A needle shield remover for a medicament delivery device is presented that has a metal tubular body, a proximal part, a distal part, and a substantially circular cross-section, where the tubular body is arranged with a slot extending from a distal end of the body, at least half the length of the body, towards a proximal end, such that at least the distal part of the body may flex radially outwards to exert a radially inwardly directed clamping force on a needle shield accommodated by the body.

A thermoplastic material is based on a mixture of thermoplastic and non-thermoplastic polymers, optionally recycled materials including tires. One thermoplastic material comprises a non-thermoplastic phase, comprising a mixture of natural and synthetic rubber and optionally a cross-linked polyurethane, and a thermoplastic phase comprising a thermoplastic polymer, wherein said thermoplastic material preferably comprises 10% to 40% by weight of a thermoplastic polymer, 0% to 30% by weight of across-linked polyurethane and 10% to 85% by weight of a mixture of natural and synthetic rubber, with the provision that the non-thermoplastic phase is in an amount of between 40% and 85% by weight. An process for obtaining the thermoplastic material is also disclosed.

Method for recycling scrap that contains one or more heat resistant fibers and from 25 to 60 wt. %, based on the total weight of the scrap, of an at least partially uncured to fully uncured two component thermosetting resin mixture of (i) one or more thermosetting resins, and (ii) a solid hardener, the methods comprising shredding the scrap to an average size of from 3 to 50 mm, mixing the shredded scrap, preferably after preheating the scrap, to provide a fluid material charge and then compression molding the fluid material charge to make a cured composite material.

Fossil-fuel and rubber-derived waste stream conversion to composite lumber substitutes or barrier members; the composites having material properties and uses of greater value than the solid waste stream components separately or together. Preferred combinations including waste materials derived from waste carpet, waste tires, and waste bituminous roofing shingles, all enormous problems for landfill disposal. In a range of formulation ratios, when combined with a binder, new and marketable products are made from solid waste. Improved resistance to rot, to water, and to weathering is exhibited in synergy with improved compressive and flexural strength, enabling production of a wide variety of useful and environmentally-friendly structural products, for example. Product weight and strength can be engineered to suit and may be structural members for architectural, engineering or agricultural use. Advantageously, the new products themselves can be re-usedby an end-of-life process for making more new products, achieving the capacity to make and remake multigenerational products from solid wastes and to reduce loading of landfills.

Systems for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polymer, where the systems are configured for: (1) melting polymer (e.g., derived from post-consumer PET bottles) to create a first single stream of polymer melt; (2) separating the first single stream of polymer melt into multiple streams of polymer melt; (3) exposing the multiple streams of polymer melt to a pressure of between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars; (4) allowing the multiple streams of polymer melt to fall into a receiving section of a melt processing unit; (5) recombining the multiple streams of polymer melt into a second single stream of polymer melt; and (6) providing the second single stream of polymer melt to one or more spinning machines that are configured to form the second single stream of polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from recycled polymer. In various embodiments, the method includes: (1) reducing recycled polymer material into polymer flakes; (2) cleansing the polymer flakes; (3) melting the flakes into a polymer melt; (4) removing water and contaminants from the polymer melt by dividing the polymer melt into a plurality of polymer streams and exposing those streams to pressures below 25 millibars or another predetermined pressure; (5) recombining the streams; and (6) using the resulting purified polymer to produce bulked continuous carpet filament.

A polymer composite and its method of manufacture using a recycled multilayer material. An example of the recycled multilayer material is comprised of a polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum film that may be extruded with organic filler to obtain desirable performance in wood-substitute products such as deck boards, railing, fencing, pergolas, residential cladding/siding, sheet products, and other applications.

A polymer composite and its method of manufacture using a recycled multilayer material. An example of the recycled multilayer material is comprised of a polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum film that may be extruded with organic filler to obtain desirable performance in wood-substitute products such as deck boards, railing, fencing, pergolas, residential cladding/siding, sheet products, and other applications.

A process for the production of fiber-reinforced components or semifinished products is provided, where fibers are saturated with monomer. The process includes at least one of adding flakes including fibers and adding individual fibers. For this, the fibers, the monomer, and the flakes including fibers and/or the individual fibers are added to an injection-molding machine and forced into an injection mold, whereupon polymerization of the monomer is completed in the injection mold. Alternatively a fiber structure on a conveyor belt is saturated with a solution including a monomer, optionally including an activator, and optionally including a catalyst. In a following step, individual fibers and/or flakes including fibers are distributed on the saturated fiber structure, the fiber structure is passed through a roll pair in which pressure is exerted onto the fiber structure, and finally the saturated fiber structure is cooled so that the monomer solidifies.

A method of forming end-form structures from recycled plastics includes i) providing molten agglomerated plastics in noodle form; ii) delivering the molten agglomerated plastics to a shaper; iii) forming an end-form of agglomerated plastics in the shaper by controlling movement and/or position of the shaper, the end-form comprising the agglomerated plastics welded together with voids therebetween; and iv) cooling at least an outer profile of the end-form to form the structure.