The present invention comprises a novel three-dimensional visual representation on the surface of an object formed by applying liquid nail polish or a solvent to polystyrene foam or any suitable polymer foam using well-known techniques. The products of the present invention have applications in venues including arts and crafts, topographic map-making, construction and household uses.

Urea (multi)-(meth)acrylate (multi)-silane precursor compounds, synthesized by reaction of (meth)acrylated materials having isocyanate functionality with aminosilane compounds, either neat or in a solvent, and optionally with a catalyst, such as a tin compound, to accelerate the reaction. Also described are articles including a substrate, a base (co)polymer layer on a major surface of the substrate, an oxide layer on the base (co)polymer layer; and a protective (co)polymer layer on the oxide layer, the protective (co)polymer layer including the reaction product of at least one urea (multi)-(meth)acrylate (multi)-silane precursor compound synthesized by reaction of (meth)acrylated materials having isocyanate functionality with aminosilane compounds. The substrate may be a (co)polymer film or an electronic device such as an organic light emitting device, electrophoretic light emitting device, liquid crystal display, thin film transistor, or combination thereof. Methods of making the urea (multi)-(meth)acrylate (multi)-silanes and their use in composite films and electronic devices are described.

A continuous process for producing a surface-metalized polymer article, comprising: (a) continuously immersing a polymer article into a graphene dispersion comprising multiple graphene sheets dispersed in a liquid medium for a period of immersion time and then retreating the polymer article from the dispersion, enabling deposition of graphene sheets onto a surface of the polymer article to form a graphene-attached polymer article; (b) continuously moving the graphene-attached polymer article into a drying or heating zone to enable bonding of graphene sheets to said surface to form a graphene-covered polymer article; and (c) continuously moving the graphene-covered polymer article into a metallization zone where a layer of a metal is chemically, physically, electrochemically or electrolytically deposited onto a surface of the graphene-covered polymer article to form the surface-metalized polymer article. Step (a) may be preceded by a surface treatment of the polymer article.

The present application describes apparatus (100) for colouring an additively manufactured polymer part, comprising a chamber (106) for locating at least one additively manufactured polymer part (105) to be coloured, a first reservoir (102) for containing dye pigment particles to be suspended in a gas, and fluidly coupled to the chamber, and a further reservoir (104) for containing a solvent vapour, and fluidly coupled to the chamber. A method of colouring an additively manufactured polymer part is also described.

The present application provides compositions and methods for allowing surfaces such as HDPE, LDPE, polyethylene, polypropylene, Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene), SBS, SEBS, SIS elastomers, and silicone rubber, which are notoriously difficult to apply adhesives, glues, or coatings to, to be treated with a Primer System comprising a cyanoacrylate monomer and non-polar solvent component and an initiator component, wherein the polymerization product of the components is a microstructured polycyanoacrylate layer. The microstructured polycyanoacrylate layer-increases the ability of a glue, adhesive, or coating to adhere to that surface and subsequently allows other materials to be used as coatings on the surface or to be applied using a glue or adhesive.

The invention relates to a flexible barrier membrane (1) comprising at least one first layer (2a) of polyurethane, and at least one second layer (20) of material(s), which is incorporated into the first layer (2a) of polyurethane by a modification of at least one surface of the at least one layer of polyurethane. The at least one material of the at least one second layer is selected from the materials including inorganic silicon oxide, organic silicon oxide and a barrier polymer. The invention also relates to a method for producing the flexible barrier membrane (1).

The invention particularly relates to a method of applying a permanent coating to a plastic surface of a first part, comprising the following steps: applying to said plastic surface a layer of a polyamide-based hot-melt material, maintaining this layer of hot-melt material on said plastic surface for a period of time ranging from a few minutes to several hours, removing this layer of hot-melt material from this plastic surface; and applying a permanent coating to said surface, said permanent coating being based on polyurethane, an epoxy resin or polyesters, a polycarbonate and/or an acrylic resin; as well as the use of such a method in the automotive industry.

An example device includes a nanovoided polymer element, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The nanovoided polymer element may be located at least in part between the first electrode and the second electrode. In some examples, the nanovoided polymer element may include anisotropic voids. In some examples, anisotropic voids may be elongated along one or more directions. In some examples, the anisotropic voids are configured so that a polymer wall thickness between neighboring voids is generally uniform. Example devices may include a spatially addressable electroactive device, such as an actuator or a sensor, and/or may include an optical element. A nanovoided polymer layer may include one or more polymer components, such as an electroactive polymer.

A form birefringent optical element includes a structured layer and a dielectric environment disposed over the structured layer. At least one of the structured layer and the dielectric environment includes a nanovoided polymer, the nanovoided polymer having a first refractive index in an unactuated state and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index in an actuated state. Actuation of the nanovoided polymer can be used to reversibly control the form birefringence of the optical element. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.

An optical element includes a nanovoided polymer layer having a first refractive index in an unactuated state and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index in an actuated state. Compression or expansion of the nanovoided polymer layer, for instance, can be used to reversibly control the size and shape of the nanovoids within the polymer layer and hence tune its refractive index over a range of values, e.g., during operation of the optical element. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.