A method and apparatus for processing a formable material having at least first and second relatively repositionable units. The first unit has a sheet die, with the second unit having a rotary drum with a peripheral forming surface for receiving flowable material from the sheet die. The first and second units can be selectively changed between an operating relationship and a setup relationship, with the latter causing at least one space to be defined/enlarged and within which an operator can maneuver to gain access to a region of at least one of the first and second units. With the first and second units in the operating relationship, moldable sheets can be processed by causing the moldable sheets to be applied, and conformed, to the peripheral forming surface on the rotary drum.

The present invention relates to a polyester resin for extrusion blow molded containers comprising a branched copolymer and fumed silica to improve the aged drop performance said branched copolyester is made from the reaction of purified terephthalic acid or its dimethyl ester, ethylene glycol, bifunctional diacid other than terephthalic acid, diol other than ethylene glycol, and multifunctional compound having a least 3 carboxyl groups, hydroxyl groups and/or ester forming groups thereof, said fumed silica has a particle size of 0.1 to 5 microns and is present at about 100 ppm to about 2,500 ppm based on the weight of said copolyester.

A pipe coupling for triple wall corrugated plastic pipe includes a triple wall corrugated bellmouth connector that is of a unitary construction with one end of the corrugated plastic pipe. This bellmouth connector is of higher strength and in cooperation with the two wall corrugated spigot provides a high strength coupling. This coupling includes the bellmouth connector and spigot that are made inline with the corrugated pipe. A method for the manufacture of the pipe includes controlling of an air pressure on the outside of a formed two wall corrugated pipe as an exterior third wall is secured thereto.

The invention relates to a method and to an assembly for recycling plastic materials, comprising the following processing steps: a) reprocessing the raw material, wherein the material, if necessary, is comminuted and brought into a fluid-like form and heated and permanently mixed, while preserving the lumpiness and pourability thereof, and optionally the viscosity thereof is increased and/or it is degassed, softened, dried and/or crystallized; b) melting the reprocessed material, at least so much that filtration is possible; c) filtering the melt in order to remove impurities; d) homogenizing the filtered melt; e) degassing the homogenized melt; and f) discharging and/or subsequently processing the melt, such as by granulation, blown film processing, with said processing steps being carried out consecutively in the order listed.

Bone tissue biomimetic materials, biomimetic constructs that can be formed with the materials, and methods for forming the materials and constructs are described. The bone tissue biomimetic materials include electrospun nanofibers formed of polymers that are conjugated with peptides that include acidic amino acid residues. The materials can incorporate high levels of mineralization so as to provide mechanical strength and promote osteogenesis and/or osteoconductivity on/in the bone tissue biomimetic materials. The materials and constructs can be utilized in forming tissue engineered structures for in vitro and in vivo use. Macroscopic bone tissue biomimetic scaffolds formed from the materials can be seeded with osteogenic cells and utilized to develop bone graft materials that can exhibit strength and osteoconductivity similar to the native bone and that exhibit uniform distribution of nutrients in the scaffolds.

The invention relates to an article comprising a monolayer or multilayer thermoplastic material, said material comprises (i) 38.00 to 99.95%, preferably 67.00 to 99.9%, more preferably 57.00 to 99.85%, by weight of polylactic acid, (ii) 0.05 to 4.90%, preferably 0.10 to 2.90%, more preferably 0.15 to 2.00%, even more preferably 0.2 to 1.00%, most preferably 0.25 to 0.75%, by weight of an epoxidized vegetable oil; (iii) 0 to 60.00%, preferably 0 to 40.00%, more preferably 0 to 30.00%, by weight of further additives selected from the group consisting of impact modifiers, plasticisers, crosslinking agents, foaming agents, fillers, colorants, stabilizers, lubricants, and mixtures thereof, the weight percentages being relative to total weight of the monolayer or multilayer thermoplastic material and adding up to 100%.

The present disclosure pertains to a trim part for a motor vehicle that comprises: a carrier; and a decorative material applied onto an upper surface of the carrier, wherein the decorative material comprises a printed thermoplastic film; and wherein the trim part is shaped by a deep-drawing process and a grain or impression is produced on the visible side of the film, which faces away from the carrier, by the deep-drawing process. A method and a device for manufacturing the trim part is also proposed.

A compostable material and methods of forming the same are described. The compostable material includes about 90% to about 99% by weight of a compostable polymeric material and a nucleating agent. The compostable material has a degree of crystallinity of about 5% to about 45%.

A cast piece cooling method, a gel sheet, a multilayer microporous polyethylene separator, and a preparation method are provided. The cast piece cooling method includes: changing an opening degree of a die head so that a molten material flowing out of the die head is an arc-shaped molten material; calendering a cast piece so that the arc-shaped molten material passes vertically through a gap between a first casting roller and a pinch roller to form a calendered cast piece; and gradually cooling, so that the calendered cast piece is guided and transported along surfaces of other casting rollers to the last casting roller, and cooling the calendered cast piece, to obtain a gel sheet.

Mineral-filled polymer compositions and methods of forming such polymer compositions into a thermally stable article are provided. Methods of forming a polymeric article include providing a polymer composition comprising a crystallizable polymer, a mineral filler in an amount of more than about 15 wt-% based on the total weight of the polymer composition, and an impact modifier, wherein the polymer composition is at a temperature less than a crystallization temperature of the crystallizable polymer. The methods further include disposing the polymer composition in a mold, forming the polymer composition into an article within the mold, and releasing the article from the mold. The methods can include thermoforming the polymer composition in a mold, or injection molding the polymer composition in a molten form in a mold.