A materials kit for 3D printing can include a powder bed material including from about 60 wt % to 100 wt % composite fibers having an average aspect ratio from about 3:1 to about 30:1 and a fusing agent including an energy absorber to absorb electromagnetic radiation to produce heat. The composite fibers can include glass fibers coated with an encapsulating polymer, wherein the glass fibers can be included at from about 5 wt % to about 40 wt % based on the total weight of the powder bed material.

A composite foam article is disclosed herein. The composite foam article comprises a polyurethane foam core presenting a first surface and a second surface facing opposite the first surface. A first skin is disposed on the first surface and a second skin is disposed on the second surface. The first and second skins comprise a plurality of fibers and a polymeric binder. The composite foam article also comprises at least one supplemental layer comprising an ethylene and acrylic acid copolymer dispersed in and/or disposed between any of said aforementioned skins and core.

Systems for forming thermoplastic components are disclosed. A system may include a mold including a first portion and a second portion engaging the first portion. The first portion and/or the second portion may receive material for the component. The system may also include a compressive device positioned adjacent to and contacting the first portion of the mold. Additionally, the system may include a control system in communication with the compressive device. The control system may be configured to displace the compressive device to apply a compressive force to the first portion of the mold, and impose a predetermined pressure on the material for the component. The control system may also be configured to heat the first portion and/or the second portion of the mold.

Provided is a pipe joint including a cylindrical hollow, wherein the wall thickness of a part having the largest wall thickness of the pipe joint is 2 to 7 mm, the ratio of the length of the hollow in the axial direction (L) to the diameter of the hollow (D), (L/D), is 5 or less, the pipe joint contains a copolymer containing tetrafluoroethylene unit and a fluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) unit, the content of the fluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) unit of the copolymer is 2.8 to 6.0% by mass with respect to the whole of the monomer units, the melt flow rate at 372° C. of the copolymer is 4.0 g/10 min or higher and lower than 11.0 g/10 min, and the number of functional groups of the copolymer is 50 or less.

Provided is a heat-shrinkable polyester film which undergoes less change in the physical properties even in a high-humidity environment, has excellent storage stability, and effectively suppresses a breakage phenomenon of the film after heat shrinkage.

Disclosed is a heat-shrinkable polyester film derived from a polyester resin, in which when tensile strengths in a main shrinkage direction obtained before and after immersion in water at 23° C. for 168 hours in a tensile test as measured according to JIS K 7127 are designated as C1 (MPa) and C2 (MPa), the following Relational Expression (1) is satisfied:

−5.3<(C2−C1)<4.2  (1)

Provided is a melt processible fluororesin composition for injection molding of articles that has melt flow that facilitates injection molding, that can enhance strength of a fluororesin weld line area in an injection molded article, and that achieves excellent release from a mold. The fluororesin composition includes two or more types of melt processible fluororesins having different melt flow rates; one of the melt processible fluororesins being a high melt flow rate melt processible fluororesin having a melt flow rate of 35 g/10 min or greater, and another being a low melt flow rate melt processible fluororesin having a melt flow rate of 10 g/10 min or greater but less than 35 g/10 min; and wherein the ratio of the melt flow rate (MFRa) of the high MFR melt processible fluororesin to the melt flow rate (MFRb) of the low MFR melt processible fluororesin (MFRa/MFRb) is from 1 to 10.

A dental appliance for positioning a patient's teeth includes a removable orthodontic tooth positioning appliance having teeth receiving cavities shaped to directly receive at least some of the patient's teeth and apply a resilient positioning force to the patient's teeth. The appliance includes a hard polymer layer having a hard polymer layer elastic modulus disposed between a first soft polymer layer having a first soft polymer layer elastic modulus and a second soft polymer layer having a second soft polymer layer elastic modulus. The hard polymer layer elastic modulus is greater than each of the first soft polymer layer elastic modulus and the second soft polymer layer elastic modulus. At least one of the first soft polymer layer and the second soft polymer layer has a flexural modulus of greater than about 35,000 psi.

An earplug assembly that includes an earplug. The assembly also includes a flexible cord extending from a first cord end to a second cord end and the first cord end fixed to the earplug, the flexible cord formed of copolymer comprising ethylene segments and vinyl acetate segments. The flexible cord has an elastic modulus of 10 MPa or greater at 100% elongation.

To provide a method for producing an artificial tooth which is excellent in strength, abrasion resistance, hardness, low water absorption, aesthetic property, functionality, and the like within a short time, especially less than 1 hour, smoothly and simply, without requiring skill using a dental photocurable resin composition. [Solution] Disclosed is a method for producing an artificial tooth, which includes the steps of: (a) accommodating a liquid dental photocurable resin composition containing a radical polymerizable organic compound (A), a filler (B), and a photosensitive radical polymerization initiator (C) in a shaping container having a light permeable bottom face, and irradiating the dental photocurable resin composition in the shaping container with light in a predetermined shape pattern through the light permeable bottom face of the shaping container in accordance with slice data every one layer based on three-dimensional CAD data relating to a tooth to form a cured resin layer having a shape pattern for one layer; (b) lifting up the cured resin layer for one layer formed in the step (a), thereby allowing the liquid dental photocurable resin composition to flow into the space between the lower face of the cured resin layer and the bottom face of the shaping container, and irradiating the dental photocurable resin composition between the lower face of the cured resin layer and the bottom face of the shaping container with light through the light permeable bottom face of the shaping container in accordance with slice data every one layer based on three-dimensional CAD data relating to a tooth to further form a cured resin layer having a shape pattern for one layer; and (c) repeating the operation of the step (b) until the objective artificial tooth is obtained.

There is provided a flexible, helically wound conduit for a breathing circuit comprising an inlet 1, an outlet 3, and an enclosing wall 2 defining a flow passage between said inlet and said outlet, wherein at least a region of said enclosing wall is permeable to water vapor and one or more of O.sub.2 and CO.sub.2, and wherein the axial tensile strength of the enclosing wall is greater than 40N. Further provided are limbs comprising the conduit, a method of manufacturing the conduit and the use of the conduit to remove water vapor and/or CO.sub.2 from gas exhaled by a patient.