In one example, a structure includes a flexible plastic body having a first end and a second end, as well as a first side and a second side disposed opposite each other. The first side includes a first group of segments, and the second side includes a second group of segments. The structure also includes a group of living hinges integral with the body, and one of the living hinges is positioned between segments, and the living hinges enable the flexible plastic body to alternatively assume a flat state, or another state in which the body is not flat.

A tube manufacturing system is provided that is capable of manufacturing tube structures that are on the nanoscale and larger. The system provides for control as to the structure and atomic makeup of the feed sheet material used and provides motive force to the sheet material being used to continuously advance the sheet material through the various system components. After the tube structures are formed, they may be used in providing a source material for manufacturing macroscopic objects thus increasing the level of performance and capabilities of such objects due to the engineered properties of the tube structures formed within this system and method of manufacturing. Processes for manufacturing of nanotubes are also disclosed, as are nanotubes manufactured by the processes and system of the invention.

A system, method and apparatus for forming a flex-column includes a three-sided column having a triangular cross-sectional shape, an open first end, an open second end, and three corners, each one of the three sides including a flex line dividing each of the three sides into two portions, at least one perforation along an edge of each one of the two portions wherein the edge of each one of the two portions coincides with one of the three corners and at least one non-perforation along an edge of each one of the two portions.

The present disclosure relates to methods for using functional molecules and other structural carbon-based molecules with rigid backbones and kinked segments to alter the interactions between molecules, and consequently improve/modify the properties of materials. In particular, the disclosure provides methods for using functional molecules and other structural carbon-based molecules with rigid backbones and kinked segments as (1) precursors for carbon fiber, (2) molecular agents to separate and/or link - stacked aromatic systems, 3) stabilizers in composite materials to achieve better blending of matrix with fiber reinforcement, and/or (4) one of the components in carbon fibers to achieve better mechanical properties.

Provided is a carbon fiber bundle for obtaining a fiber-reinforced plastic having high mechanical characteristics. An acrylonitrile swollen fiber for a carbon fiber having openings of 10 nm or more in width in the circumference direction of the swollen fiber at a ratio in the range of 0.3 openings/m.sup.2 or more and 2 openings/m.sup.2 or less on the surface of the swollen fiber, and the swollen fiber is not treated with a finishing oil agent. A precursor fiber obtained by treating the swollen fiber with a silicone-based finishing oil agent has a silicon content of 1700 ppm or more and 5000 ppm or less, and the silicon content is 50 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less after the finishing oil agent is washed away with methyl ethyl ketone by using a Soxhlet extraction apparatus for 8 hours. The fiber is preferably an acrylonitrile copolymer containing acrylonitrile in an amount of 96.0 mass % or more and 99.7 mass % or less and an unsaturated hydrocarbon having at least one carboxyl group or ester group in an amount of 0.3 mass % or more and 4.0 mass % or less.

There is provided a method of making a hollow fiber. The method includes mixing, in a first solvent, a plurality of nanostructures, one or more first polymers, and a fugitive polymer which is dissociable from the nanostructures and the one or more first polymers, to form an inner-volume portion mixture. The method further includes mixing, in a second solvent, one or more second polymers to form an outer-volume portion mixture, and spinning the inner-volume portion mixture and the outer-volume portion mixture to form a precursor fiber. The method further includes heating the precursor fiber to oxidize the precursor fiber and to change a molecular-bond structure of the precursor fiber, and during heating, extracting the fugitive polymer from the inner-volume portion mixture. The method further includes obtaining the hollow fiber with the inner-volume portion having the nanostructures and the first polymers, and with the outer-volume portion having the second polymers.

Provided are organic metal halide crystals having a 1D nanotube structure. The metal halide crystals may have a unit cell that includes two or more face-sharing metal halide dimers. The metal halide crystals also may include organic cations. Methods of forming metal halide crystals having a 1D nanotube structure also are provided.

There is provided a method of making a hollow fiber having improved resistance to microfracture formation at a fiber-matrix interface. The method includes mixing in a first solvent a plurality of nanostructures, one or more first polymers, and a fugitive polymer which is dissociable from the nanostructures and the one or more first polymers, to form an inner-volume portion mixture. The method further includes mixing in a second solvent one or more second polymers to form an outer-volume portion mixture, spinning the inner-volume portion mixture and the outer-volume portion mixture and extracting the fugitive polymer from the inner-volume portion mixture to form a precursor fiber, heating the precursor fiber to oxidize the precursor fiber and to change a molecular-bond structure of the precursor fiber, and obtaining a hollow fiber with the inner-volume portion having the nanostructures and the first polymers, and with the outer-volume portion having the second polymers.

In one embodiment, a fiber treatment system includes a rotatable nubbed roller including an axis of rotation, a surface, and a number of spaced apart nubs projecting away from the surface, the number of spaced apart nubs imparting a number of spaced apart openings in a fiber tow. In another embodiment, the fiber treatment system further includes an optionally rotatable spreader roller for flattening the fiber tow. In yet another embodiment, the loosened, but still continuous fiber tow is chopped by a downstream chopper to form short fibers with reduced tow sizes.

The present invention relates to new, improved or modified polymer materials, membranes, substrates, and the like and to new, improved or modified methods for permanently modifying the physical and/or chemical nature of surfaces of the polymer substrate for a variety of end uses or applications. For example, one improved method uses a carbene and/or nitrene modifier to chemically modify a functionalized polymer to form a chemical species which can chemically react with the surface of a polymer substrate and alter its chemical reactivity. Such method may involve an insertion mechanism to modify the polymer substrate to increase or decrease its surface energy, polarity, hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity, oleophilicity or oleophobicity, and/or the like in order to improve the compatibility of the polymer substrate with, for example, coatings, materials, adjoining layers, and/or the like. Furthermore, this invention can be used to produce chemically modified membranes, fibers, hollow fibers, textiles, and the like, for example, to produce polyolefin microporous battery separators or membranes having improved hydrophilicity or wettability, having crosslinking in the polyolefin which can improve the high temperature stability, and/or the like.