A thermally-insulating sheet includes a thermal insulator which includes a fiber sheet made of fibers providing spaces among the fibers, a resin layer provided on a part of a surface of the fiber sheet, the first resin having a denser surface than the fiber sheet, and a silica xerogel held in the spaces of the fiber sheet. The thermally-insulating sheet further includes a protective sheet bonded onto the resin layer so as to cover the thermal insulator and to cover the surface of the fiber sheet. This thermally-insulating sheet hardly break even if having a large size.

The present invention relates in part to a method of fabricating a ceramic-polymer composite by contacting a polymer material with an acid solution and depositing a ceramic on the polymer material. The invention also relates in part to ceramic-polymer composites produced using said method and ballistic resistant materials comprising said ceramic-polymer composites.

The present disclosure generally relates to polymer-aerogel/fiber composite materials, polymer-aerogel/textile composite materials, and systems and methods for producing them. The gel material can comprise, in some embodiments, a network of polymer. The fiber and/or textile material can comprise at least one of any natural, synthetic, and/or mineral fiber. In some cases, certain combinations of materials, solvents, and/or processing steps may be synergistically employed so as to enable manufacture of materials suitable for use in apparel, soft goods, and other consumer applications which may benefit from the properties of a polymer-aerogel/fiber composite and/or the polymer-aerogel/textile composite.

A product for incorporating ultraviolet radiation protection and antimicrobial protection into a synthetic polymer is disclosed which has a quantity of zinc oxide particles modified with a layer of a reactive group that forms a bond with a quantity of synthetic polymer chips having CH bonds. A product for incorporating ultraviolet radiation protection and antimicrobial protection into a synthetic polymer prior to forming a synthetic material is also disclosed which has a quantity of synthetic polymer chips and a quantity of zinc oxide particles modified with a layer of a reactive group that forms a bond with the quantity of the synthetic polymer chips.

A fabric having ultraviolet radiation protection is disclosed which has a quantity of zinc oxide particles with each of the zinc oxide particles having a surface and a quantity of an acid polymer, with the acid polymer binding to the surfaces of the zinc oxide particles. A fabric having ultraviolet radiation protection is further disclosed having a quantity of zinc oxide particles with each of the zinc oxide particles having a surface and a quantity of boronic acid polymer, wherein the boronic acid functional groups of the polymer bind to the surface of the zinc oxide particles.

A heat-insulation material does not cause deterioration in heat-insulation performance and any loss of components included therein, and possesses an excellent radiation-preventing function. The heat-insulation material includes: a first heat-insulation layer that includes a first silica xerogel and a first radiation-preventing material; and a third heat-insulation layer that includes a third silica xerogel and second fibers, wherein the first heat-insulation layer and the third heat-insulation layer are layered. An electronic device includes the heat-insulation material. Yet further disclosed is a method for producing the heat-insulation material.

A laser-treated fabric including a body side and a face side has a plurality of pores located on at least some fibers on at least the body side of the fabric and at least one chemical additive embedded within or anchored to the plurality of pores. The pores have a pore size of from about 1 nm to about 20 m. Garments including the laser-treated fabric are also described. The fabric in the garment may be laser-treated such that the plurality of pores are located in discrete regions of the fabric. Methods for treating a fabric are also described. The chemical additive in the laser-treated fabrics is more durable than in non-laser-treated fabrics have a chemical additive applied on only the surface of the fabric.

The invention relates to a method for producing a tire, comprising the method step of coating a reinforcement element, in particular a reinforcement element that comprises textile fibers or textile filaments, with an elastomer matrix material, in particular uncured rubber, the reinforcement element, prior to being coated with the elastomer material, being provided with a sol-gel coating and the sol-gel coated reinforcement element being exposed to the action of a plasma, in particular a low-pressure plasma.

The invention relates to a method for improving adhesion between a reinforcement element that comprises textile fibers or textile filaments and an elastomer matrix material, in particular uncured rubber, the reinforcement element being provided with a sol-gel coating and the sol-gel coated reinforcement element being exposed to the action of a plasma, in particular a low-pressure plasma.

A heat-insulation material does not cause deterioration in heat-insulation performance and any loss of components included therein, and possesses an excellent radiation-preventing function. The heat-insulation material includes: a first heat-insulation layer that includes a fist silica xerogel and a first radiation-preventing material; and a third heat-insulation layer that includes a third silica xerogel and second fibers, wherein the first heat-insulation layer and the third heat-insulation layer are layered. An electronic device includes the heat-insulation, material. Yet further disclosed is a method for producing the heat-insulation material.