Radiation curable compositions for additive fabrication are described and claimed. Such compositions are particularly suited for investment casting applications, and include a cationically polymerizable component, a radically polymerizable component, a certain type of prescribed antimony-free, sulfonium salt-based cationic photoinitiator, and a free-radical photoinitiator. In other embodiments, the composition may also include a photosensitizer and/or a UV/absorber. Also described and claimed is a method for using a liquid radiation curable resin for additive fabrication with a certain type of prescribed antimony-free, sulfonium salt-based cationic photoinitiator and a certain type of prescribed photosensitizer in an investment casting process.

A method for producing products made of composite material, comprising the following operating steps: placing between a first mould (12) and at least a second mould (23) at least one layer (1) of composite material fibre fabric and at least a first layer (16) of composite material fibres, wherein a layer (3) of non-polymerized, composite material resin, substantially free of hardener, is placed between the fabric layer (1) and the first mould (12); injecting resin and hardener between the first mould (12) and the second mould (23) to impregnate the layer (1) and the first fibre layer (16) with the injected resin and polymerizing the injected resin and the resin layer (3) with the injected hardener. This description also relates to a semi-finished item which can be used in this method and to a product made using this method and/or with this semi-finished item.

Disclosed in this specification is a process for manufacturing a thermochromic contact lens. The process includes (1) selecting a photoinitiator that absorbs at a first wavelength and at least one thermochromic dye that displays substantial absorption at the first wavelength when the dye is at a first temperature and exhibits at least an 80% reduction in absorbance at the first wavelength at a second temperature, (2) maintaining the reaction mixture at the second temperature and (3) providing cure light that includes the first wavelength.

Method for manufacturing a 3D item (1) by means of fused deposition modeling, the method comprising layer-wise depositing (during a printing stage) 3D printable material (201), to provide the 3D item (1) comprising 3D printed material (202), wherein the 3D printable material (201) comprises a continuous phase of a thermoplastic polymeric material and particles (410) embedded therein, wherein the particles (410) comprise a crosslinked polymeric material and wherein the particles (410) have a first dimension (LI) selected from the range of 0.2-100 micron. The 3D printable material (202) and the particles (410) comprise a light transmissive material, and the light transmissive material of the particles (410) has an index of refraction selected from the range of 1.2-1.8

The present invention provides a method for producing an optical film excellent in anti-fouling properties and scratch resistance as well as anti-reflection properties. The method includes the steps of: (1) applying a lower layer resin and an upper layer resin; (2) forming a resin layer having the uneven structure on a surface thereof by pressing a mold against the lower layer resin and the upper layer resin from the upper layer resin side in the state where the applied lower layer resin and upper layer resin are stacked; and (3) curing the resin layer, the lower layer resin containing at least one kind of first monomer that contains no fluorine atoms, the upper layer resin containing a fluorine-containing monomer and at least one kind of second monomer that contains no fluorine atoms, at least one of the first monomer and the second monomer containing a compatible monomer that is compatible with the fluorine-containing monomer and being dissolved in the lower layer resin and the upper layer resin.

Polymerizable liquids are described herein which, in some embodiments, can produce 3D printed articles of high resolution and desirable mechanical properties. In one aspect, a polymerizable liquid comprises an acrylate component, a polymeric additive, and a monomeric curing agent, wherein the acrylate component and monomeric curing agent are copolymerizable upon exposure to light. In being copolymerizable, the acrylate component and monomeric curing agent can form a copolymer. As described father herein, the monomeric curing agent can enable further reaction of the copolymer with one or more crosslinking species to link the copolymer with one more polymeric networks.

A perforated expanded low density polyethylene foam layer, wherein in the expanded low density polyethylene layer at least 80% of the blowing agents are dissipated from closed cells within the expanded low density polyethylene layer forming evacuated closed cells whereby a partial vacuum is formed within the closed cells of the low density polyethylene layer.

Systems and methods for lens creations are disclosed. The method includes initiating light transmission from a light source through a diffuser into a container holding resin and a substrate. The light transmission is performed according to an irradiation pattern wherein each point in the resin is illuminated by at least 10% of the diffuser. This causes a lens to be formed. To achieve this illumination, at least 15% of the diffuser receives light from the light source. Further, a diameter of the diffuser is greater than or equal to a diameter of the substrate. The system performing the methods includes a polymerization apparatus and may include a resin conditioning and reservoir apparatus, a metrology unit, a resin drainage apparatus and an optional postcuring apparatus.

The present invention relates to methods of manufacturing moulded products, for example building panels, and in particular, but not exclusively, to manufacturing a panel comprising natural stone or rock set into a polymeric layer. The method of manufacturing a moulded product as described herein comprises at least one article being set into a polymeric layer, followed by placing the at least one article and particulate ferrous material in a container so that at least a portion of the or each article is embedded in the particulate ferrous material, introducing a polymeric material into the container to form the moulded product, and removing the moulded product from the container.

The invention relates to a floor or wall panel and a method for producing such panel. The panel according to the invention comprises a core layer comprising at least one composite material, said composite material comprising at least one inorganic material, and at least one polymeric binder, wherein a weight ratio of the inorganic material to the polymeric binder is at least 3:1. The core layer further comprises a coupling agent which is configured for bonding with the inorganic material and/or the polymeric binder.