A carbon fiber reinforced skateboard is formed of laminated wood layers having identified grain directions. Upper and lower wood layers will have a grain direction parallel to a long axis of the skateboard. The skateboard will have interspersed wood layers with identified grain directions perpendicular to the long axis. Carbon fiber reinforcing material is adhered to interior plies of the skateboard along the long axis. A central portion of the reinforcing material is adhered below a central vertical point of the skateboard between the skateboard trucks. Anterior and posterior portions of the reinforcing material are adhered above the central vertical point and are located around the attachment locations for the skateboard trucks. The reinforcing material is located to provide a strengthened spine for the skateboard. A first concavity is located between the skateboard trucks parallel to the long axis. Second and third concavities are located perpendicular to the long axis.

A composite fire-rated gasket for use in building construction is disclosed that comprises, in a multi-layered stacked configuration, the following elements: (1) a flexible flat sheet metal strip having a width and opposing first and second faces; (2) an intumescent strip adjacent to the first face of the sheet metal strip; (3) a first foamed plastic strip adjacent to the second face of the sheet metal strip; (4) a second foamed plastic layer adjacent to the intumescent strip; and (5) an elongated non-foamed protective material layer adjacent to the second foamed plastic layer. In a preferred embodiment, the flat metal strip is in the form of a spine having a plurality of ribs outwardly extending therefrom. The composite fire-rated gaskets and related building construction assemblies disclosed herein slow and impede the spread of fire and smoke (during a fire) and also reduces sound transmission between adjacent rooms in a building.

A coated component having a composite substrate and a coating system disposed thereon is provided. The coating system is substantially non-porous such that hydrocarbon fuel or other carbonaceous fluids are prevented from contacting and impregnating the polymer matrix composite material. The coating system can include an aluminum layer or a film layer comprising a polyethylene film or a polypropylene film. Also provided is a composite fan casing for a gas turbine engine having a polymer matrix composite substrate and a coating system disposed thereon. Methods for forming a containment assembly of a gas turbine engine are provided.

A composite foam article is disclosed herein. The composite foam article comprises a polyurethane foam core presenting a first surface and a second surface facing opposite the first surface. A first skin is disposed on the first surface and a second skin is disposed on the second surface. The first and second skins comprise a plurality of fibers and a polymeric binder. The composite foam article also comprises at least one supplemental layer comprising an ethylene and acrylic acid copolymer dispersed in and/or disposed between any of said aforementioned skins and core.

Heat sink and method of manufacturing a graphene based heat sink, the method comprising: providing a first and second graphene film; arranging a layer of nanoparticles on a surface of the first and second graphene film to improve an adhesion strength between the graphene films; attaching the second graphene film to the first graphene film by means of an adhesive and the layer of nanoparticles; forming a laminated graphene film comprising a number of graphene film layers by repeating the steps, wherein the laminated graphene film is formed to have an anisotropic thermal conductivity; assembling a plurality of laminated graphene films by applying pressure and heat to cure the adhesive to form a graphene block; and removing selected portions of the graphene block to form a heat sink comprising fins extending from a base plate of the heat sink.

Heat sink and method of manufacturing a graphene based heat sink, the method comprising: providing a first and second graphene film; arranging a layer of nanoparticles on a surface of the first and second graphene film to improve an adhesion strength between the graphene films; attaching the second graphene film to the first graphene film by means of an adhesive and the layer of nanoparticles; forming a laminated graphene film comprising a number of graphene film layers by repeating the steps, wherein the laminated graphene film is formed to have an anisotropic thermal conductivity; assembling a plurality of laminated graphene films by applying pressure and heat to cure the adhesive to form a graphene block; and removing selected portions of the graphene block to form a heat sink comprising fins extending from a base plate of the heat sink.

A protective coating layer, an electronic device including such a protective coating layer, and the methods of making the same are provided. The electronic device includes a substrate, a thin film circuit layer disposed over the substrate, and a protective coating layer disposed over the thin film circuit layer. The protective coating layer includes a first coating and a second coating disposed over the first coating. Each coating has a cross-plane thermal conductivity in a direction normal to a respective coating surface equal to or higher than 0.5 W/(m*K). The first coating and the second coating have different crystal structures, or different crystalline orientations, or different compositions, or a combination thereof to provide different nanoindentation hardness. The first coating has a hardness lower than that of the second coating.

A coating architecture is disclosed that includes a substrate having a surface finish R.sub.a of 0.3μ or finer, an intermediate layer overlying and in contact with the substrate; and a solid lubricant layer overlying and in contact with the intermediate layer. The test results of applying the coating architecture to a reciprocating hammer drill utilizing the coating is also disclosed.

A material system may include: an aluminum layer; a glass composite layer adjacent to the first aluminum layer; and a carbon composite layer adjacent to the first glass composite layer, and opposite to the first aluminum layer. A method of manufacturing a material system may include: stacking an aluminum layer, glass composite layer that may include thermoplastic prepreg plies, and carbon composite layer so that the aluminum layer is adjacent to the glass composite layer, and the glass composite layer is adjacent to the carbon composite layer; and consolidating the thermoplastic prepreg plies to soften the aluminum layer. A method of manufacturing a material system may include: stacking an aluminum layer, glass composite layer that comprises thermoplastic resin, and carbon composite layer so that the glass composite layer is between the aluminum and carbon composite layers; and adjusting temperature and pressure to consolidate the stack.

A novel engineered wood product and method of making same that withstands the stresses, both natural and man-made, that cause warp, twist and bow.