Multilayer polymer sheets are provided, as well as related methods, systems, and appliances.

The invention relates to a device comprising: a first layer (11) of a thermoformable material that is inelastically deformable in a thermoforming temperature range, a second layer (1) of a viscoelastic material that is elastically deformable in a temperature range including a use temperature range of the device and the thermoforming temperature range, and wherein: the use temperature range is lower than the thermoforming temperature range, the first layer is bonded to the second layer, the thermoformable material is elastically deformable and more rigid than the viscoelastic material in the use temperature range, the thermoformable material is less rigid than the viscoelastic material in the thermoforming temperature range.

Multilayer polymer sheets are provided, as well as related methods, systems, and appliances.

Methods for manufacturing articles of footwear are provided. In various aspects, the methods comprise utilizing additive manufacturing methods with foam particles. In some aspects, the additive manufacturing methods comprise increasing the temperature of a plurality of foam particles with actinic radiation under conditions effective to fuse a portion of the plurality of foam particles comprising one or more thermoplastic elastomers. Increasing the temperature of the foam particles can be carried out for one or multiple iterations. The disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that exhibit differing degrees of fusion between the foam particles, thereby resulting in sub-regions with different properties such as density, resilience, and/or flexural modulus. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

The present invention relates to a copolymer having polyamide blocks and having polyether blocks (PEBA) which can be used for the manufacture of an article, preferably a foamed article. The invention also relates to expanded particles prepared from said copolymer and to the manufacture of a foamed article from said expanded particles.

A method for producing a foam-molded shoe component includes the steps of: providing a polymer granulate; pre-treating the polymer granulate including binding to or in the polymer granulate a physical propellant in an autoclave at a first pressure and a first temperature; and foaming the pre-treated polymer granulate including melting the polymer granulate to produce a molten polymer composition, and foaming the molten polymer composition as a result of the expansion of the physical propellant.

A multilayer sheet comprising first, second, and third layers is provided. The first layer consists of a co-polyester having an elongation at break of greater than 70%. The second layer consists of a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer having an elongation at break of greater than 200% and a hardness of about 60 A to about 85 D. The first layer has a hardness greater than the hardness of the second layer. A mold is provided and the multilayer sheet is thermoformed over the mold to form a plurality of tooth-receiving cavities configured to receive and position a patient's teeth from a first arrangement toward a second arrangement. Excess material is trimmed from the thermoformed multilayer sheet to form the multilayer dental aligner.

A food contact safe, germ repellent plastic selected from modified thermoplastic, vulcanized silicone rubber or modified base plastic. The plastic includes an anti-biofouling agent at approximately 1 to 20 wt. % to the total weight of the plastic; and one or more components of fillers, carrier agent, mold releasing agent, curing agent, and/or oil, at approximately 0.1 to 2 wt. % for each or more of the components to the total weight of the plastic, where the anti-biofouling agent forming a hydration layer on the plastic imparts germ repellency against bacteria including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus while optical and mechanical properties including transmittance, tensile strength, impact strength, hardness, and/or heat deflection temperature of the plastic is/are changed by less than 10% after being associated with the anti-biofouling agent and the one or more of the components other than the anti-biofouling agent.

Multilayer polymer sheets are provided, as well as related methods, systems, and appliances.

Multilayer polymer sheets are provided, as well as related methods, systems, and appliances.