The invention relates to a biomaterial and/or a biocomposite based on sunflower seed shells/husks. According to the invention, it is proposed that sunflower seed shells/husks are used instead of wood, bamboo or other wood-like fiber products as the original material for the biocomposite products and are used for the production of such products in order to improve the previous biomaterials, and in particular also to design said materials for improved cost efficiency and to improve their material properties.

A device for occluding a vasculature of a patient including a micrograft having an absorbent polymeric structure with a lumen of transporting blood. The micrograft has a series of peaks and valleys formed by crimping. The occluding device is sufficiently small and flexible to be tracked on a guidewire and/or pushed through a microcatheter to a site within the vasculature of the patient. Delivery systems for delivering the micrografts are also disclosed.

A device for occluding a vasculature of a patient including a micrograft having an absorbent polymeric structure with a lumen of transporting blood. The micrograft has a series of peaks and valleys formed by crimping. The occluding device is sufficiently small and flexible to be tracked on a guidewire and/or pushed through a microcatheter to a site within the vasculature of the patient. Delivery systems for delivering the micrografts are also disclosed.

A method of manufacturing a foam having a Poisson's ratio which varies across at least a region of the foam in a gradient distribution involves the steps of: a) providing a housing defining an internal space having an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture; b) providing an open-cell foam of a size and shape configured to fit inside the internal space of the housing; c) positioning the foam inside the internal space of the housing; d) establishing a flow of air through the foam via the inlet and outlet apertures; e) heating the foam to a predetermined temperature while maintaining the flow of air through the foam; and f) subsequently cooling the foam while continuing to maintain the flow of air through the foam. A foam of such a type is also presented.

A method for producing a semi-finished honeycomb-core product for producing a sandwich component, a method for producing a sandwich component, a semi-finished honeycomb-core product, a sandwich component, and the use thereof as a component of a motor vehicle.

A method for producing an acoustic protection screen for a motor vehicle engine, comprising providing a reflective metal thermal protection sheet having a plurality of micro perforations, providing a batt of fibres containing a thermosetting resin, superposing the metal thermal protection sheet and the batt in a first thermocompression mould, compressing the batt by binding the fibres together, in order to form a thermal insulation layer, and combining the metal thermal protection sheet with the layer using the thermosetting resin, placing the thermal protection shell against an upper wall of a second mould, the wall being provided with out-gassing vents, the sheet facing toward the wall, injecting into the second mould an air-porous polyurethane foam precursor mixture, the lower wall of the second mould being free of any fluid-tight coating, after the foam has expanded, demoulding the screen obtained, in which screen the foam forms a support overmoulding the layer.

Fiber composite components can be formed by winding fibers along tracks of a winding spool of a winding core. The fibers may either be pre-coated with a curable resin, or the curable resin may be applied to the fibers after the fibers are wound along the tracks of the winding spool of the winding core. The curable resin may also and/or alternatively be applied to a mold that receives the fibers wound about the winding spool. The curable resin may then be cured, after which the winding spool and the winding core may be removed in order to release the fiber composite component. In some cases, the winding spool may be removed from the fiber composite component by moving the winding spool inwardly towards an inside of the winding core.

A steering-column assembly for a motor vehicle may include a steering spindle rotatably mounted in a steering-column tube, which steering-column tube is mounted in a console that connects the steering-column directly or indirectly to a body of the motor vehicle. At least one of the components of the steering-column, such as the console, for example, may include a fiber composite component that can be formed by winding fibers along tracks of a winding spool of a winding core, introducing a curable resin into the fibers or a mold to be used with the wound fibers, curing the wound fibers, and removing the winding spool and the winding core so as to release the fiber composite component. The fiber composite component may then be fitted into the steering column assembly.

A device for occluding a vasculature of a patient including a micrograft having an absorbent polymeric structure with a lumen of transporting blood. The micrograft has a series of peaks and valleys formed by crimping. The occluding device is sufficiently small and flexible to be tracked on a guidewire and/or pushed through a microcatheter to a site within the vasculature of the patient. Delivery systems for delivering the micrografts are also disclosed.

A device for occluding a vasculature of a patient including a micrograft having an absorbent polymeric structure with a lumen of transporting blood. The micrograft has a series of peaks and valleys formed by crimping. The occluding device is sufficiently small and flexible to be tracked on a guidewire and/or pushed through a microcatheter to a site within the vasculature of the patient. Delivery systems for delivering the micrografts are also disclosed.