A hose is provided comprising a rubber backing layer directly bonded to a continuous polyamide layer without an intervening adhesive layer, wherein the hose exhibits increased low and high temperature capability and decreased permeation compared to standard automotive refrigerant hoses.

A hose is provided comprising a rubber backing layer directly bonded to a continuous polyamide layer without an intervening adhesive layer, wherein the hose exhibits increased low and high temperature capability and decreased permeation compared to standard automotive refrigerant hoses.

Methods for additive manufacturing are provided. In embodiments, such a method comprises illuminating a photothermal base with light, the photothermal base comprising a photothermal material and mounted in an additive manufacturing system to form a first interface between a surface of the photothermal base and a curable composition comprising thermally curable components, wherein the light induces light-to-energy conversion in the photothermal base to generate heat at the first interface, thereby inducing curing of the thermally curable components to form a first cured region. Additive manufacturing systems and photothermal bases are also provided.

Provided are a vulcanization device for a pneumatic tire and a method for vulcanizing a pneumatic tire. A pressurizing medium having a relatively low pressure is supplied through a pressurizing medium low-pressurization/supply line into a vulcanization bladder having a tube-like shape inserted into a green tire in a vulcanization mold to inflate the vulcanization bladder. Thereafter, a heating medium is supplied through a heating medium supply line into the vulcanization bladder (2). Then, a pressurizing medium having a relatively high pressure is supplied through a pressurizing medium supply line into the vulcanization bladder to increase internal pressure of the vulcanization bladder while the media in the vulcanization bladder are circulated through a circulation line extending outside the vulcanization bladder, thereby vulcanizing the green tire.

Methods of forming solid carbon products include disposing a plurality of nanotubes in a press, and applying heat to the plurality of carbon nanotubes to form the solid carbon product. Further processing may include sintering the solid carbon product to form a plurality of covalently bonded carbon nanotubes. The solid carbon product includes a plurality of voids between the carbon nanotubes having a median minimum dimension of less than about 100 nm. Some methods include compressing a material comprising carbon nanotubes, heating the compressed material in a non-reactive environment to form covalent bonds between adjacent carbon nanotubes to form a sintered solid carbon product, and cooling the sintered solid carbon product to a temperature at which carbon of the carbon nanotubes do not oxidize prior to removing the resulting solid carbon product for further processing, shipping, or use.

A topping sheet forming method includes: a division step of cylindrically winding a textile original fabric, obtained by weaving longitudinally aligned tire cords into a cord fabric by use of weft yarns, to form an original fabric roll and cutting off the weft yarns in predetermined widthwise positions by using a wire wound on the original fabric roll in a predetermined winding angle range to divide the textile original fabric into narrow textile original fabrics; and a topping step of topping at least one surface of each of the narrow textile original fabrics with unvulcanized rubber.

A topping sheet forming method includes: feeding a textile original fabric, obtained by weaving longitudinally aligned tire cords into a cord fabric by use of weft yams; cutting off the weft yarns at a predetermined widthwise position to divide the textile original fabric into a plurality of narrow textile original fabrics; and topping at least one surface of the narrow textile original fabric with unvulcanized rubber.

A topping sheet forming method includes: a feeding and division step of feeding a textile original fabric, obtained by weaving longitudinally aligned tire cords into a cord fabric by use of weft yams, and cutting off the weft yarns in predetermined widthwise positions to divide the textile original fabric into a plurality of narrow textile original fabrics; a calender step of topping, with unvulcanized rubber, at least one surface of one narrow textile original fabric out of the divided narrow textile original fabrics; and a wind-up step of winding up the other narrow textile original fabrics out of the divided narrow textile original fabrics.

A topping sheet forming method includes: a feeding and division step of feeding a textile original fabric, obtained by weaving longitudinally aligned tire cords into a cord fabric by use of weft yarns, and cutting off the weft yarns in predetermined widthwise positions to divide the textile original fabric into a plurality of narrow textile original fabrics; and a topping step of topping at least one surface of each of the narrow textile original fabrics with unvulcanized rubber.

The invention relates to novel processes for determining the quality of an uncrosslinked rubber mixture by means of ultrasound and to an apparatus suitable for this purpose.