Disclosed herein is a hard coating composition used in forming a hard coating film exhibiting high hardness and excellent properties. The hard coating composition can be used to prepare a hard coating film exhibiting high impact resistance, high scratch resistance and high transparency and having excellent processability.

A waterproof invisible barrier seam is formed between two fabric laminates, an outer shell fabric laminate and an inner lining fabric laminate. The seam includes an invisible seam tape that forms a hydrostatic barrier within the seam. The design of the seam allows the formation of an effective hydrostatic barrier along the seams of a soft shell garment, while retaining flexibility, stretch, aesthetic appearance, and reversibility.

This invention is directed to a composite laminate comprising in order (a) a flame retardant polymeric moisture barrier (b) an inorganic platelet layer and (c) a flame retardant thermoplastic film layer The invention is also directed to a thermal insulation and acoustic blanket comprising a core of fibrous material or foam surrounded by the above composite laminate wherein the thermoplastic film layer of the composite laminate contacts and encapsulates the core.

Biocompatible coatings and spin finishes that can be applied to polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymers, and medical devices made from PHA polymers, have been developed. The coatings impart good lubricity to PHA polymers, particularly to fibers and braids made from these materials, making the coatings ideal for use on medical devices such as PHA braided sutures. The spin finishes can be applied to PHA fibers to facilitate their manufacture, and also for their conversion to other products, including medical textiles. The spin finishes serve to protect multifilament fiber bundles, and keep them intact following extrusion, and also to impart lubricity to the fiber bundles and monofilament fibers so that they are not damaged in subsequent processing steps particularly in textile processing. The coating reduces tissue drag of, for example, braided sutures.

Unique blends of fibers that incorporate synthetic cellulosic fibers to render fabrics made with such blends more durable than fabrics made with natural cellulosic fibers such as cotton. While more durable than cotton, the synthetic cellulosic fibers used in the blends are still inexpensive and comfortable to the wearer. Thus, the benefits of cotton (affordability and comfort) are still attained while a drawback of cottonlow durabilityis avoided. In one embodiment, the fiber blend includes FR modacrylic fibers and synthetic cellulosic fibers, preferably, but not necessarily non-FR lyocell fibers such as TENCEL and TENCEL A100. Other fibers may be added to the blend, including, but not limited to, additional types of inherently FR fibers, anti-static fibers, anti-microbial fibers, stretch fibers, and/or high tenacity fibers. The fiber blends disclosed herein may be used to form various types of FR fabrics. Desired colors may be imparted in a variety of ways and with a variety of dyes to the fabrics disclosed herein. Fabrics having the fibers blends disclosed herein can be used to construct the entirety of, or various portions of, a variety of protective garments for protecting the wearer against electrical arc flash and flames, including, but not limited to, coveralls, jumpsuits, shirts, jackets, vests, and trousers.

This invention provides a new class of medical devices and implants comprising amorphous metal alloys. The medical devices and implants may be temporary or permanent and may comprise other materials as well, such as polymers, ceramics, and conventional crystalline or polycrystalline metal alloys. Specifically, this invention provides implantable surgical fabrics comprising amorphous metal alloys. The presence of amorphous metal alloys in these fabrics can serve a variety of purposes, including structurally reinforcing the surgical fabric and/or imparting to the fabric the ability to shield against harmful radiation. The fabric may be used inside or outside the body during medical procedures. Further, the implantable surgical fabrics may be woven or non-woven fabrics.

Biocompatible coatings and spin finishes that can be applied to polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymers, and medical devices made from PHA polymers, have been developed. The coatings impart good lubricity to PHA polymers, particularly to fibers and braids made from these materials, making the coatings ideal for use on medical devices such as PHA braided sutures. The spin finishes can be applied to PHA fibers to facilitate their manufacture, and also for their conversion to other products, including medical textiles. The spin finishes serve to protect multifilament fiber bundles, and keep them intact following extrusion, and also to impart lubricity to the fiber bundles and monofilament fibers so that they are not damaged in subsequent processing steps particularly in textile processing. The coating reduces tissue drag of, for example, braided sutures.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a porous ultra-thin polymer film, and a method for producing said porous ultra-thin polymer film. The present invention provides a porous ultra-thin polymer film with a film thickness of 10 nm-1000 nm. In addition, the present invention provides a method for producing a porous ultra-thin polymer film, comprising the steps of: dissolving two types of mutually-immiscible polymers in a first solvent in an arbitrary proportion to obtain a solution; applying the solution onto a substrate and then removing the first solvent from the solution applied onto the substrate to obtain a phase-separated ultra-thin polymer film that has been phase-separated into a sea-island structure; and immersing the ultra-thin polymer film in a second solvent which is a good solvent for the polymer of the island parts but a poor solvent for a polymer other than the island parts to remove the island parts, thereby obtaining a porous ultra-thin polymer film.

The present invention relates to a mounting mat for mounting a pollution control device in a catalytic converter, the mounting mat comprising a non-woven mat of inorganic fibers having distributed therein inorganic particles having an average diameter of 1 nm to 100 nm and wherein the mounting mat is free of organic binder or contains organic binder in an amount of not more than 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the mounting mat. The invention further relates to a pollution control device including the mounting mat and to a method of making the mounting mat.

The present invention is directed to a nonwoven fabric made from a composite of nonwoven and pulp where the nonwoven has a high loft derived from a heat set three-dimensional relief structure and/or hydroengorged fiber structure. A nonwoven web is hydraulically treated to create a hydroengorged material having an increased loft. Alternatively a nonwoven web is treated to have a heat set three-dimensional relief structure. The treated web is then hydroentangled with pulp to form a cotendered nonwoven/pulp composite fabric.