Biaxially oriented tubular blown film stretching machine by isostatic pressurized water is a simultaneous biaxial stretching process, invented to stretch a high crystalline tubular blown film substrate with heterophasic structure to form a microporous film substrate, especially for microporous polypropylene film. The system comprises sequential sets of variable speed nip rolls, a temperature control water tank, and a water pump unit. The sequential sets of variable speed nip rolls used to stretch the tubular blown film substrate in machine direction, while hot water is pumped and confined inside the tubular blown film substrate creating an isostatic pressure in bubble, lead to an orientation stretching in transverse direction.

A compliant biological scaffold incorporates a plurality of elongated apertures that form a geometric pattern enabling biaxial expansion or contraction. An elongated aperture has a pair of nodes located on opposing sides of the aperture and between a pair of antinodes located on the extended and opposing ends of the elongated aperture. A geometric pattern may have various geometric shapes, or tiles, between the plurality of apertures. The geometric tiles have a bounded perimeter formed by the plurality of elongated apertures. A substantial portion of the elongated apertures may be configured with the antinodes proximal to one of said pair of nodes of a separate elongated aperture; wherein the antinodes are closer to one of the pair of nodes than to any other antinode. This unique arrangement of the elongated apertures may be formed in biological material in vivo or ex vivo.

A compliant biological scaffold incorporates a plurality of elongated apertures that form a geometric pattern enabling biaxial expansion or contraction. An elongated aperture has a pair of nodes located on opposing sides of the aperture and between a pair of antinodes located on the extended and opposing ends of the elongated aperture. A geometric pattern may have various geometric shapes, or tiles, between the plurality of apertures. The geometric tiles have a bounded perimeter formed by the plurality of elongated apertures. A substantial portion of the elongated apertures may be configured with the antinodes proximal to one of said pair of nodes of a separate elongated aperture; wherein the antinodes are closer to one of the pair of nodes than to any other antinode. This unique arrangement of the elongated apertures may be formed in biological material in vivo or ex vivo.

A compliant biological scaffold incorporates a plurality of elongated apertures that form a geometric pattern enabling biaxial expansion or contraction. An elongated aperture has a pair of nodes located on opposing sides of the aperture and between a pair of antinodes located on the extended and opposing ends of the elongated aperture. A geometric pattern may have various geometric shapes, or tiles, between the plurality of apertures. The geometric tiles have a bounded perimeter formed by the plurality of elongated apertures. A substantial portion of the elongated apertures may be configured with the antinodes proximal to one of said pair of nodes of a separate elongated aperture; wherein the antinodes are closer to one of the pair of nodes than to any other antinode. This unique arrangement of the elongated apertures may be formed in biological material in vivo or ex vivo.

A catheter is provided comprising localized regions of modified flexibility. The regions of modified flexibility may comprise a softened inner liner, for example softened via stretching the inner liner or disposing a plurality of holes in the inner liner, to modify the bending stiffness and/or tensile stiffness of the catheter. The catheter may further include an axially extending filament that at least partially overlaps the softened portion of the inner liner. The axially extending filament may include an anchoring section to anchor the at least one axially extending filament in a section of the catheter that includes the helical coil.

A parison tube former utilizes a radial compression heater to heat a very specific portion of a preform tube for stretching. The heater has a plurality of compression dies that form a central cavity for receiving the preform tube. The working surfaces of the compression dies close down onto the outer surface of the preform tube to heat the tube via conduction, which more accurately and precisely heats the preform tube. A first stretched portion of the preform tube is produced by stretching the preform tube after heating. A second portion of the preform tube is then located within the central cavity and is also heated by the radial compression heater and stretched to produce a second stretched portion of the preform tube and an unexpanded portion of the preform tube, or balloon portion of the parison tube.

A parison tube former utilizes a radial compression heater to heat a very specific portion of a preform tube for stretching. The heater has a plurality of compression dies that form a central cavity for receiving the preform tube. The working surfaces of the compression dies close down onto the outer surface of the preform tube to heat the tube via conduction, which more accurately and precisely heats the preform tube. A first stretched portion of the preform tube is produced by stretching the preform tube after heating. A second portion of the preform tube is then located within the central cavity and is also heated by the radial compression heater and stretched to produce a second stretched portion of the preform tube and an unexpanded portion of the preform tube, or balloon portion of the parison tube.

The invention relates to a process for producing a biaxially oriented pipe, comprising the steps of: a) forming a polyethylene composition into a tube, wherein the polyethylene composition comprises a bimodal or a multimodal high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and b) stretching the tube of step a) in the axial direction and in the peripheral direction to obtain the biaxially oriented pipe, wherein step b) is performed at an axial draw ratio of 1.1 to 3.2 and an average hoop draw ratio of 1.1 to 2.0 or step b) is performed at an axial draw ratio of 1.1 to 1.9 and an average hoop draw ratio of 1.1 to 2.0, and wherein step b) is performed at a drawing temperature which is 1 to 30 C. lower than the melting point of the polyethylene composition.

The invention relates to a process for producing a biaxially oriented pipe, comprising the steps of: a) forming a polyethylene composition into a tube, wherein the polyethylene composition comprises a bimodal or a multimodal high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and b) stretching the tube of step a) in the axial direction and in the peripheral direction to obtain the biaxially oriented pipe, wherein step b) is performed at an axial draw ratio of 1.1 to 3.2 and an average hoop draw ratio of 1.1 to 2.0 or step b) is performed at an axial draw ratio of 1.1 to 1.9 and an average hoop draw ratio of 1.1 to 2.0, and wherein step b) is performed at a drawing temperature which is 1 to 30 C. lower than the melting point of the polyethylene composition.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a polymer film (P) comprising a polyamide composition (PC) by extruding the polyamide composition (PC) through an annular die and then stretching the tube thus obtained by blowing in air. The present invention further relates to the polymer film (P) obtainable by the process of the invention and to a process for packaging foodstuffs with the polymer film (P).