A thermoplastic resin foam including a thermoplastic resin, wherein: the thermoplastic resin includes a polyester resin and a polyimide resin, and the thermoplastic resin foam shows a single glass transition temperature Tg. The glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic resin is preferably 80 to 130° C. An absolute value of difference between heat absorption and heat generation, each determined by heat flux differential scanning calorimetry at a heating rate of 10° C./min, is preferably 3 to 35 J/g.

A fluid impervious stitching method for a seam of a vapor-permeable virus-barrier laminate. The laminate comprises: at least one thermoplastic resin fiber layer; at least one vapor-permeable virus-barrier thermoplastic elastomer film layer; and a bonding layer located between the two layers and formed of an adhesive capable of being fused with the two layers. In the stitching method, overlapping or stacking is performed to form a seam, and heat sealing is performed on the laminate at the seam. The temperature of heat sealing is higher than the melting point of a material layer having the highest melting point in the laminate, but lower than the temperature at which perforation or decomposition occurs in any material layer in the laminate. The heat-stitched seam has excellent windproof, vapor-permeable, virus barrier and liquid-barrier performance, has a smooth appearance without wrinkles, and feels soft. Also provided is a protective textile product prepared by means of the stitching method.

A fluid impervious stitching method for a seam of a vapor-permeable virus-barrier laminate. The laminate comprises: at least one thermoplastic resin fiber layer; at least one vapor-permeable virus-barrier thermoplastic elastomer film layer; and a bonding layer located between the two layers and formed of an adhesive capable of being fused with the two layers. In the stitching method, overlapping or stacking is performed to form a seam, and heat sealing is performed on the laminate at the seam. The temperature of heat sealing is higher than the melting point of a material layer having the highest melting point in the laminate, but lower than the temperature at which perforation or decomposition occurs in any material layer in the laminate. The heat-stitched seam has excellent windproof, vapor-permeable, virus barrier and liquid-barrier performance, has a smooth appearance without wrinkles, and feels soft. Also provided is a protective textile product prepared by means of the stitching method.

The present invention concerns Method for producing a unidirectional tape, the method comprising the steps of a) providing an impregnation slurry comprising primary particles and secondary particles, water, optionally an organic carrying medium, optionally an organic compound and optionally a surface active compound, and providing a unidirectional fiber layer having an average interstitial filament distance, wherein the primary particles comprise a first polymer and the primary particles have a particle size equal to or smaller than the average interstitial filament distance, and the secondary particles comprise a second polymer and the secondary particles have a particle size larger than the average interstitial filament distance, b) impregnating the unidirectional fiber layer with the impregnation slurry to form an impregnated unidirectional fiber web comprising an impregnated unidirectional fiber layer and a surface polymer layer, wherein the impregnated unidirectional fiber layer comprises, preferably consists of, the unidirectional fibers and the primary particles, and the surface polymer layer comprises the secondary particles, c) drying the impregnated unidirectional fiber web to obtain a unidirectional tape.

A method is provided for producing a common connecting opening in two components, at least one of which is made from a plastically deformable material. In the method, at least the edge region of a first prefabricated opening of the first component is softened in order subsequently to introduce a mandrel which displaces the material softened by the heating so that a common connecting opening having a predetermined diameter is obtained.

A method is provided for producing a common connecting opening in two components, at least one of which is made from a plastically deformable material. In the method, at least the edge region of a first prefabricated opening of the first component is softened in order subsequently to introduce a mandrel which displaces the material softened by the heating so that a common connecting opening having a predetermined diameter is obtained.

A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic composite product includes: providing a first and second thermoplastic composite component made from a consolidated stack of thermoplastic composite plies, said first and second component having a first and second ply drop off, respectively. The first and second components are positioned such that the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off are aligned, and the first and second components are fixedly connected by means of heating. The stacks of plies for the first and second components are constructed by stacking the plies in a stacking direction wherein the plies are arranged such that plies at a different position along the stacking direction are laterally offset relative to each other for the purpose of forming the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off, respectively, before consolidating.

A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic composite product includes: providing a first and second thermoplastic composite component made from a consolidated stack of thermoplastic composite plies, said first and second component having a first and second ply drop off, respectively. The first and second components are positioned such that the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off are aligned, and the first and second components are fixedly connected by means of heating. The stacks of plies for the first and second components are constructed by stacking the plies in a stacking direction wherein the plies are arranged such that plies at a different position along the stacking direction are laterally offset relative to each other for the purpose of forming the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off, respectively, before consolidating.

A method of bonding a first object to a second object includes the steps of: providing the first object including thermoplastic material in a solid state, providing the second object including a proximal surface, applying a mechanical pressing force and a mechanical excitation capable to liquefy the thermoplastic material until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material is flowable and penetrates into structures of the second object, and stopping the mechanical excitation and letting the thermoplastic material resolidify to yield a positive-fit connection between the first and the second object. The second object has a region of low density, wherein the protrusion penetrates the region of low density at least partly before the thermoplastic material is made flowable, and wherein the first object includes a protruding portion after the step of letting the thermoplastic material resolidify, the protruding portion at least partly penetrates the region of low density.

A method of bonding a first object to a second object includes the steps of: providing the first object including thermoplastic material in a solid state, providing the second object including a proximal surface, applying a mechanical pressing force and a mechanical excitation capable to liquefy the thermoplastic material until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material is flowable and penetrates into structures of the second object, and stopping the mechanical excitation and letting the thermoplastic material resolidify to yield a positive-fit connection between the first and the second object. The second object has a region of low density, wherein the protrusion penetrates the region of low density at least partly before the thermoplastic material is made flowable, and wherein the first object includes a protruding portion after the step of letting the thermoplastic material resolidify, the protruding portion at least partly penetrates the region of low density.