A process for producing foamed thermoplastic polyurethane particles comprises the steps of a) melting a thermoplastic polyurethane in a first extruder (E1), b) injecting a gaseous blowing agent in a second extruder (E2), c) impregnating the gaseous blowing agent homogeneously into the thermoplastic polyurethane melt in a third extruder (E3), d) extruding the impregnated thermoplastic polyurethane melt through a die plate and granulating the melt in an underwater granulation device under temperature and pressure conditions to form foamed thermoplastic polyurethane particles.

In the method for the continuous production of a heat-insulated, corrugated line pipe (1) with at least one inner pipe (2), a corrugated outer jacket of the line pipe is first produced by means of an extruder (27) and a corrugator (28) and the inner pipe arranged in a foil tube together with a foam-forming starting material is guided into the corrugator, in which the outer jacket of the line pipe which has been corrugated before is filled with the heat-insulating foam. The device (10) provided for carrying out the method has a protective pipe (26) by means of which the inner pipe surrounded by the foil tube can be guided separately from the extrusion and corrugation of the outer jacket into the corrugator.

A seal for a vacuum lifter and method of manufacture wherein the seal has a continuous unbroken outer fluid resistant skin of elastomer which forms a boundary around a homogeneous cellular structure with no interior seams or joints.

A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapling instrument includes a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples and a cartridge deck. The staple cartridge assembly also includes a compressible adjunct positionable against the cartridge deck, wherein the staples are deployable into tissue captured against the compressible adjunct, and wherein the compressible adjunct comprises a first biocompatible layer comprising a first portion, a second biocompatible layer comprising a second portion, and crossed spacer fibers extending between the first portion and the second portion.

Methods of making polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/polymer composites are disclosed herein. The products can be used in the field of bio- and medical applications, such as for use in artificial blood vessels, vascular grafts, cardiovascular and soft tissue patches, facial implants, surgical sutures, and endovascular prosthesis, and for any products known in the aerospace, electronics, fabrics, filtration, industrial and sealant arts.

Disclosed herein are physically crosslinked, closed cell continuous multilayer foam structures that include a coextruded foam layer containing at least one of polypropylene and polyethylene and a crosslinked, coextruded cap layer containing at least one of polypropylene and polyethylene. The multilayer foam structure can be obtained by coextruding a multilayer structure comprising at least one foam composition layer and at least one cap composition layer, irradiating the coextruded structure with ionizing radiation, and continuously foaming the irradiated structure.

Described herein are physically crosslinked, closed cell continuous multilayer foam structures that includes a foam layer comprising polypropylene, polyethylene, or a combination of polypropylene and polyethylene and a polyamide cap layer. The multilayer foam structure can be obtained by coextruding a multilayer structure comprising at least one foam composition layer and at least one cap composition layer, irradiating the coextruded structure with ionizing radiation, and continuously foaming the irradiated structure.

Described herein are physically crosslinked, closed cell continuous multilayer foam structures that includes a foam layer comprising polypropylene, polyethylene, or a combination of polypropylene and polyethylene and a polyamide cap layer. The multilayer foam structure can be obtained by coextruding a multilayer structure comprising at least one foam composition layer and at least one cap composition layer, irradiating the coextruded structure with ionizing radiation, and continuously foaming the irradiated structure.

Recently, we have introduced 3D-micro-patterned pharmaceutical dosage forms for enhancing the efficacy, safety, convenience, and cost-effectiveness of drug therapies. Presented herein are an apparatus and a method for the manufacture of such dosage forms. The apparatus comprises at least a first extruder and at least a second extruder. The first extruder comprises an extruder channel having an exit port with a valve mated to an input port of a second extruder. Said second extruder comprises a translatable piston for extruding plasticized fiber at controlled speed. The apparatus further comprises a stage movable at the controlled speed of the extruded fiber for depositing said fiber to a three dimensional structural framework. The method includes extruding plasticized matrix from a first extruder into a second extruder, extruding said plasticized matrix from the second extruder through a fiber fabrication exit port at controlled speed to form extruded fiber, and depositing said extruded fiber onto a fiber assembling stage to form a three dimensional structural framework.

There is provided a polyolefin resin foam sheet formed by foaming a polyolefin resin, wherein the expansion ratio of the foam sheet is 1.5 to 20 cm.sup.3/g, the average cell sizes in the MD direction and the TD direction of the foam sheet are 130 μm or less, and the following formulas (1) and (2) are satisfied:
T.sub.M/D≥6  (1); and
T.sub.T/D≥5  (2), where T.sub.M denotes the tensile strength at 90° C. in the MD direction, T.sub.T denotes the tensile strength at 90° C. in the TD direction, and D denotes the density (g/cm.sup.3) of the foam sheet.