A flushable tampon applicator product includes an outer tube for housing a tampon; an inner tube, at least a portion of which extends into the outer tube, wherein the outer tube includes an outer, body-contacting surface, wherein the inner tube is moveable relative to the outer tube and configured to expel a tampon from the outer tube, and wherein at least one of the outer tube and the inner tube comprises a thermoplastic composition including partially-hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polyethylene glycol (PEG), a plasticizer, and a hydrophobic polymeric component, wherein at least one of the outer tube and the inner tube is a molded part; and a wrapper material configured for storage under high and low moisture storage conditions, the wrapper material having a water vapor transmission rate of less than 0.05 g/100 in2/day.

A light-transmitting plastic casing and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. A manufacturing method of a light-transmitting plastic casing include the steps: providing a mixed material, the mixed material includes a resinous material, a flame retardant material, a transparent fiberglass material, and an elastomer material; performing a granulating step to the mixed material to form granules; performing a heating step to the granules; and performing a molding step to heated granules to form a light-transmitting plastic casing.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to systems and methods for manufacturing a master batch with a graphitic material dispersed in a polymer matrix. In some embodiments, a method for manufacturing the master batch can include combining the graphitic material with a polymer, adding a supercritical fluid to the mixture, and depressurizing the supercritical fluid to remove the supercritical fluid. In some embodiments, the method includes mixing the graphitic material and the polymer for a first time period to form a first mixture and transferring the supercritical fluid to the first mixture to form a second mixture. In some embodiments, the method includes mixing the second mixture for a second time period and depressurizing the second mixture to allow the supercritical fluid to transition to a gas phase.

A micro moulding machine and process for forming small plastic parts for the medical device industry. The machine adds heat in two steps to a precision sized plastic pellet and then displaces the entire pellet volume into the mould cavity. A substantial amount of heat is added to the pellet by forcing it through an orifice very near the gate of the mould. The pneumatic pressure to drive the pellet through the orifice is controlled to regulate the amount of heat introduced into the pellet.

A three-dimensional shaping device includes: a material storage unit and a mouth portion which is provided below the body portion and which has a hole with a diameter smaller than a maximum inner diameter of the body portion, a material supply unit configured to supply a material to the material storage unit, a melting unit configured to melt the material supplied through the mouth portion, a nozzle configured to discharge the shaping material toward a stage, a remaining state detection unit configured to detect a remaining state of the material, a remaining amount determination unit configured to determine whether a remaining amount of the material is less than a first reference value based on the remaining state, and a control unit configured to supply, when the remaining amount is less than the first reference value, the material to the material storage unit.

A conveyer module, small fragments of which are detectable by X-ray and magnetic sensors, is formed from a compounded mixture of a thermoplastic polymer and a ferrous metal powder. The thermoplastic polymer comprises a polyketone constituting less than 85% by weight of the mixture. The ferrous metal powder is a 400 series stainless steel constituting between 16% and 20% by weight of the mixture.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to systems and methods for manufacturing a master batch with a graphitic material dispersed in a polymer matrix. In some embodiments, a method for manufacturing the master batch can include combining the graphitic material with a polymer, adding a supercritical fluid to the mixture, and depressurizing the supercritical fluid to remove the supercritical fluid. In some embodiments, the method includes mixing the graphitic material and the polymer for a first time period to form a first mixture and transferring the supercritical fluid to the first mixture to form a second mixture. In some embodiments, the method includes mixing the second mixture for a second time period and depressurizing the second mixture to allow the supercritical fluid to transition to a gas phase.

The present invention provides a process for recycling propylene-ethylene copolymers to obtain polymers having good optical and mechanical properties, as well as good processability. The invention further provides propylene-ethylene copolymer pellets obtained from the process, articles comprising or consisting of such pellets and the use of the propylene-ethylene copolymer pellets for injection molding applications. The process comprising the steps of (a) polymerizing propylene and ethylene in the presence of a single site catalyst in a continuous polymerization reactor under dynamic conditions, (b) collecting the resulting propylene-ethylene copolymer powders from step (a) to obtain a mixture (M) of propylene-ethylene copolymer powders having a MFR.sub.2 (ISO 1133, 230 C., 2.16 kg) in a raffle of from 1.5 to 80.0 g/ 10 min and an ethylene content in a range of from 1.0 to 4.0 wt. % based on the total weight of the mixture (M), (c) compounding said mixture (M) in an extruder in the presence of a radical initiator, and a clarifying agent in an amount of from 0.01 to 1.0 wt. %, based on the total weight of the mixture of propylene-ethylene copolymer powders, and (d) extruding the above mixture into pellets; wherein, in step a), the dynamic conditions are such that the ethylene content and the melt flow rate (MFR.sub.2) of the resulting copolymer gradually changes from a first predetermined ethylene content, E1, to a second predetermined ethylene content, E2, and from a first predetermined melt flow rate, MFR.sub.2-1, to a second predetermined melt flow rate, MFR.sub.2-2; wherein collecting the copolymer powders in step b) is started when the polymer produced in step a) has a first ethylene content, E1, and a melt flow rate MFR.sub.2-1, and collecting the copolymer powders in step b) is stopped when the polymer produced in step a) has a second ethylene content, E2, and a melt flow rate MFR.sub.2-2; and wherein said pellets obtained in step d) have (i) a MFR.sub.2 (ISO 1133, 230 C., 2.16 kg) in the range of from 20 to 120 g/10 in, (ii) a ratio of MFR.sub.2 pellets/MFR.sub.2 powder>1, (iii) an ethylene content in a range of from 1.0 to 4.0 wt %, (iv) a crystallization temperature Tc, determined by DSC according to ISO 11357-3:1999 in the range of from 100 to 125 C., and (v) a flexural modulus, determined in a 3-point-bending according to ISO 178 on injection molded specimens of 80104 mm, prepared in accordance with EN ISO 1873-2, of 850 MPa or more.

An additive feeder system is presented which is operable for use in a plastic injection molding machine including an injection component and a clamping component. The additive feeder system includes a feeder control unit, a feeder supply mechanism and feeder dosage control mechanism. The additive feeder system is operable to provide a specific dosage of the additive materiel in real-time for mixing with the raw material to achieve desired product characteristics. The additive feeder system may be applied to injection molding and extrusion, such as molding processes, plastic molding processes, blow molding, compression molding, extrusion molding, injection molding and laminating, and comprising additive feeders, for example for color mixing and nutrient supplements.

The invention refers to a method for producing expanded polymer pellets, which comprises the following steps: melting a polymer comprising a polyamide; adding at least one blowing agent; expanding the melt through at least one die for producing an expanded polymer; and pelletizing the expanded polymer. The invention further concerns polymer pellets produced with the method as well as their use, e.g. for the production of cushioning elements for sports apparel, such as for producing soles or parts of soles of sports shoes. A further aspect of the invention concerns a method for the manufacture of molded components, comprising loading pellets of an expanded polymer material into a mold, and connecting the pellets by providing heat energy, wherein the expanded polymer material of the pellets or beads comprises a chain extender. The molded components may be used in broad ranges of application.