic differential scanning calorimetry DSC (2nd heating) at a heating and cooling rate of 20 K/min.

Abstract: A weather seal includes an elongated micro-cellular foam bulb, and an elongated micro-cellular foam fin element attached to an extending along the length of the foam bulb. The fin elements includes a spine having opposed planar surfaces and at least one microcellular foam barb extending outwardly and at a downward angle from each surface and along the length of the spine. As an alternative to barbs, another option is to use a higher durometer foamed thermoplastic elastomer in a hollow circle shape that would push into a retention pocket. A t-slot version that has a foamed bulb and a polypropylene base is another option.

Abstract: A method of making nonwoven webs comprising providing a spinneret including a pattern of conduits forming an extrusion region; directing only a first stream of molten propylene polymer into a region adjacent the first side of the spinneret, directing only a second stream of molten propylene polymer into a region distal to the first side of the spinneret, extruding only the first stream propylene polymer through the exit openings in a first zone where the exit opening comprises exit ports in the first zone having a first density; extruding only the second stream propylene polymer through the exit openings of a second zone where the exit opening comprises exit ports in the second zone having a second density less than the first density; and the second zone is distal to the first side with the first zone being between the second zone and the first side.

Abstract: Cardiac tissue-on-a-chip platforms aimed at mimicking human cardiac tissue structures, are valuable tools to model, and serve as preclinical platforms for drug testing or therapies for cardiac repair. We have developed three types of electrospun scaffolds including furfuryl gelatin (f-gelatin) alone, with polycaprolactone (PCL) in the ratio of f-gelatin and PCL (1:1), and coaxial scaffolds with PCL (core) and f-gelatin (sheath). Scaffolds were developed through single nozzle electrospinning and coaxial electrospinning, respectively, to serve as scaffolds for cardiac tissue-on-a-chip platforms.

Abstract: There is provided a method of forming a structure that is in contact with an object, the method comprising: (i) supporting a flowable precursor with a flowable support at a position that allows said flowable precursor to be in contact with the object; and (ii) crosslinking at least part of the flowable precursor that is in contact with the object to form a structure that is in contact with the object, wherein a top surface of the part of the flowable precursor that is to be crosslinked, is in interface with a fluid medium. Also provided is a system for performing the method.

Abstract: A method of recycling a PET-containing material comprises: (1) providing a polymer crystallizer comprising at least one heating element, and at least one blower; (2) providing an MRS extruder having an MRS section comprising a plurality of satellite screws; (3) providing a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the MRS section; (4) grinding and washing the PET-containing material; (5) heating the PET-containing material in the crystallizer to at least partially dry the PET-containing material; (6) shearing the PET-containing material in the MRS extruder to produce a PET-containing melt; (7) increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across a plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder; (8) drawing off vapors from the PET-containing melt by reducing the pressure in the MRS section with the vacuum pump; (9) collating the PET-containing melt in the MRS extruder; and (10) extruding a recycled PET-containing material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an additive manufacturing (AM) method for making a three-dimensional (3D) object, using a part material (M) comprising at least one poly(ether ketone ketone) (PEKK) polymer, in particular to a 3D object obtainable by Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) or Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) from this part material (M).

Abstract: A method for forming an object includes moving a recoat assembly (200) in a coating direction over a build material, wherein the recoat assembly (200) comprises a first roller (202) and a second roller (204) that is spaced apart from the first roller; rotating the first roller (202) of the recoat assembly in a counter-rotation direction, such that a bottom of the first roller moves in the coating direction; contacting the build material with the first roller of the recoat assembly, thereby fluidizing at least a portion of the build material; irradiating, with a front energy source (260) coupled to a front end of the recoat assembly, an initial layer of build material positioned in a build area; subsequent to irradiating the initial layer of build material, spreading the build material on the build area with the first roller, thereby depositing a second layer of the build material over the initial layer of build material; and subsequent to spreading the second layer of the build material, irradiating, with a r

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing protein spinning capable of securing a stable strength by securing sufficient interlacing between fibers. The method for producing a protein spun yarn of the present invention includes a step (a) of preparing a raw material spun yarn including an uncrimped artificial fibroin fiber containing modified fibroin and a step (b) of bringing the raw material spun yarn into contact with an aqueous medium to crimp the artificial fibroin fiber.