Abstract: A molding system including a component formed in a generally closed loop shape and having a plurality of radially extending teeth. The component includes a plurality of discrete segments coupled together.

Abstract: Nano-scale particles of materials can be produced by vaporizing material and allowing the material to flow in a non-violently turbulent manner into thermal communication with a cooling fluid, thereby forming small particles of the material that can be in the nano-scale size range. A raw material feeder can be configured to feed raw material toward a heater which vaporizes the raw material. The feeder can include a metering device for controlling the flow of raw material toward the heater. A gas source can also be used to cause gas to flow through a portion of the raw material feeder along with the raw material.

Abstract: Provided is a process and an apparatus for producing at low cost gas hydrate pellets having an excellent storability. A gas hydrate generated from a raw-material gas and raw-material water is dewatered and simultaneously molded into pellets with compression-molding means under conditions suitable for generating the gas hydrate while the gas hydrate is generated from the raw-material gas and the raw-material water that exist among particles of the gas hydrate.

Abstract: A refractory ceramic composite for an armor shell, comprising a ceramic core that is formable to replicate a portion of a three dimensional surface, e.g., of an aircraft, to provide ballistic protection. A method of making a shell of refractory ceramic armor capable of conforming to the geometry is provided. The shell is formed by forming a mold to replicate the surface area; arranging a ceramic core on the mold; and removing the mold to leave said ceramic core, and heat treating the ceramic core to a desired hardness. The ceramic core is in the shape of the surface area.

Abstract: A method of forming a simulated combustible fuel element including covering at least a part of a surface of a master with a material selected to produce a mold, and then removing the master from the mold. A predetermined amount of a liquefied body material that is less than a volume of the mold is introduced into the mold. A body including the body material is produced with one or more cavities therein and an exterior surface simulating at least the part of the surface of the master. The body material is allowed to solidify, at least to the extent that the body material is self-supporting, and the mold and the body are separated. One or more fuel light sources are positioned to direct light therefrom in the cavity. At least a portion of the exterior surface is coated so that the portion simulates a combustible fuel element.

Abstract: Nanofibers are manufactured while preventing explosions from occurring due to solvent evaporation. An effusing unit (201) which effuses solution (300) into a space, a first charging unit (202) which electrically charges the solution (300) by applying an electric charge to the solution (300), a guiding unit (206) which forms an air channel for guiding the manufactured nanofibers (301), a gas flow generating unit (203) which generates, inside the guiding unit (206), gas flow for transporting the nanofibers, a diffusing unit (240) which diffusing the nanofibers (301) guided by the guiding unit (206), a collecting apparatus which electrically attracts and collects the nanofibers (301), and a drawing unit (102) which draws the gas flow together with the evaporated component evaporated from the solution (300) are included.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing breakable capsules (50) that are useful for incorporating into a tobacco product (10), such as smoking articles and smokeless tobacco products, is provided. The method comprises forming a plurality of droplets comprising a core composition and a coating composition. The coating composition comprises a material that gelates in contact with a multivalent ion. The method also comprises introducing the plurality of droplets in a first aqueous solution having a first concentration of a first multivalent ion such that the coating composition of the plurality of droplets gelates to form a plurality of raw capsules. The method further comprises introducing the plurality of raw capsules in a second aqueous solution having a second concentration of a second multivalent ion, wherein the second concentration is higher than the first concentration, such that the coating composition of the plurality of raw capsules hardens to form a plurality of breakable capsules (50).

Abstract: Provided is a method for pelleting spherical fine particle of sodium nitrate, which comprises the following steps: 1) melting industrial sodium nitrate in a salt melting furnace, introducing into a high-level insulation buffer tank, placing in an atomizer located on top of the pelleting tower, atomizing to obtain fog droplets with size of 30 ?m-0.5 mm; 2) introducing freeze-dried high-pressure air into the pelleting tower in a tangent direction from the upper inlet pipe of the tower, so that the sodium nitrate fog droplets obtained in step 1) fall spirally along the wall in the pelleting tower, to obtain sodium nitrate particle; 3) collecting the cooled sodium nitrate particle at the bottom of the tower, and packaging. Sodium nitrate particle with lower water content, higher roundness, and smaller size can be obtained, and continuous production can be realized by the method.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a method and apparatus for agglomerating stover to produce a liquid absorbing particle. The method comprises providing stover particles coated with a first binder component and then rolling the stover particles coated with the first binder component on a rotating surface. The rotating surface is inclined sufficiently to aid in the rolling of the stover particles. A second liquid binder component that readily chemically crosslinks with the first binder component is applied to the first binder component to produce a web that the stover particles adhere to. The web in combination with the inclined rotating surface rolls the stover particles thereby forming an agglomerated stover particle that will be suitable for absorbing liquids. Agglomerated stover particles are also described.

Abstract: Device for taking an impression of a subject's ear minimizes risk of damage on the eardrum when the impression is made. The device comprises a nozzle having a first essentially tubular part that has a centre axis and a side wall. The first tubular part has also a first end intended to be inserted into a subject's ear, a first opening for the outlet of impression material, and a second end connected to a supply member for impression material to the tubular part. The first opening has a centre axis that is essentially perpendicular to the centre axis of the first tubular part at the point where the two centre axes intersect each other, alternatively has a direction, as seen from the centre axis of the first tubular part through the side wall, from said first end. The first opening is preferably arranged in the side wall of the tubular part.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a retardation film includes: a first step of forming, on the same metal master, a main region having several kinds of groove regions having different extending directions of grooves, and a sub region having one kind of groove region having a predetermined extending direction of grooves or several kinds of groove regions having different extending directions of grooves; and a second step of collectively transferring reverse patterns of the main and sub regions on the metal master to a base, and then forming, on a surface of the base, a layer including an alignable material to be aligned in correspondence to irregularity of the surface of the base, thereby forming a patterned retardation region in a site having a reverse pattern of the main region, and forming an alignment mark region in a site having a reverse pattern of the sub region.

Abstract: In one example, a method includes defibrillating at least one carbon fiber to form a plurality of carbon fiber filaments, melting pitch to form molten pitch, and mixing the plurality of carbon fiber filaments and the molten pitch to form a substantially homogeneous mixture of carbon fiber filaments. In another example, a method includes mixing a plurality of carbon fiber filaments having a length between about 6.35 millimeters and about 50.8 millimeters in molten pitch to form a substantially homogeneous mixture of carbon fiber filaments within the molten pitch, wherein mixing the plurality of carbon fiber filaments does not substantially change an average length of the plurality of carbon fiber filaments.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for converting molten sulfur to powder sulfur by gas cooling of atomized sprays of molten sulfur. Certain embodiments contemplate a vertical tower that allows molten sulfur to produce an atomized spray or mist of molten sulfur descending from the top of the vertical tower. Gas introduced to the bottom of the vertical tower flows upward intimately interfacing with the descending atomized molten sulfur spray. The molten sulfur in the form of an atomized sulfur spray is cooled by the gas to form a sulfur powder. In certain embodiments, the sulfur powder formed is sufficiently small to be suitable for combination with a base fluid for producing a slurry for convenient transport of the sulfur particulates. Advantages of certain embodiments include higher efficiencies, lower cost, and production of much smaller solid sulfur average particulate sizes, which in turn allows for easier sulfur transport.

Abstract: Flexible magnetic sheets made with high-energy strontium ferrite and oriented magnetic particles of strontium ferrite and barium ferrite, such as to decrease thickness while maintaining a strong magnetic energy as well as flexibility.

Abstract: The manufacturing apparatus includes: a mold member including a mold formed in a depressed shape on a predetermined face and moves along a first direction; a supply duct arranged at a predetermined position in the first direction that supplies air towards the predetermined face; a partitioned-space-forming member that is disposed at a position opposite to the supply opening forming an enclosed space; and an air intake duct. As the mold passes the supply opening, the air in the supply duct is sucked into the closed space and the liquid absorbent material in the air is deposited onto the mold. The suction opening of the air intake duct is arranged opposite to the predetermined face in the closed space. Concerning at least a pcrtion that is included in the air intake duct and is housed in the closed space, a central-axis direction of the portion has a component parallel to a moving direction in which the mold is moving at a central position of the suction opening.

Abstract: This invention is an improved process to formulate polymeric microspheres/nanospheres and encapsulate therapeutic proteins or other useful substances, and a polymer sphere apparatus. The invention is also methods of purifying protein-containing-polymeric-microspheres from unused polymer, and an apparatus therefore.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for increasing the rate of heat transfer of wood boards by the use of nano particles of certain metal oxides. The invention relates to increasing the thermal conductivity of wood fibers during manufacturing of wood composites. It reduces the pressing time during production thereby increasing the overall production rate of wood composites and also increasing their strength and smoothness of surface.

Abstract: Building panels with a homogenous decorative surface having a wear layer including fibers, binders and wear resistant particles.

Abstract: A nanofiber production device produces nanofibers by stretching, in a space, a solution. The nanofiber production device includes: an effusing body which effuses the solution into the space by centrifugal force; a driving source which rotates the effusing body; a supplying electrode which is placed at a predetermined distance from the effusing body and supplies charge to the solution via the effusing body; a charging electrode to which a potential of reverse polarity to a polarity of the effusing body is applied, with the charging electrode being placed at a predetermined distance from the effusing body; and a charging power source which applies a predetermined voltage between the supplying electrode and the charging electrode.

Abstract: A shaping slurry that forms a shaped product with a granule includes: a water-based solvent; a hydrophobic granule that forms the shaped product; and an amphiphatic solid polymer that forms the shaped product, and is dissolved in the water-based solvent.