A flexible fibrous material comprises inorganic fibers and a binder and methods of making the same. The binder comprises at least one of: a first organic polymer having anionic groups and a flocculent, the flocculent comprising a second organic polymer having cationic groups; or a reaction product of the first organic polymer and the flocculent. Flexible fibrous material according to the present invention may be used as components in certain pollution control devices.

Devices, systems and techniques are described for producing and implementing articles and materials having nanoscale and microscale structures that exhibit superhydrophobic, superoleophobic or omniphobic surface properties and other enhanced properties. In one aspect, a surface nanostructure can be formed by adding a silicon-containing buffer layer such as silicon, silicon oxide or silicon nitride layer, followed by metal film deposition and heating to convert the metal film into balled-up, discrete islands to form an etch mask. The buffer layer can be etched using the etch mask to create an array of pillar structures underneath the etch mask, in which the pillar structures have a shape that includes cylinders, negatively tapered rods, or cones and are vertically aligned. In another aspect, a method of fabricating microscale or nanoscale polymer or metal structures on a substrate is made by photolithography and/or nano imprinting lithography.

Light weight composites with high flexural strength comprise epoxy foam sandwiched between two layers of facing material have high strength and low weight and can be used to replace steel structures. The facing layer may be fibrous material especially glass or carbon fibres, the facing material is preferably embedded into the epoxy matrix. Alternatively they may be matching box structures or concentric metal tubes. The sandwich structures may be prepared by laying up the fibre; coating and/or impregnating the layer with epoxy resin, laying a layer of heat activatable foamable epoxy material, providing a further layer of the fibrous material optionally coated and/or impregnated with epoxy resin on the foamable material and heating to foam and cure the epoxy materials. Alternatively they may be formed by extrusion of the foamable material between the surface layers.

A core layer is provided which is suitable for a multilayer composite that includes at least one cover layer and the core layer. The cover layer is arranged so as to at least partially cover the core layer and be fixedly connected thereto. The multilayer composite includes the core layer, the core layer having layers which have corrugated wooden elements. The corrugated wooden elements are arranged in an oriented manner in at least one layer.

A dry wall tape for use with a panel system includes a mesh having a plurality of width strands, and a plurality of length strands which traverse the plurality of width strands, wherein the length strands are more resistant to a pulling force than the width strands and wherein the tape is configured to be applied to the panel system.

Devices, systems and techniques are described for producing and implementing articles and materials having nanoscale and microscale structures that exhibit superhydrophobic, superoleophobic or omniphobic surface properties and other enhanced properties. In one aspect, a surface nanostructure can be formed by adding a silicon-containing buffer layer such as silicon, silicon oxide or silicon nitride layer, followed by metal film deposition and heating to convert the metal film into balled-up, discrete islands to form an etch mask. The buffer layer can be etched using the etch mask to create an array of pillar structures underneath the etch mask, in which the pillar structures have a shape that includes cylinders, negatively tapered rods, or cones and are vertically aligned. In another aspect, a method of fabricating microscale or nanoscale polymer or metal structures on a substrate is made by photolithography and/or nano imprinting lithography.

A composite implant comprising an injectable matrix material which is flowable and settable, and at least one reinforcing element for integration with the injectable matrix material, the at least one reinforcing element adding sufficient strength to the injectable matrix material such that when the composite implant is disposed in a cavity in a bone, the composite implant supports the bone.

Fibrous structures comprising spunbond filaments and solid additives and methods for making such fibrous structures are provided.

A composite comprising: a barrier, said barrier being configured to selectively pass water, and said barrier being degradable in the presence of water; a matrix material for disposition within said barrier, wherein said matrix material has a flowable state and a set state, and wherein said matrix material is degradable in the presence of water; and at least one reinforcing element for disposition within said barrier and integration with said matrix material, wherein said at least one reinforcing element is degradable in the presence of water, and further wherein, upon the degradation of said at least one reinforcing element in the presence of water, provides an agent for modulating the degradation rate of said matrix material in the presence of water.

An electrically conductive element includes a substrate and a carbon nanotube film located on the substrate. The carbon nanotube film includes a number of carbon nanotube linear units and a number of carbon nanotube groups. The carbon nanotube linear units are spaced from each other and extend along a first direction. The carbon nanotube groups are combined with the carbon nanotube linear units by van der Waals force on a second direction. The second direction is intercrossed with the first direction. The carbon nanotube groups between adjacent carbon nanotube linear units are spaced from each other in the first direction.