The present disclosure provides implants suitable for hernia or prolapse repair, the implants including an implantable web including a combination of laid yarns and threading yarns and optionally a substrate. Methods of making such implants are also provided.

Actuators (artificial muscles) comprising twist-spun nanofiber yarn or twist-inserted polymer fibers generate actuation when powered electrically, photonically, chemically, thermally, by absorption, or by other means. These artificial muscles utilize polymer fibers non-coiled or coiled yarns and can be either neat or comprising a guest. Devices comprising these artificial muscles are also described. In some embodiments, thermally-powered polymer fiber torsional actuator has a twisted, chain-oriented polymer fiber that has a first degree of twist at a first temperature and a second degree of twist at a second temperature in which the bias angles of the first degree and second degree of twist are substantially different.

Actuators (artificial muscles) comprising twist-spun nanofiber yarn or twist-inserted polymer fibers generate actuation when powered electrically, photonically, chemically, thermally, by absorption, or by other means. These artificial muscles utilize polymer fibers non-coiled or coiled yarns and can be either neat or comprising a guest. Devices comprising these artificial muscles are also described. In some embodiments, thermally-powered polymer fiber torsional actuator has a twisted, chain-oriented polymer fiber that has a first degree of twist at a first temperature and a second degree of twist at a second temperature in which the bias angles of the first degree and second degree of twist are substantially different.

Previous electrochemically-powered yarn muscles cannot be usefully operated between extreme negative and extreme positive potentials, since strokes during electron injection and during hole injection partially cancel because they are in the same direction. Unipolar-stroke carbon nanotube yarn muscles are described in which muscle strokes are additive between extreme negative and extreme positive potentials, and stroke increases with potential scan rate. These electrochemical artificial muscles include an electrically conducting twisted or coiled yarn and a material that dramatically shifts the potential of zero charge of the electrochemically actuated yarn.

Previous electrochemically-powered yarn muscles cannot be usefully operated between extreme negative and extreme positive potentials, since strokes during electron injection and during hole injection partially cancel because they are in the same direction. Unipolar-stroke carbon nanotube yarn muscles are described in which muscle strokes are additive between extreme negative and extreme positive potentials, and stroke increases with potential scan rate. These electrochemical artificial muscles include an electrically conducting twisted or coiled yarn and a material that dramatically shifts the potential of zero charge of the electrochemically actuated yarn.

A combustion membrane (14) for a gas burner (2) comprises a fabric or mesh (21) of interlaced metal threads (22), having two opposite interlacing surfaces (19, 20) which form a combustion surface (19) and an inner surface (20) of the fabric/mesh (21), respectively, wherein the metal threads (22) are formed by twisted metal fibers (22) to form a yarn and: the individual metal fibers (22) are shorter than the yarn (22) formed therefrom, and free ends (22″) of the metal fibers (22) protrude divergently from the yarn (22) along its longitudinal extension and make the yarn (22) hairy, and the metal thread (22) is a yarn (22) of mass per length in the range from 0.8 g/m to 1.4 g/m.

A combustion membrane (14) for a gas burner (2) comprises a fabric or mesh (21) of interlaced metal threads (22), having two opposite interlacing surfaces (19, 20) which form a combustion surface (19) and an inner surface (20) of the fabric/mesh (21), respectively, wherein the metal threads (22) are formed by twisted metal fibers (22) to form a yarn and: the individual metal fibers (22) are shorter than the yarn (22) formed therefrom, and free ends (22″) of the metal fibers (22) protrude divergently from the yarn (22) along its longitudinal extension and make the yarn (22) hairy, and the metal thread (22) is a yarn (22) of mass per length in the range from 0.8 g/m to 1.4 g/m.

A transmission system using a toothed belt includes a belt body made of elastomer and a core wire made of carbon fiber and provided so as to be embedded in the belt body and form a helix having a pitch in a belt width direction. The belt body includes a flat band portion having a horizontally long rectangular cross section and a plurality of tooth portions integrally provided on an inner peripheral side of the flat band portion. A belt tension T0.2 per belt width of 1 mm when a belt elongation rate is 0.2% is 70 N/mm or more, an amount of backlash between the toothed belt and a toothed pulley is 0.10 mm or more and less than 0.65 mm, a hardness of the belt body is 89° or more in JIS K 6253 Durometer Type A, and a surface dynamic friction coefficient is 1.5 or less.

A transmission system using a toothed belt includes a belt body made of elastomer and a core wire made of carbon fiber and provided so as to be embedded in the belt body and form a helix having a pitch in a belt width direction. The belt body includes a flat band portion having a horizontally long rectangular cross section and a plurality of tooth portions integrally provided on an inner peripheral side of the flat band portion. A belt tension T0.2 per belt width of 1 mm when a belt elongation rate is 0.2% is 70 N/mm or more, an amount of backlash between the toothed belt and a toothed pulley is 0.10 mm or more and less than 0.65 mm, a hardness of the belt body is 89° or more in JIS K 6253 Durometer Type A, and a surface dynamic friction coefficient is 1.5 or less.

A power transmission belt includes a belt body made of an elastomer, and a cord made of carbon fibers and embedded in the belt body. The belt tension T.sub.0.2 per 1 mm belt width at 0.2% of a belt extension rate is 70 N/mm or more. The belt tension T.sub.0.5 per 1 mm belt width at 0.5% of the belt extension rate is 220 N/mm or more. The ratio of the belt tension T.sub.0.2 to the belt tension T.sub.0.5 is 0.33 or more.