Regarding a laser welded body in which a laser transmissive/absorptive molding member containing a PBT-based material and a laser absorptive molding member containing a PBT-based material are integrated with each other by laser welding, the following laser welded body is proposed as a laser welded body in which a bond strength can be further increased. A laser welded body having a structure in which a member I and a member II are integrally bonded to each other, the member I contains 0.0005 to 5.0 parts by mass, with respect to 100 parts by mass of a polyester-based resin A, of a laser transmissive/absorptive coloring material capable of transmitting and absorbing laser beam, and the polyester-based resin A contains at least a polybutylene terephthalate copolymer resin, the member II contains 0.15 to 10.00 parts by mass, with respect to 100 parts by mass of a polyester-based resin B, of a laser absorptive coloring material not transmitting but capable of absorbing laser beam, and the polyester-based resin B contains (B1) a homo PBT, (B2) a homo PBT-based mixed resin containing a homo PBT, or (B3) a copolymerized PBT-based mixed resin containing a copolymerized PBT.

Disclosed are preforms which incorporate improvements in the region of the neck and upper segment of the body to allow the production of lightweight containers, such as bottles suitable for containing water or other beverages. In accordance with certain embodiments, the improvements include a thinner neck finish area than conventional bottles, where the thinner area is extended into the upper segment of the body portion below the support ring. Reducing the thickness in these areas of the bottle allows for less resin to be used in forming the preform and bottle.

The invention relates to an extrusion process for the production of expandable vinyl aromatic polymer granulate comprising mixing first and second additives with first and second polymer components, respectively, in dedicated mixers.

Disclosed are preforms which incorporate improvements in the region of the neck and upper segment of the body to allow the production of lightweight containers, such as bottles suitable for containing water or other beverages. In accordance with certain embodiments, the improvements include a thinner neck finish area than conventional bottles, where the thinner area is extended into the upper segment of the body portion below the support ring. Reducing the thickness in these areas of the bottle allows for less resin to be used in forming the preform and bottle.

The invention relates to the use of molding materials for 3-D printing, containing components A, B1, B2, and C, wherein: A:5 to 100 wt % of at least one vinyl aromatic/diene block copolymer A, containing: a) 30 to 95 wt % of at least one vinyl aromatic and b) 5 to 70 wt % of at least one diene, B1:0 to 95 wt % of at least one polymer B1 selected from the group comprising standard polystyrene, high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), styrene/acrylonitrile copolymers, α-methylstyrene/acrylonitrile copolymers, styrene/maleic anhydride copolymers, styrene/phenylmaleimide copolymers, styrene/methylmethacrylate copolymers, styrene/acrylonitrile/maleic anhydride copolymers, styrene/acrylonitrile/phenylmaleimide copolymers, methylstyrene/acrylonitrile/methylmethacrylate copolymers, α-methylstyrene/acrylonitrile/t-butyl methacrylate copolymers, and styrene/acrylonitrile/t-butyl methacrylate copolymers, B2:0 to 60 wt % of one or more further polymers B2 selected from: polycarbonates, polyamides, poly(meth)acrylates, polyesters, semicrystalline polyolefins, and polyvinyl chloride, C:0 to 50 wt % of common additives and auxiliary agents, wherein the viscosity (measured as per ISO 11443) of the molding material at shear rates of 1 to 10 1/s and at temperatures of 250° C. is not greater than 1×10.sup.5 Pa*s and the melt volume rate (MVR, measured as per ISO 1133 at 220° C. and 10 kg load) is more than 6 ml/10 min.

A sealing device generally includes a rotatable support cylinder having an outer, circumferential surface and a heating element disposed about such surface and secured thereto such that the heating element rotates therewith. The heating element is coiled about the outer surface of the cylinder in the form of an overlapping helical pattern. Juxtaposed film plies may be sealed together by bringing the sealing device into rotational contact with the juxtaposed film plies and heating the heating element to a temperature sufficient to cause the film plies to seal together.

A thermoplastic polymer advanceable by solid state polymerization is blended with at least one dissimilar thermoplastic polymer. The blend is solid state polymerized to provide a modified polymer alloy blend having at least one physical or chemical property different from that of the blend before solid state polymerization. The modified polymer alloy blend may be coextruded with a layer of thermoplastic extrusion polymer having a melt viscosity similar to that of the modified polymer alloy.

A phase difference film composed of a resin C containing a copolymer P including a polymerization unit A and a polymerization unit B, the phase difference film including a lamellar phase separation structure that generates a structural birefringence, the phase separation structure including a phase (A) having the polymerization unit A as a main component and a phase (B) having the polymerization unit B as a main component, and the phase difference film satisfying the formulae (1A): f(A)>0.5 and (2):D(A)>D(B), or the formulae (1B): f(B)>0.5 and (2). f(A) represents a total weight ratio of the polymerization unit A in the copolymer P, f(B) represents a total weight ratio of the polymerization unit B in the copolymer P, D(A)=ReA(450)/ReA(550), D(B)=ReB(450)/ReB(550), and ReA(450), ReA(550), ReB(450) and ReB(550) are as defined in the description.

A sealing device generally includes a rotatable support cylinder having an outer, circumferential surface and a heating element disposed about such surface and secured thereto such that the heating element rotates therewith. The heating element is coiled about the outer surface of the cylinder in the form of an overlapping helical pattern. Juxtaposed film plies may be sealed together by bringing the sealing device into rotational contact with the juxtaposed film plies and heating the heating element to a temperature sufficient to cause the film plies to seal together.

A phase difference film composed of a resin containing a copolymer including polymerization units A and B, the phase difference film including a cylindrical phase separation structure that generates a structural birefringence, the phase separation structure including a phase (A) having the polymerization unit A as a main component and a phase (B) having the polymerization unit B as a main component, and the phase difference film satisfying the following condition (1) or (2). Condition (1): D(A)>D(B) and f(B)>0.5, and a direction giving a maximum refractive index among in-plane directions and an orientation direction of a cylinder in the phase separation structure are parallel to each other. Condition (2): D(A)>D(B) and f(A)>0.5, and a direction giving a maximum refractive index among in-plane directions and an orientation direction of a cylinder in the phase separation structure are orthogonal to each other.