A liquid dispensing module and nozzle or die tip for discharging at least one liquid filament. The nozzle includes a strand guide for guiding a substrate past the nozzle and a frustoconical protrusion disposed on a surface of the nozzle adjacent the notch. A liquid discharge passage extends along an axis through the frustoconical protrusion and forms an acute angle with a machine direction corresponding to movement of the strand past the nozzle. Four air discharge passages are positioned at the base of the frustoconical protrusion. Each of the air discharge passages is angled in a compound manner generally toward the liquid discharge passage and offset from the axis of the liquid discharge passage to create the controlled pattern of liquid material on the strand.

Polymeric coatings and methods of forming polymeric coatings are described. In a method of forming a polymeric coating a first layer is deposited on a substrate. The first layer includes at least one highly soluble diamine component. A second layer is formed on the substrate to contact the first layer. The second layer includes paraformaldehyde and an aromatic diamine including two primary amine groups. Once formed, the first and second layers are heated. Heating causes the components of the first and second layers to cure. For example, the paraformaldehyde from the second layer diffuses into the first layer and reacts via hemiaminal-type chemistry with the high soluble diamine component. The coatings may be substantially homogenous or comprise a compositional gradient in thickness or along the substrate plane depending on deposition methods and other processing parameters.

A device for coating a fiber includes a fiber receiving arrangement and a coating arrangement which includes an application unit which wets the fiber with a coating agent, and a curing unit arranged downstream of the application unit which optically cures the coating agent. The curing unit includes a lamp which emits at least one light beam which is aimed directly or indirectly at a surface of the fiber. A main radiation direction of the lamp includes a beam angle between the main radiation direction and a longitudinal direction of the fiber of less than 40. The fiber receiving arrangement and the application unit are movable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the fiber via a translational motion arrangement so that a wetting process is implemented substantially along an entire length of the fiber.

Provided is matte film including: a film layer that is formed in a nano-web shape by electrospinning a polymer material; an ink layer that is coated on one surface of the film layer; and an adhesive layer that is laminated on the other surface of the film layer through electrospinning. Since the film layer is formed in a nano-web shape so that fiber strands are accumulated, the matte film can be thinly produced and have a non-glossy function of performing scattered reflection of light and a fingerprint-preventive function of making fingerprints imprinted. Further, the surface strength of the matte film can be reinforced.

A variety of medical devices including staples sutures and dental floss with surface treatment on at least one tissue-facing surface to improve biologic function such as to control tissue adhesion are disclosed including heparin surface treatment which provides heparin present in an amount to yield heparin bioactivity of at least one of i) an ATIII binding of at least 2 pmol/cm.sup.2, and ii) a thrombin deactivation of at least 0.2 IU/cm.sup.2; an acrylic surface treatment for coupling thereto of a heparin surface treatment, a collagen surface treatment or both; and an amino-functional polysiloxane surface treatment for coupling thereto of a heparin surface treatment.

Provided are methods and systems for forming piezoelectric coatings on power line cables using sol-gel materials. A cable may be fed through a container with a sol-gel material having a piezoelectric material to form an uncured layer on the surface of the cable. The layer is then cured using, for example, infrared, ultraviolet, and/or other types of radiation. The cable may be suspended in a coating system such that the uncured layer does not touch any components of the system until the layer is adequately cured. Piezoelectric characteristics of the cured layer may be tested in the system to provide a control feedback. The cured layer, which may be referred to as a piezoelectric coating, causes resistive heating at the outer surface of the cable during vibration of the cable due transmission of alternating currents and environmental factors.

The present application provides methods and apparatus for processing ceramic fibers for the manufacture of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). One method may include providing at least one frame including a planar array of unidirectional ceramic fibers extending across a void thereof. The method may further include at least one of depositing a coating on the ceramic fibers of the at least one frame via a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process and impregnating the ceramic fibers with a slurry including a ceramic matrix precursor composition to form at least one CMC prepreg. In some embodiments, the ceramic fibers of the planar array may include a coating, and the method may include impregnating the coated ceramic fibers with a slurry including a ceramic matrix precursor composition to form at least one CMC prepreg.

Methods of applying adhesion promoters to optical fibers are described. The methods include direct application of an adhesion promoter onto the surface of the optical fiber. The adhesion promoter is applied in liquid form as a neat compound or as a component of a liquid solution to the surface of the optical fiber. The adhesion promoter bonds to the optical fiber and includes functional groups that permit bonding with an overlying polymer coating to improve the adhesive strength of the polymer coating to the fiber.

A device for UV curing a coating or printed ink on a workpiece such as an optical fiber comprises at least two UV light sources equally spaced around a central axis, each UV light source comprising a reflector and a cylindrical lens, and the UV curing device configured to receive a workpiece along the central axis. The reflectors are configured to substantially reduce the emitting angle of light from the UV light sources, thereby directing the light substantially through the cylindrical lenses, the cylindrical lenses focusing the light intensely along a surface of the workpiece.

The invention pertains to a dish support rack having outstanding resistance to chemically harsh environments, and possessing improved mechanical properties, said dish support rack comprising a metal wire frame coated with a polyamide composition [composition (C)] comprising: more than 50% wt of a polyamide [polyamide (A), herein after], more than 50% moles of recurring units of said polyamide complying with formula: HN(CH.sub.2).sub.6NHC(O)(CH.sub.2).sub.8C(O) [recurring units (R.sub.6,10)], and, optionally: up to 10% wt of conventional filler(s) and/or additive(s), and to a method for its manufacture.