Abstract: A method of producing unitary hollow structures, for example radomes, comprised of fiber reinforced plastic with a large percentage of the fibers being randomly oriented in directions essentially parallel to the wall surfaces of the structures and with at least one surface having grooves to reduce microwave reflection is presented. The structures are produced by packing a layer of fiber filled polymeric material in powder form around a mandrel which may have a pattern of grooves of ridges in its outer surface. The mandrel and packed powder are subjected to isostatic pressing to properly orient the fibers and achieve a density increase and powder cohesion. The pressed structure is sintered and the outer surface subesquently machined to a finished contour.

Abstract: A radome being a unitary structure comprised of a fiber reinforced plastic is produced with a large percentage of the fibers being randomly oriented in a plane parallel to the inner surface of the radome. The radome is produced by packing a layer of fiber filled powder around a mandrel having its outer contour resemble the inner contour of the radome. The mandrel and packed powder are then subjected to isostatic pressing to properly orient the fibers. The radome is finished by sintering the powder and removing the finished form from the mandrel.

Abstract: An improved apparatus is disclosed for the production of particulate metal comprising a containment vessel having a sidewall extending to an endwall, a source of metal external to the vessel, nozzle means carried by the endwall, the nozzle means including a central bore and providing communication between the vessel and the external source of metal, the sidewall and endwall cooperating with the nozzle means to seal off the interior of the vessel and the metal particles therein from the area adjacent the source of molten metal, a source of atomizing gas flowing through the nozzle means into the vessel, and means for removing depositions in the bore including a source of purging gas directable into the bore.

Abstract: Method for increasing the absorbency of cellulosic fibers by a high temperature wet treatment comprising heating the fibers in a water bath at temperatures within the range of about 95.degree. C. to 100.degree. C. for periods ranging from about one to sixty minutes. Absorbency of the treated fibers is thus increased by more than 2% of the corresponding untreated fibers as measured by the Syngyna Test Method. By employing such materials in catamenial tampons, sanitary napkins or the like, the amount of absorbent material may be decreased by 10% or more relative to the corresponding, untreated absorbent material, without adversely affecting the absorbent characteristics thereof.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for granulation in which particulate feed material is charged into a rotary cylindrical vessel (12) having its axis disposed horizontally, and respective cover plate (16,18) at each end for retaining the feed material, and a treatment gas and a process liquid is passed into the vessel during rotation of the latter.

Abstract: An elongated composite structural member such as a pallet cleat is made from elongated cellulosic particles and a binder by first providing a stiff and relatively incompressible board on a first wall confronting a second wall and defining therewith and with adjacent walls a compartment. A mass of the particles and binder are filled into the compartment between the walls and the first wall is displaced with the board toward the second wall and into the compartment into a predetermined intermediate position without substantial movement of the adjacent walls so as to subject the mass in the compartment between the first and second walls to a relatively low compression in a predetermined direction. At least one of the adjacent walls is then displaced transversely into the compartment without substantial movement of the first wall and the board from their intermediate position so as to subject the compressed mass in the compartment to a relatively low compression transverse to the direction.

Abstract: A structural member is press-molded from a mass of elongated cellulosic particles and a binder. The mass is randomly filled, that is with the particles not extending parallel to one another, into a horizontally elongated compartment defined between a pair of horizontally confronting side walls having central portions, a top wall, and a bottom wall confronting the top wall and extending generally parallel to the top and side walls. The top and bottom walls are then displaced vertically toward each other into predetermined intermediate positions without substantial movement of the side walls so as to vertically pre-compress the mass in the compartment. Thus the particles engaging the top and bottom walls are generally parallelized therewith.

Abstract: A digital storage device comprises a crystalline substrate such as silicon in which pockets of amorphous substrate material represent one of the binary logic states; the absence of amorphous material represents the other logic state. The amorphous material is formed by irradiation with a laser beam. Typically the radiation for silicon is at 347 nanometers, 2.5 nanosecond pulse length. The power density varies with crystalline orientation; for (001) silicon it is typically 0.3 J/cm.sup.2 and for (111) silicon it is 0.3 to 0.6 J/cm.sup.2. Erasure of the information is achieved by laser annealing the amorphous material back to its crystalline form.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for simultaneously and uniformly densifying a plurality of semidense ceramic powder bodies. The bodies are hinged together with a uniform space therebetween to form a cluster. The spaces in each cluster are filled with an isostatic pressure medium and then the clusters are stacked in a predetermined alignment along a pressing axis and hot pressed to substantially full density. The bodies are then ruptured from said clusters so as to be in a condition for use as a tool.

Abstract: A synthetic vascular graft is made by electrostatically spinning an organic polymeric material or a precursor thereof and collecting the spun fibres on a rotating mandrel (13), the method comprising the step of controlling the speed of rotation of the mandrel (13) such that a desired degree of anisotropy is present in the synthetic vascular graft.

Abstract: This invention relates to manufacturing a grooved cylindrical core by extrusion. The manufacturing device comprises a single rotating integral die that has a tapered rear portion and a grooved cylindrical front portion. The tapered portion surrounds a stationary central member and guides the material from a main extruder. The front portion has a bore including linear or helical channels. The sealing problems are obviated since the tapered portion and the grooved portion make up an integral die. This die further enables to produce a grooved core perfectly gauged. According to another aspect, the threads or stripes between core grooves are identified by means of auxiliary extruders feeding predetermined die channels with extrusion materials having different colours. This stripe identification is particularly used for a core constituting the central strand of an optical cable.

Abstract: Large, uniform hollow spherical shells are produced by forming uniform size drops of heat decomposable or vaporizable material, evaporating the drops to form dried particles, coating the dried particles with a layer of shell forming material, and heating the composite particles to melt the outer layer and decompose or vaporize the inner particle to form an expanding inner gas bubble which expands the outer layer. By cycling the temperature and pressure on the hollow shells, spherical shells with uniform walls are produced.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the formation of olefin-vinyl alcohol copolymer pellets which comprises mixing particles of the copolymer with water to obtain a wet cake containing about 20-70% solids by weight to thereby obtain a plasticized mass of the copolymer, thereafter extruding the copolymer at a temperature of about 5.degree.-7.degree. C. below the melting point of the mass through a nozzle to form a rod, and dividing the rod into individual pellets.

Abstract: This invention provides a spinning process for the preparation of ferrimagnetic spinel fibers composed of crystallites corresponding to the formula:M.sub.1 Fe.sub.2 O.sub.4where M is manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, magnesium, barium, strontium, or any combination thereof.

Abstract: A non-volatile, anti-gel compound having a chain of at least about 5 repeat units of an alkylene oxide and which is soluble in olefin polymers, and an inorganic anti-block agent having a substantially neutral pH are added to a film grade transition metal catalyzed resin containing halide residues such as Ziegler-Natta catalyzed olefin polymer compositions to prevent: (1) gel streaking/pinstriping during film extrusion processes; (2) blocking of the extruded film; and (3) discoloration of the extruded film upon aging. The anti-gel compound has a molecular weight between about 200 and about 4,000,000 Daltons.

Abstract: A method for making curved hose using a curved mandrel by applying a melted material to an inside surface of an uncured hose and solidifying the material. The material is remeltable and forms a lubricant when the hose is pushed onto and removed from a hot curved mandrel.

Abstract: A process is provided for reducing the size and number of undesirable gauge bands in wound-up rolls of wide nonwoven sheet that is produced by a plurality of oscillating fiber streams depositing fiber on a moving receiver. The desired effect is accomplished by varying the oscillation frequency of the fiber streams by more than .+-.5% of the average oscillation frequency.

Abstract: A plasticizing screw (4) is used to feed raw material (rubber compound) in the cold state into a cylinder (2). The material is plasticized and warmed up by the screw (4). The cylinder (2) is constructed so that the raw material fed into the cylinder can by retraction of the piston flow through a non-return valve into the front of the piston. The piston then extrudes the material through a die. On leaving the die, the material is cut into blanks, using a cutting mechanism (11).Material in the cold state can be fed directly into the cylinder tanks to the plasticizing screw (4), which plasticizes and preheats the material. Volume control is achieved automatically in dependence with the advance of the piston (FIG. 1).

Abstract: Equally biaxially oriented film is produced by extruding liquified polymer in tubular form, orienting the tubular film in the radial direction only and then either (1) equally orienting the radially oriented film in the longitudinal direction and drying the resultant equally biaxially oriented film while preventing any shrinkage thereof or (2) orienting the radially oriented film in the longitudinal direction to a degree less than said radial orientation but equal to the radial orientation remaining after the biaxially oriented film undergoes radial shrinkage upon drying thereof in the absence of radial shrinkage control and drying the resultant biaxially oriented film in the absence of radial shrinkage control.

Abstract: An improved process is provided for the thermal conversion of a multifilamentary tow of an acrylic fibrous material wherein the filaments are disposed in a substantially parallel relationship in a multifilamentary tow of carbonaceous fibrous material which contains at least 70 percent (preferably at least 90 percent) carbon by weight. During at least one stage of the process the multifilamentary tow is subjected to the impingement of at least one stream of a liquid whereby the parallel relationship of the filaments is disrupted in the substantial absence of filament damage with the filaments becoming decolumnized to a degree sufficient to enable the resulting carbonaceous fibrous material to be more readily impregnated by and dispersed within a matrix-forming resin. In a preferred embodiment such impingement is carried out following a thermal stabilization step and prior to a carbonization step while the multifilamentary tow is simultaneously completely submerged within a liquid.