Abstract: The subject matter described herein includes a tube for use in creating a support for a roof line of a structure. The tube comprises an inner flexible bladder, a seamless woven cylinder formed from fibers woven to form a seamless tubular arch shape when the cylinder is inflated, the cylinder engaged with the flexible bladder, and an outer weather shield coating engaged with the cylinder, wherein, in operation a plurality of tubes are used to form the roof line of a structure to define a housing for containing an article, wherein the plurality of tubes maintains flexibility so that the plurality of tubes can be inflated, deflated, and re-deployed.

Abstract: A substantially pure hydroxyapatite filament provides the reinforcement for composite materials used for bone replacement and repair. Its biocompatibility and high strength reveal opportunities for strong, tough and biocompatible composites to replace diseased, fractured or missing areas of bone. One such opportunity is a hydroxyapatite fiber reinforced hydroxyapatite matrix composite. This composite has higher strength and toughness than sintered hydroxyapatite yet has excellent biocompatibilty and mechanical properties which can be tailored to mimic replaced bone. Methods for filament fabrication include low temperature extrusion of a precursor gel filament reinforced with hydroxyapatite whiskers, high temperature sinter-extrusion and high temperature glass filament formation followed by reconversion to hydroxyapatite by intermediate temperature heat treatment.

Abstract: A yarn/tow composed of continuous thermoplastic filaments and discontinuous structural filaments wherein the discontinuous structural filaments are intermingled with the continuous thermoplastic filaments. Groups of discontinuous structural filaments have cut ends which are staggered with those of neighboring groups to allow a continuous structural path along the yarn or tow when the thermoplastic is melted to form the matrix of a composite structure. This hybrid continuous/discontinuous (CD) yarn or tow can be "stretched" as the thermoplastic filaments are melted, allowing the structural filaments to slip relative to one another. Woven forms of this CD precursor can then be molded into complex shapes starting from simple preform shapes.

Abstract: A lightweight hybrid structural energy-absorbing panel having a plurality of layers of soft energy-absorbing material, such as Kevlar, disposed between facesheets with a plurality of rigid rod members extending between the facesheets through the layers of energy-absorbing material to structurally connect the facesheets, such panel to absorb the energy of ballistic projectiles.