Novel polylactic acid biopolymer systems and methods of producing products with polylactic acid biopolymers are disclosed. Products produced according to the systems and methods disclosed herein have enhanced deflection temperature and improved mechanical performance when compared to conventional injection moulding processes. Systems and methods for compounding polylactic acid biopolymer and creating an object using a polylactic acid biopolymer by extrusion and injection moulding process are described.

A crystallized bioabsorbable polymer scaffold comprises a polymer composition of poly (L-lactide-co-tri-methylene-carbonate) or poly (D-lactide-co-tri-methylene-carbonate) or poly (L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) or poly (D-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) in the form of block copolymers of blocky copolymers, wherein the scaffold is cold-bendable.

An injection blow molding method for making a container comprising the steps of injecting a molten crystallizable polymer in a preform mold via a hot runner system and biaxially stretching the preform by blowing, thereby forming a container, characterized in that said method further comprises means to selectively modify the flow path of the molten crystallizable polymer within the hot runner system.

A process of 3D printing of crystalline polymeric material includes the steps of (a) heating a print head to melt a first crystalline polymeric material therein; (b) activating the print head to print a layer until a molten, layered print pattern is deposited; (c) cooling the molten, layered print pattern to form a solid print pattern having a plurality of amorphous regions; (d) heat-treating the solid print pattern; and (e) repeating steps (b), (c), and (d) until a 3D-printed object having a layered print pattern is created. A print pattern unit includes at least one print pattern layer.

A process for heat treating a 3D-printed object includes enclosing a 3D-printed object in a semisolid capsule; curing the semisolid capsule to form a solid capsule; heat-treating the solid capsule until amorphous regions of the 3D-printed object become elastomeric state; cooling the solid capsule; and removing the heat-treated 3D-printed object from the solid capsule.

Provided is a welding joining method for joining end portions of first and second pipes made of polyamide resin by bonding the end portions to each other by pressure in a molten state. The welding joining method includes: a placing step of placing an infrared radiation lamp between the first and second pipes placed to face each other at an interval; a heating and melting step of heating and melting the end portions of the first and second pipes by emitting infrared; and a pressure bonding step of cooling down the molten end portions in a state where the molten end portions are bonded to each other by pressure.

A method of manufacturing an optical component having micro-structures is described. The method detects a crystallization temperature within a crystallization temperature interval for fully filling the molding material into a mold cavity to rapidly produce the optical element having a micro-structure with a large area.

A method of blow molding an article having at least one layer of thermoplastic material. The method comprises the steps of heating a mold having an inner surface with two or more areas of different surface textures to a first temperature of greater than 55° C. and subsequently feeding a parison into the mold. The parison is then blown against the inner surface of the mold to form an article. The temperature of the mold is subsequently lowered to a second temperature of between 20° C. to about 55° C. and the temperature cycle time (t.sub.ct) of the mold is less than 250 seconds. Using the two phase heating and cooling process in combination with a mold featuring different surface textures provides a finished article with different visual effects.

The invention provides shape-stable products for storing and releasing thermal energy, based on thermoplastic polymer compositions containing organic phase change materials (PCM) incorporated into a polymer matrix, the products withstanding multiple melting-crystallization cycles of the PCM while maintaining their shape, dimensions, and the thermal energy storage capacity.

An orthodontic appliance shaped to receive teeth. The orthodontic appliance can be constructed from a laminate structure with a outer transparent layer and an inner translucent layer. The translucent layer can scatter light to decrease a relative degree or perceived gloss to the human eye, and hence provide a more natural appearance to the orthodontic appliance.