Disclosed are devices, systems, apparatuses, methods, products, and other implementations of vapor pressure solids. In some embodiments, a vapor pressure solid may include a one- or multi-component matrix material. In some embodiments, the multi-components matrix material is a two-part PDMS comprising a first and second matrix material. The first matrix material is capable of being mixed with one or more vaporizable fluids that causes the first matrix material to swell. The second matrix material is capable of being mixed with the swelled first matrix material to produce an actuating material. When the actuating material is heated, the one or more vaporizable fluids expand, resulting in vapors. The increased pressure applied by the vapors causes the actuating material to expand.

A vehicle joint assembly may include a lower housing, an upper housing, an expandable material, first and second vehicle components, and a fastener. The lower housing may define a first cavity. The upper housing may define a second cavity and may be sized for partial disposal within the lower housing. The expandable material may be disposed within the second cavity. The first and second vehicle components may each include contact surfaces. The fastener may extend through through-holes defined by the lower and upper housings to secure the first and second vehicle components to one another. Subjecting the expandable material to heat may move the upper housing to contact one of the contact surfaces. The expandable material may be configured to expand when subjected to heat from a paint oven of a vehicle assembly process.

The disclosure discloses a thermal expansion compound for handles, a preparation method, and applications thereof. The thermal expansion compound for handles is prepared by 20-80 wt of thermosetting resin, 5-50 wt of foaming agent, 5-50 wt of stuffing, and 0-60 wt of diluent. The thermal expansion compound for handles applies to the preparation of various sports instruments such as tennis rackets, badminton rackets, squash rackets, PK rackets, beach rackets, flexible rackets, ball bats and clubs. Handles prepared from the thermal expansion compound have an elegant appearance and a good hand feel, avoid secondary expansion during 100-160 C. post-heating treatment, and have a hardness of SHORE D 60-95.

A structural reinforcement for an article including a carrier (10) that includes: (i) a mass of polymeric material (12) having an outer surface; and (ii) at least one fibrous composite insert (14) or overlay (960) having an outer surface and including at least one elongated fiber arrangement (e.g., having a plurality of ordered fibers). The fibrous insert (14) or overlay (960) is envisioned to adjoin the mass of the polymeric material in a predetermined location for carrying a predetermined load that is subjected upon the predetermined location (thereby effectively providing localized reinforcement to that predetermined location). The fibrous insert (14) or overlay (960) and the mass of polymeric material (12) are of compatible materials, structures or both, for allowing the fibrous insert or overlay to be at least partially joined to the mass of the polymeric material. Disposed upon at least a portion of the carrier (10) may be a mass of activatable material (126). The fibrous insert (14) or overlay (960) may include a polymeric matrix that includes a thermoplastic epoxy.

A thermally expandable sheet includes: a first thermally expansive layer that is formed on one side of a base and contains a first thermally expandable material and a first binder, the first thermally expansive layer having a first ratio of the first thermally expandable material with respect to the first binder; and a second thermally expansive layer that is formed on the first thermally expansive layer and contains a second thermally expandable material and a second binder, the second thermally expansive layer having a second ratio of the second thermally expandable material with respect to the second binder, wherein the second ratio is lower than the first ratio.

A three-dimensional image data generation system includes: an editing unit configured to edit grayscale image data in which a density level for specifying an foaming height of a thermally expandable sheet is set for each coordinate in a planar direction; and a conversion unit configured to, when the editing unit changes a size in the planar direction of an image region included in the grayscale image data, convert the density level in correspondence with a ratio of the image region between before and after the change.

A thermally expandable sheet includes: a first thermally expansive layer that is formed on one side of a base and contains a first thermally expandable material and a first binder, the first thermally expansive layer having a first ratio of the first thermally expandable material with respect to the first binder; and a second thermally expansive layer that is formed on the first thermally expansive layer and contains a second thermally expandable material and a second binder, the second thermally expansive layer having a second ratio of the second thermally expandable material with respect to the second binder, wherein the first ratio is lower than the second ratio.

A method of making personal protective equipment, such as a push-in earplug, is disclosed. The method includes the steps of covering a substrate with an outer layer that includes an unactivated foaming agent, positioning at least a portion of the outer layer in a mold, and activating the foaming agent such that a portion of the outer layer expands.

A vehicle joint assembly may include a lower housing, an upper housing, an expandable material, first and second vehicle components, and a fastener. The lower housing may define a first cavity. The upper housing may define a second cavity and may be sized for partial disposal within the lower housing. The expandable material may be disposed within the second cavity. The first and second vehicle components may each include contact surfaces. The fastener may extend through through-holes defined by the lower and upper housings to secure the first and second vehicle components to one another. Subjecting the expandable material to heat may move the upper housing to contact one of the contact surfaces. The expandable material may be configured to expand when subjected to heat from a paint oven of a vehicle assembly process.

When a foamed resin metal laminated sheet (1) heated in a heating furnace (11) is cooled to room temperature, the foamed resin metal laminated sheet (1) is held at soaking temperature in a soaking bath (21) to make the temperature of the foamed resin sheet uniform over the entire area of the foamed resin metal laminated sheet (1), and then cooled to room temperature in a room temperature cooling unit (22). Thus, rippling due to thermal strain can be suppressed.