A structural batten provides a longitudinally extending first layer having a plurality of passages extending between opposing sides of the first layer and transverse to the longitudinal extent of the first layer. A longitudinally extending solid body layer is attached to the first layer along the first layer's longitudinal extent.

A method of forming a ceramic matrix composite component includes providing a formed ceramic member having a cavity, filling at least a portion of the cavity with a ceramic foam. The ceramic foam is deposited on a barrier layer covering at least one internal passage of the cavity. The method includes processing the formed ceramic member and ceramic foam to obtain a ceramic matrix composite component. Also provided is a method of forming a ceramic matrix composite blade and a ceramic matrix composite component.

A system for diffusing wrinkles in a composite laminate may include at least one wrinkle diffuser. The wrinkle diffuser may include a diffuser body may be mounted to a tool in a manner such that a composite ply at least partially overlaps the wrinkle diffuser. A plurality of diffuser elements may be formed in the diffuser body to define a corrugated surface. The corrugated surface may cause a portion of the composite ply to assume a corrugated shape when a compaction pressure is applied to force the composite ply against the corrugated surface. The wrinkle diffuser may include an indexing feature to index the wrinkle diffuser to a ply edge of the composite ply.

Method for designing a corrugated roofing sheet made of natural fibres, impregnated with bitumen including a uniform pattern of mutually parallel alternating corrugations borne by a mid-plane, the corrugations defining rounded crests each separated from the next by a rounded trough, the crests and trough being connected by alternately inclined portions, the transverse offset between two successive crests being equal to the transverse offset between two successive troughs and defining the pitch P of the corrugations, the sheet having a thickness E of material substantially constant over its extent, and a height H being twice the distance between the mid-plane and the exterior surface of a crest or twice the distance between the mid-plane and the exterior surface of a trough, these two distances being identical. The height, thickness and pitch values are determined by Fi<H.sup.3/(8E(H+P))<Fs, where Fi=25 mm and Fs=35 mm.

Protection barriers, such as floor protection barriers, and methods for making and using same. The protection barrier can include a base sheet and an energy absorbing layer. The base sheet can have two or more paperboard layers and one or more sizing layers. A first paperboard layer can form a first surface of the base sheet, a second paperboard layer can form a second surface of the base sheet, and the one or more sizing layers can be disposed between the first and second paperboard layers. The energy absorbing layer can be secured to the second paperboard layer.

Articles including post-formed multilayer optical films with layers of at least one strain-induced birefringent material, methods of manufacturing such articles by post-forming multilayer optical films, and multilayer optical films that are particularly well-suited to post-forming operations are disclosed. The articles, methods and multilayer optical films of the present invention allow for post-forming of multilayer optical films including strain-induced index of refraction differentials while retaining the desired optical properties of the multilayer optical films.

A thermally insulating member includes a plane sheet having two ends spaced in a length direction and two sides spaced in a thickness direction perpendicular to the length direction. The plane sheet includes a plurality of rows of slits between the ends of the plane sheet. Each row of slits extends from one of the sides through the other side of the plane sheet. A first spacing between two adjacent rows of slits in the length direction is larger than a spacing between two adjacent slits in the same row of slits in a width direction perpendicular to the length and width directions by a second spacing. A thermally insulating strip is defined between two adjacent rows of slits. A stretchable rib is formed between two adjacent slits in the same row of slits. Each end of the plane sheet is a coupling portion free of the slits.

A method of bonding a substantially planar sheet material to a corrugated sheet material using an automated process the method characterized by the steps of a) applying adhesive in discrete amounts to the contact points of the corrugated sheet material, and b) holding the sheet materials together until a bond is formed between them.

A method of bonding a substantially planar sheet material to a corrugated sheet material using an automated process the method characterized by the steps of a) applying adhesive in discrete amounts to the contact points of the corrugated sheet material, and b) holding the sheet materials together until a bond is formed between them.

A flexible film, and articles comprising the film, comprises interleaved pluralities of each of first bands and second bands disposed adjacent to the first bands. Both the first and second bands have a length and a width; the first bands comprise a first film basis weight and first and second regions. The first regions and second regions being comprised of the same material composition. The first regions undergo a substantially molecular-level deformation and the second regions initially undergo a substantially geometric deformation when the sheet material is subjected to an applied elongation along at least one axis. The second bands comprise a second film basis weight and a plurality of corrugations disposed along the length of the band. In this aspect the material may be described as having alternating bands of structural-elastic-like film and ring-rolled film.