A system and method for direct and/or active detection and monitoring of civil engineering or other infrastructural structures, and in a preferred embodiment, for hydrocarbon leakage in oil and gas pipelines, storage structures, and/or transportation structures. Particularly, the system and method relate to various nanocomposite sensor coating and data gathering systems. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a single measurement sensor coating (thin film) sensor. Other embodiments relate to multiple measurement sensor coating systems. The sensor is comprised of either a discrete conductive filament layer, or a single or multiple mesh of interwoven filaments of conductive material in one direction and nonconductive material in a perpendicular direction, as a substrate coated with sensitive coating materials to form a sensor grid. Various embodiments of the sensor coating and their applications are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for 3D printing hollow bodies, such as bodies having an exterior cylindrical shape with a hollow interior, are described. Such systems and methods utilize rotatable hollow print base supports having an interior size and/or shape that matches the desired exterior shape of the final printed structure. The printed bodies, methods, and systems enable printing of the desired hollow printed body from the outside-to-inside. They also allow easy production, customization, and modification of internal structures within the printed hollow body.

Described herein are embodiments of a pressure hose having an improved reinforcement layer. In some embodiments, the reinforcement layer of the pressure hose has a reinforcement volumetric ratio (RVR) of greater than or equal to 110%. The reinforcement layer can include a plurality of braided beams, with each beam comprising a plurality of ends. In some embodiments, the plurality of ends within a beam are arranged in a multi-layer orientation. In some embodiments, the number of ends and the end orientation within each beam is identical amongst all beams in the reinforcement layer. The shape, size, and arrangement of the ends within a beam can all be adjusted to increase the surface area to volume ratio and, correspondingly, the RVR of the reinforcement layer.

A tubular structure for transporting heat transfer fluid including at least: i) a layer (1) in contact with the fluid including at least one thermoplastic polymer P1 that is semicrystalline with Tm1 greater than or equal to 160° C., as determined according to the standard 1 1357-3 (2013) or amorphous with Tg1 greater than or equal to 100° C., as determined according to the standard 1 1357-2 (2013), said layer (1) containing no fibers, ii) a layer (2) including at least: (a) a thermoplastic polymer P2 that is semicrystalline, in particular a polyamide with Tm2 greater than or equal to 170° C. or amorphous with Tg2 greater than or equal to 100° C., or a polyolefin with Tm greater than 100° C.; (b) optional continuous fibers, the polymer P2 being identical to P1 or different from P1 in which case the polymers P1 and P2 adhere at least partially to one another.

The invention relates to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) copolymer compositions that have improved crosslinking efficiency and performance. The PVDF copolymer contains a high level (>14 and preferably greater than 16 wt %) of a fluorinated comonomer, and has a high molecular weight as measured by the melt viscosity at 230° C. and 100 sec−1 of 18 to 40 kpoise. The composition can be effectively cross-linked with a low level radiation (high cross-linking efficiency). The cross-linked composition is useful in high-temperature applications, such as automotive wire and cable, and heat shrink tubing.

A fiberglass reinforced aerogel composite may include coarse glass fibers, glass microfibers, aerogel particles, and a binder. The coarse glass fibers may have an average fiber diameter between about 8 μm and about 20 μm. The glass microfibers may have an average fiber diameter between about 0.5 μm and about 3 μm. The glass microfibers may be homogenously dispersed within the coarse glass fibers. The aerogel particles may be homogenously dispersed within the coarse glass fibers and the glass microfibers. The fiberglass reinforced aerogel composite may include between about 50 wt. % and about 75 wt. % of the aerogel particles. The binder bonds the coarse glass fibers, the glass microfibers, and the aerogel particles together.

An object is to provide a base paper for paper tubes that has lower environmental impact and is used for manufacturing of paper tubes offering excellent water resistance. As a solution, a base paper for paper tubes is provided, wherein: it has two or more but no more than five paper layers; the paper layers are bonded by a water-soluble or water-dispersible adhesive; and its elution rate is 2.0 percent or lower.

A laminate, containing two or more polyolefin resin layers, wherein at least one polyolefin resin layer (A) contains a cellulose fiber including a cellulose fiber having a fiber length of 0.3 mm or more dispersed in the layer; a content of the cellulose fiber in the polyolefin resin layer (A) is 1% by mass or more and less than 60% by mass; and wherein a polyolefin resin layer (B) different from the polyolefin resin layer (A) is laminated in contact with the polyolefin resin layer (A).

The present invention provides polymer blends that can be used in a multilayer structure and to multilayer structures comprising one or more layers formed from such blends. In one aspect, a polymer blend comprises (a) a copolymer comprising ethylene and at least one of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid having an acid content of 2 to 21 weight percent based on the weight of the copolymer, wherein the amount of copolymer (a) comprises 20-80 weight percent of the blend based on the total weight of the blend, and (b) a copolymer comprising ethylene and at least one of methyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate having an acrylate content of 5 to 30 weight percent based on the weight of the copolymer, wherein the amount of copolymer (b) comprises 10 to 50 weight percent of the blend based on the total weight of the blend, wherein the amount of copolymer (a) and copolymer (b) is at least 70 weight percent of the blend based on the total weight of the blend.

A braided sleeve is formed having complex geometry, including multiple geometries along the braided sleeve's longitudinal axis. In particular, along a first portion of the braided sleeve's longitudinal axis, multiple tows are intertwined with each other. Along a second portion, at least one of the tows is removed from being intertwined with the other tows and is relocated to an interior or an exterior of the braided sleeve. A third portion of the braded sleeve along the longitudinal axis includes the removed tow being intertwined with the plurality of tows again. In this manner, the braided sleeve may provide coverage of preforms with varying diameters along the longitudinal axis of the preforms.