A device for manufacturing a support for the human body, of the type including a mold including a lower female portion and an upper male portion capable of being coupled with one another so as to define at least one cavity between them inside which at least one material in the fluid state intended to make the support can be poured. The female portion of the mold includes at least one mobile block including at least two different surfaces suitable for making up respective different bottoms of said cavity for separate pouring steps of at least one material in the fluid state foreseen in the support. A process for manufacturing a support for the human body is moreover presented.

A structural building unit, a form for making a structural building unit, and a method of forming a structure from structural building units are disclosed. A structural building unit comprising left, right, back, and front portions with the front portion extending inward and downward from the left and right front edges creates a void into which soil and plants may be placed, allowing plants to grow from any structure created with the structural building units. These structural building units are suitable for improving the aesthetic value of the structure and providing any structure built therefrom with shade and other methods of cooling, including evapotranspiration, reducing the contribution of the structure to any heat island effect. The plants also lead to improved air quality through conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen and carbohydrates.

Methods for forming a Reuleaux shape from a material involving placing the material into a container, moving the container along an orbit until the motion of the container along the orbit causes the material to assume a Reuleaux shape, and removing the Reuleaux shape from the container. Devices for transforming material into a Reuleaux shape, including a wheel, a platter mounted on the wheel, and a container mounted on the platter. Kits for forming a Reuleaux pentagon, including material having sand and silicone and a hexagonal container.

A portable molding apparatus includes a lower portion including an extension device that is movable between an extended position and a retracted position, and a platform coupled to the extension device, an upper portion positioned above the lower portion, the upper portion including a base, a plurality of walls extending upward from the base, the plurality of walls defining a cavity bounded by the plurality of walls and the base, and a lid positioned over the cavity, a core positioned within the cavity defined by the plurality of walls, and a pin coupled to the core and extending downward from the core through the base, where the pin is spaced apart from the platform when the extension device is in the retracted position and the pin is engaged with the platform when the extension device is in the extended position.

Capsule shells and coatings can be prepared from an aqueous composition comprising a) at least 20 percent, based on the total weight of the aqueous composition, of a dispersed esterified cellulose ether comprising (i) groups of the formula C(O)RCOOA or (ii) a combination of aliphatic monovalent acyl groups and groups of the formula C(O)RCOOA, wherein R is a divalent aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon group and A is hydrogen or a cation, b) from 0.05 to 20 percent of a salt of a fatty acid, based on the weight of the dispersed esterified cellulose ether, and c) from 0.01 to 10 percent of an anionic surfactant comprising a sulfate or sulfonate group, based on the weight of the dispersed esterified cellulose ether.

Capsule shells and coatings can be prepared from an aqueous composition comprising a) at least 20 percent, based on the total weight of the aqueous composition, of a dispersed esterified cellulose ether comprising (i) groups of the formula C(O)RCOOA or (ii) a combination of aliphatic monovalent acyl groups and groups of the formula C(O)RCOOA, wherein R is a divalent aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon group and A is hydrogen or a cation, b) from 0.05 to 20 percent of a salt of a fatty acid, based on the weight of the dispersed esterified cellulose ether, and c) from 0.01 to 10 percent of an anionic surfactant comprising a sulfate or sulfonate group, based on the weight of the dispersed esterified cellulose ether.

Superhydrophobic films from plastic waste and a fabrication method thereof are provided. Superhydrophobic films with variable thickness, comprising a base and top layer, can be created using semi-crystalline polymers, including virgin, recycled, or waste forms. The fabrication process utilizes 60% of total plastic waste, resulting in films with contact angles between 120? to 160?, tensile strength ranging from 1 MPa to about 70 MPa, and thickness ranging from 20 ?m to about 5 mm. Superhydrophobic films may impart protective water-repellent properties against the elements.

Superhydrophobic films from plastic waste and a fabrication method thereof are provided. Superhydrophobic films with variable thickness, comprising a base and top layer, can be created using semi-crystalline polymers, including virgin, recycled, or waste forms. The fabrication process utilizes 60% of total plastic waste, resulting in films with contact angles between 120? to 160?, tensile strength ranging from 1 MPa to about 70 MPa, and thickness ranging from 20 ?m to about 5 mm. Superhydrophobic films may impart protective water-repellent properties against the elements.

Superhydrophobic films can be prepared from a stream of plastic waste (i.e., derived from post-consumer and/or industrial waste) by a method comprising: dissolving first semi-crystalline polymers in a solvent to form solution1; pre-heating a solid substrate to below a boiling point of the solvent; applying solution1 onto the substrate using spin-casting to obtain a porous blended-polymer layer with fragile structure; annealing the porous blended-polymer layer to above the melting point of the first semi-crystalline polymers to strengthen the porous blended-polymer layer's internal structure by closing pores and decreasing surface roughness, thereby obtaining a strong non-porous base support layer; and dissolving second semi-crystalline polymer in a solvent to form solution2; pre-heating the non-porous base layer to a temperature below a boiling point of the solvent; applying solution2 onto the non-porous base layer to obtain a top porous layer crosslinked with the non-porous base layer; and peeling off the freestanding superhydrophobic film.

Superhydrophobic films can be prepared from a stream of plastic waste (i.e., derived from post-consumer and/or industrial waste) by a method comprising: dissolving first semi-crystalline polymers in a solvent to form solution1; pre-heating a solid substrate to below a boiling point of the solvent; applying solution1 onto the substrate using spin-casting to obtain a porous blended-polymer layer with fragile structure; annealing the porous blended-polymer layer to above the melting point of the first semi-crystalline polymers to strengthen the porous blended-polymer layer's internal structure by closing pores and decreasing surface roughness, thereby obtaining a strong non-porous base support layer; and dissolving second semi-crystalline polymer in a solvent to form solution2; pre-heating the non-porous base layer to a temperature below a boiling point of the solvent; applying solution2 onto the non-porous base layer to obtain a top porous layer crosslinked with the non-porous base layer; and peeling off the freestanding superhydrophobic film.