The present invention provides apparatus and methods for growing fullerene nanotube forests, and forming nanotube films, threads and composite structures therefrom. In some embodiments, an interior-flow substrate includes a porous surface and one or more interior passages that provide reactant gas to an interior portion of a densely packed nanotube forest as it is growing. In some embodiments, a continuous-growth furnace is provided that includes an access port for removing nanotube forests without cooling the furnace substantially. In other embodiments, a nanotube film can be pulled from the nanotube forest without removing the forest from the furnace. A nanotube film loom is described. An apparatus for building layers of nanotube films on a continuous web is described.

A rolling bearing retainer which is formed by insert molding a resinous material together with a core member within a mold, in which the core member is embedded within a resin part made of the resinous material and a support area exposure part is provided at a plurality of locations of the resin part for exposing a support area of the core member supported within a cavity of the mold. The resin part includes a ring shaped body and a plurality of support column bodies extending axially from the ring shaped body and defining a pocket for retaining a rolling element therebetween, and the core member is provided with a ring shaped body embedded part and a plurality of support column body embedded parts extending from the ring shaped body embedded part.

Provided is an imprint apparatus that imprints a pattern formed on a mold onto a substrate. The imprint apparatus includes a substrate holder that holds the substrate and can move in a direction along the surface of the substrate; a gas supply unit for supplying a gas into a space between a pattern part of the mold and the substrate; and a wall part that is disposed so as to enclose the space that is supplied with gas, wherein at a position opposed to the substrate and the mold, the wall part faces the substrate holder or the substrate with a gap therebetween.

The objects of this invention are to set a predetermined height position for the portion of parison or preform that is the first to come in contact with body molding planes of a split mold and to prevent air from being trapped between in-mold labels and the container which is blow molded from the parison or the preform. In-mold labels are fixed to the entire outer surface of body of main container. An annular thinnest wall portion is formed in the wall of the body so that the thinnest wall portion is the first to come in contact with the body molding planes of a split mold. Under this construction, no bulge of air is formed between the body and the in-mold labels fixed to the entire surface of the body.

A method for making an improved contact lens with the steps of providing a mold with a space between the top surface and a bottom surface, and positioning a mat in the space of the mold, providing a bead of liquid polymer of predetermined size at a predetermined location on the surface of the mat, pressing the bead of liquid polymer into the mat between the top surface and the bottom surface of the mold to form an optical zone framed by a mat peripheral zone, exposing the optical zone and the peripheral zone with U-V radiation to harden the optical zone into a composite improved contact lens, removing the cross-linked improved contact lens from the mold, processing the peripheral zone surrounding the optical zone to have a fenestration surface having holes, the holes being through holes with predetermined diameters selected to pass larger proteins, lipids, metabolites.

A method of creating a processable water soluble polymer, the method comprising the steps of: extruding a water soluble polymer composition from an extruder barrel without use of a die, wherein the extruder barrel is not vented other than via its extruder outlet, to produce an irregularly shaped polymer extrudate; directing the irregularly shaped polymer extrudate onto a chilled conveyor to cool the irregularly shaped polymer extrudate to below 60° C.; and granulating the irregularly shaped polymer extrudate to form a granulate.

To produce sealing plates (1) consisting of a plurality of sealing rings (3) connected by radial webs (2) by injection molding, wall-type guide elements (5) are arranged obliquely to the direction of flow in the mold channel (6) which is therefore initially largely constricted in the region of weld lines (15) formed by the convergence of the fronts of the divided plastic melt streams, said guide elements being moved out of the mold channel (6) during the further filling of same so that the strength is significantly improved in the region of the weld lines (15).

The disclosed concept relates to compositions and methods for the manufacture of electrically resistive, thermally conductive electrical switching apparatus. The composition includes a polymer component and a nanofiber component. The thermal conductivity of the nanofiber component is higher than the thermal conductivity of the polymer component such that the electrical switching apparatus which includes the composition of the disclosed concept has improved heat dissipation as compared to an electrical switching apparatus constructed of the polymer component in the absence of the nanofiber component. Further, the disclosed concept relates to methods of lowering the internal temperature of an electrically resistive, thermally conductive electrical switching apparatus by forming the internals of the apparatus, e.g., circuit breakers, and/or the enclosure from the composition of the disclosed concept.

There is provided herein a method of manufacturing a device comprising at least a first fibre using a draw apparatus, the method comprising: providing a first preform comprising a shape memory polymer to the draw apparatus; heating a first portion of the first preform; and drawing, using the draw apparatus, the heated first portion in order to form the first fibre.

A system for constructing a composite structure includes a braiding machine, a winding tool and a forming machine. The composite structure is constructed of a wound tubular braiding. The wound tubular braiding is constructed of a biaxial or triaxial tubular braid of unidirectional tape.