Abstract: An article having a decorative visual surface appearance provided by a plastics composition which comprises a transparent or translucent plastics material having a colorant dispersed therein is characterised in that the colorant comprises a blend of discrete polymer particles substantially all of which have a minimum dimension in the range of 5 to 100 micron and a maximum dimension of no more than 10 mm, said particles being of a natural or synthetic organic polymer or a glass, the blend comprising particles of at least two distinct colors and/or shapes, and the plastics composition containing 0.1 to 8 percent by weight of the blend of polymer particles based on the weight of the plastics composition. The article can be made by a method which includes the steps of mixing together the blend and the plastics material or a precursor thereof and forming the article under conditions whereby the polymer particles in the colorant are not deformed to any substantial extent.

Abstract: The invention concerns a web comprising an intimate mixture of mixed slivers of long reinforcing staple fibres (14) obtained by stretch-breaking and long thermoplastic matrix fibres (15), those different fibres being parallel in the mixture.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nonwoven fabric that is especially engineered to function as the substrate for a dryer activated fabric softener sheet. The substrate has a basis weight of 0.48 ounces per square yard or less, a thickness of from about 0.16 mm to about 0.38 mm, and comprises a nonwoven web of fibers, wherein at least some of the fibers are hollow. Preferably the fibers have a denier of from 2 to 8. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the hollow fibers have a void area at least 10 percent of the fiber cross-section, and the fibers have a noncircular trilobal cross-section.

Abstract: A unitary absorbent composite having a plurality of strata is disclosed. In the composite, adjacent strata are separated by a transition zone integrally connecting the strata. Each stratum includes fibers and a binder, and the transition zone includes fibers from adjacent strata. Method for forming the unitary composite are also disclosed.

Abstract: Fibers and fibrous materials are disclosed that comprise a functional fiber and a binder fiber. The functional fiber can be a continuous or a staple fiber, while the binder fiber is a staple bicomponent fiber. Uses of the fibers and fibrous materials are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention is a profiled bar, in particular sprung bars, in which a reinforcement of both synthetic fibers and natural fibers is embedded in a plastic matrix. The proportion of synthetic fibers can be reduced by using natural fibers derived from regrowing raw materials. This improves environmental compatibility and makes it easier to dispose of such sprung bars. The sprung bars are used in particular to form bottom sprung supports for furniture for sitting and lying on, and in particular for slatted frames.

Abstract: The present invention relates to carbon-matrix composites, such as carbon—carbon composites, and a method for forming them by forming a fabric of fusible and infusible fibers which can be processed and carbonized to form a composite. The methods disclosed herein permit preparation of composites which are particularly thin, uniform, and highly pure. The invention also relates to preprocessed fabrics and precarbonized composites, such as those comprising carbon or oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers and fusible polyacrylonitrile fibers.

Abstract: A method of reinforcing an external surface of a structural member including the steps of applying to a surface a fiber reinforced polymer system, and curing or hardening the polymer system. The polymer system is characterized by including a single-phase homogenous system before curing or hardening and becoming a two-phase system upon curing. The polymer system results in, when cured, a structural polymer including a continuous phase and an elastomeric polymer discontinuous phase.

Abstract: A durable, low-density, high performance insulating material is suitable for use as a high temperature thermal and acoustic insulation. The insulation includes fiber batting made with non-thermoplastic fibers or blends of fibers such as aramid fibers and ceramic fibers, which are bound within at least some interstices by high temperature non-flammable thermoplastic binder such as polyphenylene sulfide. In addition, a fireblocking layer can be provided on at least one surface of the insulation to further improve fire ablation or flame retardance.

Abstract: A laminated composite material is provided. The material has first and second layers. The first layer is composed of a fibrous material and a binder, and the second layer is composed of a woven material and a binder.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a Three Dimensional Printing materials systems and method that satisfies the need for a quick, reliable, safe, and inexpensive method for producing both appearance models and small numbers of functional parts in an office environment. The method of the present invention includes building cross-sectional portions of a three-dimensional article, and assembling the individual cross-sectional areas in a layer-wise fashion to form a final article. The individual cross-sectional areas are built by using an ink-jet printhead to deliver an aqueous solvent to an adhesive particulate mixture, causing the particles of the mixture to adhere together, and to previous cross-sectional areas.

Abstract: An inexpensive sheet or web shaped fibre material for use e.g., in sanitary napkins typically consists of a mixture of short cellulose fibres and some 15% of relatively long, thermoplastic binder fibers. It is a noticeable problem that the short fibres “dust” out of the material, and according to the invention this is remedied in that the material, when made by dry forming, is provided with a surface coating of very thin layers of pure binder fibres. In addition to a marked holding back of the dust, these layers condition that the amount of binder fibres in the base material can be halved and that the breaking stress of the material is noticeably improved. Thereby the products are usable not only as inserts, but also as individual, self-contained units e.g., for wiping in domestic or industrial cleaning.

Abstract: A ligneous finishing material including a base plate, a sheet formed from a sheet base impregnated with a thermosetting resin and attached to the base plate, and a decorative sheet impregnable with a resin and attached to the sheet. The base plate, sheet and decorative sheet are laminated on each other by a hot-press process. The thermosetting resin is preferably a phenol resin having a fluidity in a pre-pregnated state of 3% to 50%. The ligneous finishing material is inexpensive and highly resistant to surface damaging, and can be used as a surface facing material for floors, etc., and as a facing material for fittings and furnishings.

Abstract: A molded article such as a floor tile is made from recycled carpet waste which includes a polyvinyl chloride component in the backing material and fiber component having a melting point above the melting point of polyvinyl chloride. A mixture of the recycled carpet material is shredded and additional polyvinyl chloride is fed to an extruder where the polyvinyl chloride is melted without melting the carpet fibers. The resulting mixture is discharged and molded, such as by injection molding, to form a molded product. The molded product includes a continuous matrix of polyvinyl chloride having recycled carpet fibers uniformly dispersed therein. The molded article contains about 45% to about 85% of polyvinyl chloride, about 5% to about 20% of recycled carpet fibers, up to about 5% of a plasticizer and up to about 5% of an ethylene copolymer by weight based on the total weight of the product.

Abstract: A molded article including a plastic layer and an outer film over the plastic layer forming a composite laminate with the plastic layer and a process for preparing same. The outer film has an inner surface adjacent and bonded to the plastic layer and an outer surface opposed to the inner surface. The molded article also includes a reinforcing material adhered to the inner surface of the outer film layer and preferably at least partly embedded in the inner surface of the outer film layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a carbon fiber reinforced plastic member provided with high-elongation fiber bundle regions, which are uni-directionally aligned and separately disposed within the plastic member. The plastic member provides a carbon fiber reinforced plastic of lightweight, high strength and high modulus that is safe. Even if it breaks, it shows little scatter of fragments or exposure of dangerous fracture surfaces. Preferably, the high-elongation fiber at break has an elongation exceeding about 10%.

Abstract: The present invention provides a ceiling panel intended for good design which exhibits a light weight, sufficient flexural strength, incombustibility, sound-absorbing properties and heat insulation properties and desirable electric radiation-absorbing properties as an interior ceiling panel that acts as a best member for solving problems with communications by wireless LAN. The present invention also provides an interior ceiling panel having enhanced electric radiation barrier properties attained by applying a metal foil to the foregoing ceiling panel. A novel incombustible sound-absorbing electric radiation-absorbing ceiling panel having a thickness of from 1 mm to 30 mm is obtained by subjecting a water-dispersed slurry of a mixture of from 67 to 92 wt-% of a rock wool, from 0.5 to 8 wt-% of a beaten pulp, from 2 to 13 wt-% of a binder made of an organic resin, from 0.15 to 1 wt-% of a flocculating agent, from 0.5 to 10 wt-% of a natural mineral fiber and from 0.

Abstract: A composite with a thermoplastic matrix and fiber reinforcement is made by rotation of an exit die about a roving of continuous fiber in the presence of a thermoplastic melt. The rotation causes opposing inner and outer helical flow conditions which reduce the melt viscosity of the polymer by shear thinning while dragging and directing the polymer into the fiber roving thereby wetting and dispersing the fiber. A composite structure is formed with a polymer rich skin and a core region of unidirectionally aligned polymer and fiber. The polymeric skin is composed of helically aligned polymer chains which are coiled by the rotation around the core to compress the core region and enhance fiber wet out.