A method manufacturing a spacer for a pipe-in-pipe system includes mixing aerogel particles with a polymer to form a mixture in which the particles are dispersed in the polymer. The resulting mixture is moulded and the polymer is solidified to form the spacer or a component of the spacer, in which the dispersed, particles are suspended in a matrix of the solidified polymer.

In one embodiment, the component comprises a light reflective housing. The housing comprises a matrix material of a light-transmittive plastic and particles of a glass ceramic embedded therein. The particles comprise a mean diameter of at least 5 μm. The particles comprise a glass matrix and crystallites. A refractive index difference between the glass matrix and the crystallites is at least 0.5, and the crystallites exhibit a mean diameter between 20 nm and 0.5 μm, inclusive.

The present invention relates to a novel method for conferring to thermoplastic, thermostable polymers or elastomers, magnetic, electromagnetic, electrical, X-ray shielding or density properties that allow the detection of said polymers by means of specific equipment that exists in the prior art. The detection of the thermoplastic polymers, thermostable polymers or elastomers in turn facilitates their location, removal or separation. The method is based on the addition of specific iron and silicon alloys with or without surface treatment.

In a method for producing a three-dimensional mold and a three-dimensional shaped object by means of layer-by-layer material application, geometry data for the shaped object, a support part having a base surface for holding the three-dimensional shaped object, and a first and a second material that can be solidified are made available. In the solidified state, the second material includes at least one main component that can be cross-linked by means of treatment with energy, and a latent hardener that can be thermally activated, by means of which chemical cross-linking of the main component can be triggered by means of the effect of heat. To form a negative-shape layer, the first material is applied to the base surface and/or to a solidified material layer of the three-dimensional shaped object situated on this surface, in accordance with the geometry data, in such a manner that the negative-shape layer has at least one cavity that has a negative shape of a material layer of the shaped object to be produced. The negative-shape layer is solidified. To form a shaped-object layer, the cavity is filled with the second material, and afterward its main component is partially cross-linked by means of treatment with energy, and solidified. Regions of the solidified negative-shape layer and/or shaped-object layer that project beyond a plane arranged at a distance from the base surface are removed by means of material removal. The steps mentioned above are repeated at least once. The main component is further cross-linked by means of a heat treatment, and solidified in such a manner that the second material has a greater strength than the solidified first material and the second material after partial cross-linking. The negative-shape layers are removed from the shaped object.

Exemplary methods for installing tile using a reactivatable tile bonding mat is disclosed. The reactivatable tile bonding mat is placed upon a substantially flat surface. Stone, porcelain or ceramic tile is placed and arranged on the reactivatable tile bonding mat in an aesthetically pleasing fashion, in some cases aided by the use of spacers in the joints between the sides of the tiles. Induction, or some other method of heat, is applied to the upper surfaces of the tiles, to quickly transfer through the tile, causing a polymer hot-melt material embedded in the reactivatable tile bonding mat to melt and adhere to a lower surface of the tiles, forming a strong bond. Upon the tiles fully bonding to the reactivatable tile bonding mat, spacers may be removed and a suitable grout may be applied in the joints between the sides of the tiles.

Exemplary methods for installing tile using a reactivatable tile bonding mat is disclosed. The reactivatable tile bonding mat is placed upon a substantially flat surface. Stone, porcelain or ceramic tile is placed and arranged on the reactivatable tile bonding mat in an aesthetically pleasing fashion, in some cases aided by the use of spacers in the joints between the sides of the tiles. Induction, or some other method of heat, is applied to the upper surfaces of the tiles, to quickly transfer through the tile, causing a polymer hot-melt material embedded in the reactivatable tile bonding mat to melt and adhere to a lower surface of the tiles, forming a strong bond. Upon the tiles fully bonding to the reactivatable tile bonding mat, spacers may be removed and a suitable grout may be applied in the joints between the sides of the tiles.

A method for producing a microporous material comprising the steps of: providing an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE); providing a filler; providing a processing plasticizer; adding the filler to the UHMWPE in a mixture being in the range of from about 1:9 to about 15:1 filler to UHMWPE by weight; adding the processing plasticizer to the mixture; extruding the mixture to form a sheet from the mixture; calendering the sheet; extracting the processing plasticizer from the sheet to produce a matrix comprising UHMWPE and the filler distributed throughout the matrix; stretching the microporous material in at least one direction to a stretch ratio of at least about 1.5 to produce a stretched microporous matrix; and subsequently calendering the stretched microporous matrix to produce a microporous material which exhibits improved physical and dimensional stability properties over the stretched microporous matrix.

A method for producing a microporous material comprising the steps of: providing an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE); providing a filler; providing a processing plasticizer; adding the filler to the UHMWPE in a mixture being in the range of from about 1:9 to about 15:1 filler to UHMWPE by weight; adding the processing plasticizer to the mixture; extruding the mixture to form a sheet from the mixture; calendering the sheet; extracting the processing plasticizer from the sheet to produce a matrix comprising UHMWPE and the filler distributed throughout the matrix; stretching the microporous material in at least one direction to a stretch ratio of at least about 1.5 to produce a stretched microporous matrix; and subsequently calendering the stretched microporous matrix to produce a microporous material which exhibits improved physical and dimensional stability properties over the stretched microporous matrix.

A method and apparatus for electroless plating of a conductive composite created using fused filament fabrication. The method comprises fused filament fabricating a three-dimensional object with conductive filament and non-conductive filament. The object is then plated with electroless plating, with the metal in the conductive filament forming nucleation sites.

A composite for manufacturing a barrier layer, a barrier layer, a method for manufacturing the barrier layer, and a packaging material are provided. Based on the total mass of the composite as 100 parts by mass, the composite includes the following components by mass: Polyhydroxyalkanoate, 70 to 96 parts by mass; polylactic acid, 1 to 15 parts by mass; modified layered silicate, 1 to 5 parts by mass; polyalkylene carbonate, 1 to 20 parts by mass; and auxiliary agent, 1.3 to 12 parts by mass.