Disclosed is a thermally expandable composition, comprising at least one polymer P, cross-linkable by peroxide, and between 1 wt.-% and 2.5 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the composition, of at least one acrylate A, and between 0.2 wt.-% and 2.5 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the composition, of at least one peroxide, and at least one blowing agent, characterised in that the equivalent ratio of said peroxide to said acrylate A is between 0.01 and 0.5, preferably between 0.13 and 0.41, and the weight ratio of said peroxide to said acrylate A is lower than 0.33 and said polymer P comprises or essentially consists of at least two polymers PI and P2, wherein PI exhibits a melt flow index (MFI) of between 100 and 200 g/10 min, and P2 exhibits a melt flow index of between 0.1 and 60 g/10 min, wherein MFI is determined by ASTM D1238. The thermally expandable composition shows excellent properties in terms of expansion stability and minimised buckling and is especially suitable for baffle and/or reinforcement elements, e.g. in automotive manufacturing.

A catheter comprises a heater control supplying power, a handle, a base catheter with lumen and comprising a proximal section and a distal segment, and a variable stiffness element. The element comprises a heater connected to the heater control, coiled at least at the distal segment, and comprising a shaft portion of a first metallic conductive material and a heater portion of a second metallic conductive material. A jacket is disposed about the heater portion. A variable flex sub-assembly between the catheter and jacket comprises a non-conducting braid and a binding material. Without power, the binding material is stiffened. Responsive to heating of the binding material, the binding material softens to increase flexibility of the variable flex sub-assembly at least at the distal segment. Responsive to removing power, the binding material cools and stiffens to decrease flexibility of the variable flex sub-assembly at least at the distal segment.

The present disclosure is directed methods for manufacturing spar caps for wind turbine rotor blades. In certain embodiments, the method includes forming an outer frame of the spar cap via at least one of three-dimensional (3D) pultrusion, thermoforming, or 3D printing. As such, the outer frame has a varying cross-section that corresponds to a varying cross-section of the rotor blade along a span thereof. The method also includes arranging a plurality of structural materials (e.g. layers of pultruded plates) within the pultruded outer frame of the spar cap and infusing the structural materials and the outer frame together via a resin material so as to form the spar cap. The resulting spar cap can then be easily incorporated into conventional rotor blade manufacturing processes and/or welded or bonded to an existing rotor blade.

A food and/or beverage packaging container comprises a blow-molded body having a length, a diameter and side walls having a wall thickness. A wide mouth neck extends from the body and is trimmed to a finished configuration. The neck has a diameter and a wall thickness. The length, the diameters and the wall thickness' are pre-selected such that the container comprises one or more selected physical performance features. Systems and methods of use are disclosed.

Described are methods for the manufacture of a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such a method, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. According to an aspect of the invention, a method for the manufacture of a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, is provided which includes loading a mold with a first material which includes particles of an expanded material, and, during loading the mold, pre-heating the particles by supplying energy, wherein the energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

Systems and methods of providing a composite material that is bendable but substantially resists stretching under tension. One embodiment may take the form of a composite material formed by over-molding a woven glass fiber with silicone. The woven glass fiber may be rolled out with a silicon polymer melted into the woven fabric as the rolling process continues. The composite of the two materials may provide a material that bends easily but does not substantially stretch.

A multilayer tube for guiding fuel fluid or brake fluid. The multilayer tube comprises an outer protection layer, a barrier layer radially within the outer protection layer, an intermediate layer radially within the barrier layer, and an inner layer radially within the intermediate layer. At least two of the layers are co-extruded layers. Each of the barrier layer and the inner layer comprises a partially aromatic polyamide.

A hockey stick apparatus may include a molded blade structure coupled to the proximal end of a hollow shaft structure. The molded blade structure can include: a top edge spaced apart from a bottom edge by a blade height, a heel spaced apart from a toe by a blade length, a front face spaced apart from a back face, and an optional slot defining an aperture extending through front face and the back face. A stiffness of the blade may vary along the blade height by changing the shape of the blade and changing a quadratic momentum of the cross-section along the blade height.

An additive manufacturing ink composition includes a polysiloxane bearing a plurality of alkenyl groups and a crosslinking agent bearing a plurality of thiol groups. The polysiloxane and the crosslinking agent form an emulsion.

A catheter is made by coextruding first and second molten polymers, wherein the second molten polymer forms a flexible inner core and the first molten polymer forms exactly two bands on opposite sides of the inner core. The inner core is braided, and a third molten polymer extruded onto the braid to form a flexible jacket that encloses the braid, the bands and the inner core. The bands are more rigid than the inner core, and they provide preferential in-plane bending.