Devices, systems and techniques are described for producing and implementing articles and materials having nano-scale 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 component for a wind turbine blade is provided. The composite component includes a stack of at least one fiber layer and a membrane which has a first surface and a second surface which is an opposite surface with respect to the first surface. The membrane is arranged with the first surface on top of the stack. The membrane is perforated with openings, wherein the membrane is formed in such a way that the openings are permeable for a fluid flowing along a first direction directing from the first surface to the second surface and impermeable for a fluid flowing along a second direction directing from the second surface to the first surface.

Provided is a laminate having at least a base material and a fine cellulose layer which includes fine cellulose having a carboxyl group, the laminate characterized in being obtained by laminating two or more of the fine cellulose layer. Also provided is a method for manufacturing a laminate, comprising the steps of (1) coating the base material with a liquid dispersion that includes fine cellulose having a carboxyl group, (2) forming a fine cellulose layer by drying the liquid dispersion used for coating, and (3) laminating fine cellulose layers by repeating steps (1) and (2).

The invention relates to a wet chemical method for the surface modification of products made of low-energy synthetic fibers, to the products produced by the method and to the use of the products produced by the method. The material surface is permanently provided with functional groups by contact with an aqueous polyvinylalcohol solution containing silanol(ate) groups. Depending upon the design, the materials have a high water consumption or transmission capacity or exhibit a capillary activity. The range of uses for surface-modified materials is extended by the possibility of reacting the functional groups, inter alia, with biologically active components.

Methods of producing silicon carbide, and other metal carbide materials. The method comprises reacting a carbon material (e.g., fibers, or nanoparticles, such as powder, platelet, foam, nanofiber, nanorod, nanotube, whisker, graphene (e.g., graphite), fullerene, or hydrocarbon) and a metal or metal oxide source material (e.g., in gaseous form) in a reaction chamber at an elevated temperature ranging up to approximately 2400 C. or more, depending on the particular metal or metal oxide, and the desired metal carbide being produced. A partial pressure of oxygen in the reaction chamber is maintained at less than approximately 1.0110.sup.2 Pascal, and overall pressure is maintained at approximately 1 atm.

The assembly consists of at least one metal insert and one reinforcing sheet. The reinforcing sheet contains reinforcing fibers longer than or equal in length to one centimeter. The metal insert comprises protrusions shaped to traverse the sheet, passing between the reinforcing fibers, and to fold by plastic deformation, enclosing the reinforcing fibers when said protrusions are subjected to a longitudinal compression force.

A fiber-metal laminate of mutually bonded fiber-reinforced composite layers and metal sheets comprises a combination of a fiber-reinforced composite layer and an adjacent metal sheet, in which combination the properties satisfy the following relations: E.sub.lam*E.sub.comp/(E.sub.metal*t.sub.metal.sup.2) has a value between a lower bound given by
a*(Vfc).sup.(b/(Vf-c)) with b=0.36 and c=0.3(1a)
and zero when Vf0.3,(1b)
and an upper bound given by
a*(Vfc).sup.(b/(Vf-c)) with b=0.88 and c=0(1c)
0.10Vf<0.54(2)
0<E.sub.lam*E.sub.comp/(E.sub.metal*t.sub.metal.sup.2)<400*Vf kN/mm.sup.4(3)
wherein a=1200 kN/mm.sup.4; and
E.sub.comp=tensile Young's modulus of the fiber-reinforced composite layer in kN/mm.sup.2 in the combination, taken in the direction of highest stiffness of the composite layer
E.sub.lam=tensile Young's modulus of the total fiber-metal laminate in kN/mm.sup.2, taken in the same direction as for E.sub.comp
E.sub.metal=tensile Young's modulus of the metal sheet in kN/mm.sup.2 in the combination
t.sub.metal=thickness of the metal sheet in mm in the combination
V.sub.f=fiber volume fraction of the fiber-reinforced composite layer in the combination.

A biomedical polymer composite that exhibits ultra-low thermal conductivity properties. In a preferred embodiment, the biomedical polymer composite comprises a base polymer component with a dispersed thermally non-conductive filler component consisting of glass or ceramic nanospheres or microspheres that have a thermal conductivity of less than 5 W/m-K, and preferably less than 2 W/m-K. In one embodiment, the polymer composite has an electrically conductive filler and can be used in a filament for treating arteriovascular malformations. In another embodiment, the polymeric composite can be used as an energy-coupling means to apply energy to tissue.

A part includes a structure and at least one shape memory alloy element that is prestressed and embedded at least in part within said structure. The shape memory alloy is suitable for dissipating the mechanical energy of said structure when it vibrates in a given frequency band.

A primer-less coating composition for facestock comprises: a binder being a water-dispersible polymer; an ethylenically unsaturated compound which is aqueous-dispersible and miscible with or bonded to said water-dispersible polymer, wherein said ethylenically unsaturated compound is able to form a covalent bond with an ink; and a crosslinker, wherein said crosslinker is suitable for binding the coating to the facestock. The coating composition may be applied to a substrate to form a printable film. A printed film in accordance with the invention may be used in a label, for example for use on a container such as a bottle.