This invention relates to a package for providing an enclosed interior environment capable of being sterilized and a gas permeable fibrous nonwoven sheet structure useful in such structure, wherein the nonwoven sheet structure has at least one surface having a pre-sealed, embossed impression pattern; and a particle barrier penetration of below 10%, a Gurley Hill Porosity of 40 seconds or less, and a moisture vapor transport rate of 3500 g/m.sup.2/day or greater.

A profile element is useful for sealing building-structure joints, especially for sealing against sound and smoke and optionally against fire. An apparatus is useful for manufacturing such profile element and to the use of the profile element manufactured according to the invention for the acoustic, smokeproof and/or fireproof sealing of connecting joints in drywalls, especially of expansion joints.

A method for producing a planar composite component having a core layer (B), which is arranged between and integrally bonded to two cover layers (A, A′), wherein the cover layers contain a cover-layer thermoplastic and wherein the core layer contains a core-layer thermoplastic, comprises the following steps: a) a heated stack with layer sequence A-B-A′ is provided; b) the heated stack (A-B-A′) is pressed; c) the pressed stack is cooled, whereby the planar composite component with consolidated layers integrally bonded to each other is formed.

To improve the production method including the producibility of planar 3D components, it is proposed, that at least one of the cover layers (A, A′) in unconsolidated form comprises a fibrous nonwoven layer of 10 to 100 wt.-% thermoplastic fibers of the cover-layer thermo-plastic and 0 to 90 wt-% of reinforcing fibers having an areal weight of 300 to 3′000 g/m.sup.2; the core layer (B) in unconsolidated form comprises at least one randomly-oriented-fiber nonwoven layer (D) formed from reinforcing fibers and thermoplastic fibers of the core-layer thermoplastic, and that after the pressing the consolidated core layer(s) has/have an air pore content of <5 vol.-% and the consolidated core layer has an air pore content of 20 to 80 vol-%.

A sound attenuation material includes a plurality of particles, each having a core and an elastic or compliant coating around the core, and a matrix surrounding the plurality of particles, the matrix being less dense than the core. A method of manufacturing sound attenuating materials includes adding an elastic or compliant coating to core particles and drying the coating, mixing the coated core particles into a matrix material, and pouring the mixture into a mold. The core particles are denser than the matrix material.

A face skin for an acoustic panel may comprise a sheet defining a first surface and a second surface. A plurality of slots may be formed through the face skin using abrasive blasting. Each slot of the plurality of slots may comprise a first semi-circular wall and a second semi-circular wall opposite the first semi-circular wall.

A technique for producing a device for sensing a target species, comprising: providing first end second components, each comprising a support film, wherein at least one of said first and second components comprises at least one working electrode supported on the respective support film, at least one of said first and second components comprises at least one counter electrode supported on the respective support film, at least one of said first and second components defines a containing barrier supported on the respective support film, and at least one of said first and second components comprises an array of spacer structures supported on the respective support film; depositing a volume of liquid electrolyte on said first component; laminating said second component to said first component so as to spread said volume of liquid electrolyte out in a space created by said array of spacer structures within a liquid electrolyte area bounded by said containing barrier; wherein said liquid electrolyte functions to transport at least one electrochemical reaction product of an electrochemical reaction of the target species at the working electrode to the counter electrode for a counter electrochemical reaction at the counter electrode.

A method of manufacturing a flexible, impact-resistant pad (1), primarily for use in an item of protective wear, comprises the following steps. First, a sheet (16) of impact-absorbing material (3, 4, 4), for example a closed-cell foam is provided. The sheet (16) is cut to provide a piece (16) with a profile required for the pad (1) and this piece (16) is then cut into a plurality of spaced, separate elements (2), which are retained within the required profile of the pad (1). A first, flexible layer (17, 4) of material (3) is provided and one side of same is bonded to the spaced, separate elements (2). The edge (5) of the pad (1) is streamlined by the following additional steps which may be carried out either before cutting of the sheet (16) into the plurality of spaced, separate elements (2) or after bonding of the first, flexible layer (17, 4) of material (3) to the spaced, separate elements (2). First, a contoured mould tool (8) is provided that defines a recess (9) having a shape complementary to the shape required on one side of the pad (1) and a streamlined edge (10) around at least part of its periphery. The impact-absorbing material (3, 4, 4) or the mould tool (8) is heated and the mould tool (8) is then pressed into it to mould it on one side to define the shape that is required. Preferably, the method comprises the further step of bonding a second flexible layer (17, 4) of material (4) to the moulded side of the pad (1). During bonding of this second flexible layer (17, 4) of material (4), the pad (1) is preferably supported on a yielding surface (23) to enable the moulded side of the pad (1) to flatten during bonding. Also provided is a flexible, impact-resistant pad (1) Comprising a first, flexible layer (17, 4) of material (3) and a plurality of spaced, separate elements (2) that are each comprised of an impact-absorbing material (3, 4, 4) and that are bonded to one side of the first flexible layer (17, 4) of material (3). At least some of the elements (2) adjacent the edge (5) of the pad (1) are streamlined around at least part of the periphery of the pad (1).

According to some embodiments, a low volume drumhead is disclosed. The low volume drumhead comprises a mesh layer to be removably coupled to a drum hoop. The low volume drumhead further comprises a non-mesh layer affixed to a beatable surface of the mesh layer. An adhesive comprising elastic polymers is used to couple the mesh layer to the non-mesh layer.

Composite materials having superior material properties useful as impact absorbing devices can be fabricated by embedding a lattice structure (e.g., polymer lattice structure) within a foam, so that the foam reinforces the lattice structure under impact. Materials and dimensions of the foam and the lattice structure may be selected to achieve composite materials having tailored impact absorbing elastic and/or viscoelastic responses over a wide range of temperatures.

Disclosed are multilayered aerogel nanocomposite materials, and methods of making and using them.