Methods and systems for producing a structure having selectable piezoelectric properties via additive manufacturing. Such methods can include coupling an ultrasound generating device to a print head of the additive manufacturing apparatus; transmitting acoustic energy from the ultrasound generating device to the print head to vibrate the print head in an oscillatory manner; extruding a feed material from the print head; moving the print head in at least one dimension relative to a substrate on which the structure is being manufactured; and dispensing layers sequentially on top of each other to form the structure. Such systems can include an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising a print head movable in at least one dimension relative to a base configured to support the structure being produced; and an ultrasound generating device that is connected to the print head.

Embodiments are directed to a method of making an antifouling and bactericidal coating with tailorable surface topology. The method includes depositing a layer of branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI) and diamino-functionalized poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) in a mixture of water and organic solvent on a substrate to form a layer of BPEI/PPO. The method includes depositing a layer of glyoxal in a water-containing solution on the layer of BPEI/PPO. The method further includes curing the layer of BPEI/PPO and layer of glyoxal to form a homogenous, glyoxal crosslinked BPEI/PPO coating, where the curing induces local precipitation and alteration of the glyoxal crosslinked BPEI/PPO coating to provide a textured surface.

In an embodiment, a battery module includes a first layer of battery cells, and a first set of brackets that are each configured to fix at least one battery cell of the first layer of battery cells into a defined position.

A method of blow molding a glossy article having at least one layer of thermoplastic material. The method comprises the steps of feeding a parison of said thermoplastic material into a mold having an inner surface with at least a portion of SPI finish standard selected from the group consisting of A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2 and B-3 mold and a first temperature of greater than 55 C.; blowing the parison against the inner surface of the mold to form the article; and subsequently lowering the temperature of the mold to a second temperature of between 10 C. to 55 C. before release of the molded article. The cycle time of the mold (t.sub.ct) is less than 250 seconds.

A method for manufacturing a long-length resin molded body using a liquid crystal polyester is provided. The method includes injecting a resin composition containing the liquid crystal polyester via a gate into a cavity of a mold and filling the cavity with the resin composition. The mold cavity has a shape corresponding with the resin molded body and a gate is provided in a position where the distance from an end edge of the cavity in a long-length direction of the cavity is not more than 10% of the length of the long-length direction. The ratio of the length of the long-length direction relative to a length of a short-length direction of the cavity is two or greater. The length of the long-length direction is 200 mm or greater. A thickness of the cavity is at least 0.5 mm but not more than 3.0 mm.

A multilayer film includes an extruded first polymer layer confined between extruded second polymer layers. The first polymer layer includes a high aspect ratio crystalline lamellae. The multilayer film is substantially impermeable to gas diffusion.

A two-way shape memory polymer composite material is provided, which comprises two interpenetrating network polymers, wherein one polymer is a shape memory polymer made of crystalline cross-linked polymer, the other one is a cross-linked elastomeric material. The composite material is formed by interpenetration of two network polymers, wherein one network polymer will shrink under heating and the other network polymer acts as the segment for energy storage. When the first polymer network shrinks under heating, it presses the second polymer network, while the heating is cancelled the pressed second polymer network will enforce the first polymer network to recover the original shape, therefore it has the behavior of two-way shape memory.

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--caprolactone) or poly (D-lactide-co--caprolactone) in the form of block copolymers of blocky copolymers, wherein the scaffold is cold-bendable.

Poly(ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) polymers having an average molecular weight of at least 300,000 g/mol and a melt enthalpy of at least 57 J/g are provided. The ETFE polymer may include at least one additional comonomer. The ETFE polymer is used to form a porous tape or membrane that has a node and fibril structure. A porous ETFE tape may be formed by lubricating the ETFE polymer and subjecting the lubricated polymer to pressure at a temperature below the melting point of the ETFE polymer. Optionally, the ETFE tape may be expanded at a temperature below the melting temperature of the ETFE polymer to form an expanded ETFE membrane. Alternatively, the ETFE polymer may subjected to heat and pressure without the addition of a lubricant to form a dense preform. The dense preform may be subsequently slit in a length direction and stretched to form a dense ETFE fiber.

The present disclosure provides a composition comprising a hierarchical opal that exhibits structural color when exposed to incident electromagnetic radiation. The hierarchical opal comprises nanoscale periodic cavities separated by a lattice constant, and includes a surface having grooves. The grooves may form a diffractive optical element on the surface of the hierarchical opal, such as a diffuser, a diffraction grating, a beamsplitter, a beam displacement opic, a Fresnel lens, and a micro lens, among others.