The present invention describes various methods for manufacturing gel composite sheets using segmented fiber or foam reinforcements and gel precursors. Additionally, rigid panels manufactured from the resulting gel composites are also described. The gel composites are relatively flexible enough to be wound and when unwound, can be stretched flat and made into rigid panels using adhesives.

A preformed material for use in fiber-reinforced composite materials, the preformed material including one or more fiber rovings including parallel fibers wherein the fiber rovings include one or more folds in a direction parallel to the direction of the fibers and wherein the unfolded width of the fiber rovings have a width included in a range from 0.3 mm to 5 mm. The fiber density by volume may be included in a range from 10% to 75% of fibers. The thickness of a fiber roving may be included in a range from 50 μm to 2 mm. The fiber rovings may include from 500 to 12000 fibers. The fiber rovings may include a thermoplastic polymer that forms a first bond within the one or more folds and a second bond between a first fiber roving and a second adjacent fiber roving.

A first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component including a first joint portion and a second joint portion, respectively, are provided. A least a portion of a surface area of each of the first and second joint portions include a respective first and second mating surface. The first and second mating surfaces of the respective first and second joint portions are positioned in contact with one another. The first and second joint portions are fusion joined. Fusion joining the first and second joint portions forms a fused unitary portion of the first and second thermoplastic components.

A preformed material for use in fiber-reinforced composite materials, the preformed material including one or more fiber rovings including parallel fibers wherein the fiber rovings include one or more folds in a direction parallel to the direction of the fibers and wherein the unfolded width of the fiber rovings have a width included in a range from 0.3 mm to 5 mm. The fiber density by volume may be included in a range from 10% to 75% of fibers. The thickness of a fiber roving may be included in a range from 50 μm to 2 mm. The fiber rovings may include from 500 to 12000 fibers. The fiber rovings may include a thermoplastic polymer that forms a first bond within the one or more folds and a second bond between a first fiber roving and a second adjacent fiber roving.

The present invention refers to a process for bonding flexible films by converting the surface of a first film into a softened state before contacting the softened surface with a second film, a device for carrying out the inventive process as well as a composite body obtained by the inventive process or by the inventive device.

A repulpable insulated container assembly having a container formed of paper such as corrugated cardboard or varying paper materials and defining an interior; and a repulpable insert placed within the interior of the container and formed of a first paper layer; and a paper fiber pad coupled to the first paper layer.

A method for producing an insulation material is described herein. The method includes mixing cellulose reinforcement fibers with thermoplastic binder fibers to form a mixture. In addition, the method includes applying heat to the mixture to melt the thermoplastic binder fibers such that the thermoplastic binder fibers bind the cellulose reinforcement fibers together to form a batt. The thermoplastic binder fibers make up about 0.5% to about 25% by weight of the batt. Furthermore, the method includes slicing the batt along a horizontal plane to form a first pad having a first thickness and a second pad having a second thickness. Each of the first and second thicknesses is greater than or equal to about 1/16 of an inch.

A repulpable insulated container assembly having a container formed of paper such as corrugated cardboard or varying paper materials and defining an interior; and a repulpable insert placed within the interior of the container and formed of a first paper layer; and a paper fiber pad coupled to the first paper layer.

An upper for an article of footwear is disclosed. The upper can include a plurality of layers, such as an inner layer, a middle knit layer, and an outer layer. Each of the plurality of layers can provide different functionalities to the upper. The combination of the inner layer, middle knit layer, and the outer layer can be effective at transferring a load from the underfoot region to a position above the biteline.

A decorative sheet that includes at least a thermoplastic resin substrate layer, a transparent thermoplastic resin layer and a surface protective layer in this order. The surface protective layer is formed by laminating at least two layers. At least a second surface protective layer, which constitutes an outermost layer that is a layer located furthest from the transparent thermoplastic resin layer among layers constituting the surface protective layer contains an ionizing radiation-curable resin containing a multifunctional hexamethylene diisocyanate oligomer at a weight ratio of 60% or more. The arithmetic mean height of a profile curve measured from the second surface protective layer in accordance with JIS B 0601 is 15 μm or more, and the maximum height of the profile curve is 38 μm or more.