Abstract: A lightweight, high strength structure is described where a core material has a first and second metal matrix composite layer on surfaces of the core material. A sandwich type structure may be formed. The core material may be a solid material, a foam, a honeycomb structure, or may be a channeled material. The metal matrix composite layers may include fiber reinforced metal matrix composites.

Abstract: A porous body includes skeleton particles directly binding with each other and forming inner surfaces and void spaces, each of the skeleton particles being one of a nitride ceramic, a carbide ceramic and an oxide ceramic, and inorganic compound components bound to the inner surfaces formed by the skeleton particles directly bound with each other and including an inorganic compound formed by calcinating pore forming particles including an organic polymer and inorganic particles being one or more inorganic material of a nitride ceramic, a carbide ceramic, an oxide ceramic, a metal and a metal compound. The ceramic of the skeleton particles is different from the inorganic compound of the inorganic compound components.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antireflection film having an antireflection layer excellent in chemical resistance, surface hardness and wet-heat-resistant adhesion. Also disclosed are a method for producing such an antireflection film, a polarizing plate using such an antireflection film, and a display. Specifically disclosed is an antireflection film which comprises a hard coat layer and an antireflection layer on at least one side of a transparent resin film. This antireflection film is characterized in that the hard coat layer contains at least an active ray curable resin, a silicone surface active agent and a polyoxyether compound, and the mass ratio between the silicone surface active agent content and the polyoxyether compound content is from 1.0:1.0 to 0.10:1.0.

Abstract: A mesostructured material, which has plural tubular pores and is arranged on a polymer surface, characterized in that the pores are uniaxially oriented. The mesostructured material can be developed to functional devices.

Abstract: An antireflection hard coating film of the invention comprises: a transparent plastic film substrate; and at least one hard coating layer of a cured coating layer and at least one antireflection layer that are formed in this order on at least one side of the transparent plastic film substrate, wherein a hard coating layer-forming material contains 100 parts by weight of a (meth)acrylate group-containing curable compound (A) and 0.01 to 3 parts by weight of a (meth)acrylate group-containing reactive silicone (B), and an antireflection layer-forming material contains a siloxane component-containing compound, at the interface between the hard coating layer and the antireflection layer being in direct contact with each other. The antireflection hard coating film has good adhesion between the hard coating layer and the antireflection layer, high hardness, and good scratch resistance without a reduction in antireflection properties.

Abstract: The present invention relates to modules comprising hollow fiber or capillary membranes, a mold and embeddings made of potting compounds, which are referred to as “pottings” and which embed the hollow fiber or capillary membranes into a mold in a gas-tight and temperature-stable manner, and to methods for producing such hollow fiber or capillary membrane modules.

Abstract: Hollow silica nanoparticles can have well defined non-porous shells with low shell fragmentation and good dispersability. These well defined hollow particles can be formed through the controlled oxidation of silicon nanoparticles in an organic solvent. The hollow nanoparticles can have a submicron secondary particle sizes. The hollow silica nanoparticles can be incorporated into polymer composites, such as low index-of-refraction composites, for appropriate applications.

Abstract: A pore forming material for a porous body includes organic polymer particles and inorganic particles.

Abstract: An optical film, which comprises: a support; and a layer containing an electrically-conductive particulate material, in which an interior of the electrically-conductive particulate material is porous or hollow, wherein the optical film comprises a fluorine-containing silane compound.

Abstract: A material system (60) contains close packed hollow shapes (50, 70) having a dense wall structure (52, 66), which are bonded together and which may contain a matrix binder material (56) between the shapes, where the system has a stable porosity, and is abradable and thermally stable at temperatures up to possibly 1700° C., where such systems are useful in turbine apparatus.

Abstract: An artificial stone material having an improved natural stone appearance and texture is prepared from thermosetting resin, curing agent, microspheres and additives. The resin and curing agent are thoroughly mixed to form a catalyzed resin mixture. The microspheres are added to the catalyzed resin mixture and mixed to a viscosity of about 950×106 to about 1590×106 to form a catalyzed base material. The additives are worked into the catalyzed base material to provide a catalyzed stone mixture having a desired natural stone appearance. The catalyzed stone mixture is molded or applied to a surface at the point of use and allowed to cure to form the artificial stone material.

Abstract: The combination of ingredients, especially for use in the formulation of a one or two-pack retroreflective ink, comprising retroreflective elements, microbeads additional to said retroreflective elements and/or constituting said retroreflective elements at least in part, binder chemicals for attaching the retroreflective elements and microbeads to a substrate to which the ink is to be applied, and a coupling agent for coupling the microbeads and cross-linking the binder chemicals, the coupling agent being unreactive until the printing process is carried out.

Abstract: Thermostructural composite structure having a compositional gradient, formed from a porous core (5) made of a refractory having a pore volume content of greater than or equal to 80%. The core (5) lies between two intermediate layers (6a, 6b) comprising the carbon fiber reinforcement, densified by a matrix composed of the carbon phase and of a ceramic phase, and a refractory solid filler. Two monolithic ceramic shells (7a, 7b) cover the intermediate layers in order to give stiffness to the entire structure.

Abstract: The invention provides porous silicon nitride ceramics that having uniform, fine closed pores and a manufacturing method thereof. Metal Si powder is mixed with a sintering additive, followed by thermal treatment, which is a pre-process for forming a specific grain boundary phase. Two-stage thermal treatment is thereafter performed by microwave heating at a temperature of 1000° C. or more. The metal Si powder is thereafter subjected to a nitriding reaction from its surface, the metal Si is thereafter diffused to nitride formed on the outer shell thereof such that porous silicon nitride ceramics having uniform, fine closed pores can be produced. Having a high ratio of closed pores and being superior in electrical/mechanical characteristics, the porous silicon nitride ceramics can display excellent characteristics if used, for example, for an electronic circuit board that requires an anti-hygroscopicity, a low dielectric constant, a low dielectric loss, and mechanical strength.

Abstract: An optical item comprising an organic or mineral glass substrate (1) and a transparent polymeric material layer (3), characterized in that it comprises at least one intermediate layer (2) in direct contact with one main side of the substrate and the polymeric material layer, the intermediate layer(s) being made of particles of at least one colloidal mineral oxide and optionally of a binder, such (an) intermediate layer(s) having an initial porosity, and the initial porosity of the intermediate layer(s) being filled either by material from the polymeric material layer or by the substrate material if the latter is made in an organic glass and, optionally partly by the binder when present, so that the intermediate layer(s), after initial porosity filling, each represent a quarter waveplate with a wavelength in the range from 400 to 700 nm, preferably from 450 to 650 nm.

Abstract: The invention relates to processes for the synthesis of 2-D and 3-D periodic porous silicon structures and composites with improved properties having the advantages of porous silicon and photonic bandgap materials. Photonic crystals comprise a two dimensionally periodic or three dimensionally periodic microporous structural matrix of interconnecting, crystallographically oriented, monodispersed members having voids between adjacent members, and said members additionally having randomly nanoporous surface porosity. The silicon nanofoam material shows enhanced and spectrally controlled/tunable photoluminescence and electroluminesce and finds use as transparent electrodes, high-lumonosity light emitting diodes (LEDs), wavelength division multiplexors, high-active-area catalyst supports, photonic bandgap lasers, silicon-based UV detectors, displays, gas sensors, and the like.

Abstract: Mesoporous silica is shown to be a sample holder for laser desorption/ionization of mass spectrometry. Supported mesoporous silica was prepared by coating an ethanolic silicate solution having a removable surfactant onto a substrate to produce a self-assembled, ordered, nanocomposite silica thin film. The surfactant was chosen to provide a desired pore size between about 1 nanometer diameter and 50 nanometers diameter. Removal of the surfactant resulted in a mesoporous silica thin film on the substrate. Samples having a molecular weight below 1000, such as C60 and tryptophan, were adsorbed onto and into the mesoporous silica thin film sample holder and analyzed using laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to low temperature pressure consolidation methods which provide for bonding of target material (10) to the backing plate material (15) capable of withstanding the stresses imposed by high sputtering rates. The sputter target assemblies (5) in accordance with the present invention are preferably comprised of target materials (10) and backing plate materials (15) having dissimilar thermal expansion coefficients and incorporate internal cooling channels (20). In the preferred embodiment, the resulting bond and the formation of the cooling channels (20) are cooperative.

Abstract: A composite material includes an SiC porous ceramic sintered body, which is formed by preliminarily sintering a porous body, having a coefficient of thermal expansion lower than the coefficient of thermal expansion of copper to construct a network therein. A copper alloy impregnating the porous ceramic sintered body includes copper and one or more additive elements which are prepared to impart a coefficient of thermal conductivity of 160 W/mK or higher to the composite material. The additive elements include up to 5% of at least one element selected from Be, Al, Si, Mg, Ti, Ni, Bi, Te, Zn, Pb, Sn, and mish metal, and also contain unavoidable impurities and gas components.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite material that contains 5 to 97%-vol aerogel particles, at least one binder, and at least one fibre material, the diameter of the aerogel particles being ?0.5 mm, a process for manufacturing this, and the use thereof.

Abstract: A mesostructured material, which has plural tubular mesopores and is arranged on a polymer surface, characterized in that the mesopores are oriented in on direction parallel to the surface. The mesostructured material can be developed to functional devices.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor including a lower electrode layer, a nanotube structure film composed of an insulator matrix and a plurality of nanotubes dispersively arranged in the insulator matrix, a magnetoresistive film provided on the nanotube structure film, and an upper electrode layer provided on the magnetoresistive film. Each nanotube is composed of a circular tubular nonmetal and a circular cylindrical metal surrounded by the circular tubular nonmetal. The nanotube structure film is partially etched at its central region to make conduction of the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer through the magnetoresistive film and the circular cylindrical metal of each nanotube present at the central region.

Abstract: A flame retardant, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding gasket construction. The construction includes a resilient core member formed of a foamed elastomeric material, an electrically-conductive fabric member surrounding the outer surface of the core member, and a flame retardant layer coating at least a portion of the interior surface of the fabric member. The flame retardant layer is effective to afford the gasket construction with a flame class rating of V-0 under Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) Standard No. 94.

Abstract: A channelized sorbent material comprises porous sorbent particles characterized by an average pore diameter. Each sorbent particle has at least one interior channel of an average transverse dimension (i.e. transverse diameter) that is at least ten times larger than the average pore diameter of the porous sorbent particle. The interior channel may constitute a single cylindrical through-bore in the sorbent particle, or alternatively, an array of intersecting or non-intersecting channels. The porous sorbent particles preferably comprise bead activated carbon particles. Such channelized sorbent material is particular useful as sorbent media in an adsorption-desorption apparatus for storage and dispensing of a sorbable fluid.

Abstract: A diamond foam article comprises diamond deposited material on a substrate having an open contiguous structure that permits the flow of fluids in at least one direction through the material. Methods for forming a diamond foam article comprise providing a foam substrate; preparing the foam substrate for diamond deposition; and depositing diamond material on the foam substrate by one of several diamond deposition methods.

Abstract: An improved porous article and a method for forming such porous article are provided. A mixture of ceramic or metal particles and pliable organic hollow spheres is prepared in a liquid, typically as a suspension. The article is formed by pressing, slip casting, extruding or injection molding the mixture. The article is dried to remove the liquid, and then is fired so that the particles are bonded such as by sintering, and the organic spheres are eliminated, resulting in a strong porous article having uniformly spaced interconnected voids.

Abstract: A plurality of closed metal cells is provided. Each cell encapulates a fluid or a fluid-like filler with a metal skin or cell wall. The closed cells are joined into an aggregate arrangement to form a composite material in which the bonded cell walls form a continuous metal matrix. The cell walls and the encapulated cell filler fluid or fluid-like filler provide controllable stiffness and strength as well as vibration-damping and shock-absorbing characteristics to the material. The resulting closed cell metal composite finds many advantages uses including use as a prosthetic device, a casting, or an automotive component. The component material is elastically compliant or stiff, depending on the design, as well as lightweight and resistant to buckling and crushing. The material provides desirable physical properties such as heat-capacity, thermal and electrical conductivity, vibration-damping capacity, and shock-absorbing characteristics.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a ceramic body that can support a required amount of a catalyst component, without lowering the characteristics such as strength, being manufactured without forming a coating layer and providing a high performance ceramic catalyst that is excellent in practical utility and durability.

Abstract: A process and composition of matter for preparing an improved clip cushion product having tighter dimensional control, better consistency of composition, higher heat resistance, better crack resistance, less abrasive, and lower weight loss at high temperature.

Abstract: A material system (60) contains close packed hollow shapes (50, 70) having a dense wall structure (52, 66), which are bonded together and which may contain a matrix binder material (56) between the shapes, where the system has a stable porosity, and is abradable and thermally stable at temperatures up to possibly 1700° C., where such systems are useful in turbine apparatus.

Abstract: Fluid permeable graphite article in the form of a glassy carbon coated perforated flexible graphite sheet useful as an electrode and electrically conductive backing material in flow-through type electrical capacitors.

Abstract: Disclosed is a composite material comprising a matrix material comprising a microwave transmissive polymer; and from about 1 to 65 volume percent of a particulate filler dispersed in the matrix. This particulate filler is characterized by an electrically conductive coating on the filler particles, particles selected from spheroids and ellipsoids having a major dimension below about 0.5 mm and particles having an aspect ratio greater than about 2 to 1 having a minor dimension below 100 &mgr;m, and a combination of particle size and coating thickness sufficient to yield a combination of a composite material dielectric constant between about 1.2 to 100, and a composite material microwave loss tangent no greater than about 0.10 at 1 GHz.

Abstract: A structure suitable for partial or full use in a spacer (24) of a flat-panel display has a porous face (54). The structure may be formed with multiple aggregates (100) of coated particles (102) bonded together in an open manner to form pores (58). A coating (88) consisting primarily of carbon and having a highly uniform thickness may extend into pores of a porous body (46). The coating can be created by removing non-carbon material from carbon-containing species provided along the pores. A solid porous film (82) whose thickness is normally no more than 20 &mgr;m has a resistivity of 108 -1014 ohm-cm. A spacer for a flat-panel display contains a support body (80) and an overlying, normally porous, layer (82) whose resistivity is greater parallel to a face of the support body than perpendicular to the body's face.

Abstract: A cooling device for a brake component is provided. The brake component includes a structural element that has an interior cavity. A cooling material is disposed within the cavity. The material has a phase change temperature at a particular pressure and volume. The material absorbs the heat generated by the structural element by changing from a first state to a second state at the phase change temperature to maintain the brake component or structural element below the maximum operating temperature. The phase change temperature may be defined by a melting point of the material in which the first state is solid and the second state is liquid, or by an evaporation point of the material in which the first state is liquid and the second state is gas.

Abstract: A box-shaped automotive member includes a box-like body (2) for containing various parts, and this box-like body is formed of a hollow-grains-dispersed composite material having hollow grains contained in a metallic matrix. The content of the hollow grains is 50 to 70%, and the hollow grains are made of a material selected from a mullite material, an alumina material, a carbon material and a SiO2 material. Particularly when the box-like body is applied to a battery box (1) which can receive a battery or a junction box, this is effective for enhancing the fuel consumption.

Abstract: A silicon carbide composite which is a flat composite comprising a porous preform of silicon carbide and a metal containing aluminum as the main component, infiltrated into the porous preform, said composite having a warpage of at most 250 &mgr;m per 10 cm of the principal plane length of the composite.

Abstract: Manufacture of a polishing pad for polishing a semiconductor substrate, involves, transporting a backing layer to successive manufacturing stations, supplying a fluid phase polymer composition onto the transported backing layer, shaping the fluid phase polymer composition into a surface layer having a measured thickness, and curing the polymer composition on the transported backing layer in a curing oven to convert the liquid phase polymer composition to a solid phase polishing layer attached to the transported backing layer.

Abstract: A color-change laminate comprising a substrate and formed thereon a porous layer which comprises a low-refractive-index pigment dispersed in a binder resin and tenaciously adherent thereto is disclosed. The porous layer becomes transparent or translucent upon absorption of a liquid medium, e.g., water to give a variety of visual changes. The low-refractive-index pigment contains at least a finely particulate silicic acid produced by the wet process. Toy sets consisting of the above color-change laminates with dolls or toy animals and toy sets consisting of the above color-change laminates with a means of water adhesion are also provided.

Abstract: Fluid permeable graphite article in the form of a glassy carbon coated perforated flexible graphite sheet useful as an electrode and electrically conductive backing material in flow-through type electrical capacitors.

Abstract: A bulk absorber has a continuous concentration gradient of particles with dielectric or magnetic altered properties. The bulk absorber may be made from foam or, ceramic. The particles may be carbon fibers, carbon black, carbon whiskers, coated hollow microspheres, or a combination thereof. A manufacturing system for fabricating a bulk absorber has two delivery devices, a controller, an intermingling device, a positioning device, and a forming device. The delivery devices produce flows of absorber precursors, with at least one of the flows having a concentration of particles having dielectric or magnetic altering properties. The ratio of the flows is controlled by the controller. The intermingling device receives and mixes the flows to produce a combined flow. The particle concentration in the combined flow is controlled by the controller. The positioning device directs the depositing of the combined flow into a cavity to build a non-solidified item.

Abstract: The invention relates to a composite material, manufactured by dynamic densification of an amount of granular or powdered relatively brittle material or a mixture of one or more of such materials, wherein a continuous porous product is obtained, whereafter, by infiltration thereof with a second material, the brittle material particles are embedded in a continuous network of the second material. The invention further relates to a composite comprising ceramic particles embedded in a continuous matrix of a second material, obtainable by a method according to the invention, and to products manufactured from such composite.

Abstract: A method for producing a setter for defatting and/or firing, which can produce the setter without using any mold, and which can minimize generation of gas in the firing step of a process for producing the setter. The method enables setting of porosity of the setter to be relatively easily changed, and ensures a predetermined mechanical strength even with the porosity increased over 50%. The setter for defatting and/or firing has pores with an average diameter of 5-1000 &mgr;m and porosity in the range of 70-25%. The setter is formed of a porous body having a three-dimensional network structure having a flat surface. A porous sheet is preferably laminated on the surface of the porous body having a three-dimensional network structure, the porous sheet having pores, smaller than the pores of the structure body, with an average diameter of not more than 50 &mgr;m and having porosity in the range of 70-25%.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive double coated tape or sheet, an acrylic non-substrate pressure-sensitive adhesive transfer tape or sheet, and a method for manufacturing the same. The acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive double coated tape or sheet and the acrylic non-substrate pressure-sensitive adhesive transfer tape or sheet are manufactured by the use of a light-cured adhesive whose main components are a (metha)alkyl ester acrylate monomer, a polar functional group containing monomer, an acrylic polymer having a photo-active functional group, and photopolymerization initiating agent, wherein the acrylic polymer having a photo-active functional group has a weight average molecular weight of 200,000 to 3,000,000 and the content of the photo-active functional group of 0.001 milli-equivalent/g to 0.5 milli-equivalent/g.

Abstract: Disclosed is a corrosion-resistant material capable of withstanding attack of a halogen-containing corrosive gas such as sulfur hexafluoride or a plasma thereof. The corrosion-resistant material is characterized in that at least the surface layer thereof is formed from a sintered body of a composite oxide having a crystalline structure of garnet and having a composition expressed by the formula Ln3Al5O12, in which Ln is a rare earth element or a combination of rare earth elements selected from the group consisting of dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, the material having a surface roughness Ra not exceeding 1 &mgr;m and the sintered body having a porosity not exceeding 3%.

Abstract: A porous preform for manufacturing partially composite lightweight metal products including at least a sliding surface as composite part is made of a hard material which comprises a sintered mixture comprising TiO2 particles, short ceramic fibers and whiskers, and SiC particles having an average particle size of approximately 20 to 100 &mgr;m. The partially composite lightweight metal product produced from the porous preform is provided with superior wear resistance and high strength and achieves increasing the coefficient of friction even though it is large in size, so as to keep a composite part of the composite lightweight metal product such as a sliding surface of a brake rotor remain even and smooth for a long period of time.

Abstract: In order to improve a screen element for motor vehicles, in particular, a wind blocker or a sun screen, comprising a piece of flat material extending in a surface area such that it can be manufactured more economically, it is proposed that the piece of flat material comprise a woven, knitted or braided fabric consisting of inherently stiff wires or fibers and thus be of inherently rigid construction.

Abstract: Multi-functional materials which have a photocatalytic layer with a photocatalytic function disposed on the surface of a base through a binder layer 6 interposed therebetween. Photocatalytic particles of the photocatalytic layer are joined together by a surface energy or solid-state sintering. The photocatalytic layer may have a structure in which fine particles fill interstices defined between photocatalytic particles or a structure in which no fine particles fill interstices defined between photocatalytic particles. A metal such as Ag, Pt, or the like may be fixed or not fixed to surfaces of the photocatalytic particles.

Abstract: An aqueous organopolysiloxane-containing composition comprising organopolysiloxanes of formula I: HO [Si(A)(CH3)z(OH)1−zO]a[Si(B)(R2)y(OH)1−yO]b[Si(C)(CH3)O]c[Si(D)(OH)O]dH.

Abstract: Multi-functional materials which have a photocatalytic layer with a photocatalytic function disposed on the surface of a base through an amorphous binder layer 6 interposed therebetween. Photocatalytic particles of the photocatalytic layer are joined together by a surface energy or solid-state sintering. The photocatalytic layer may have a structure in which fine particles fill interstices defined between photocatalytic particles or a structure in which no fine particles fill interstices defined between photocatalytic particles. A metal such as Ag, Pt, or the like may be fixed or not fixed to surfaces of the photocatalytic particles. A lower layer of the photocatalytic layer is embedded in the binder layer such that an intermediate layer is formed between the binder layer and the photocatalytic layer, the intermediate layer including components of the binder and photocatalytic layers in varying concentrations therethrough.

Abstract: Composite products incorporating a polymer matrix, polymer microspheres, glass microspheres and natural fibers, particularly kenaf and wood fibers, are described. The polymer microspheres are 15 to 50 microns in diameter and are smaller than the glass microspheres which are 50 to 200 microns in diameter. The polymer microspheres reduce voids and prevent cracking of the glass microspheres upon compression. The composites have low cost and high strength.