A knitted spacer fabric has a tightly knitted bottom layer, a more loosely knitted upper layer and linking fibres extending across the space between the lower and upper faces. Settable material, e.g. cement, is introduced into the space between the upper and lower faces and can be caused to set by the addition of a liquid, e.g. water. Until set, the fabric is flexible and can be shaped but after the material in space has set, the fabric is rigid and can be used as a structural element in a wide range of situations. The bottom layer has an extension that extends beyond the upper face and is connected to the upper face by elastic connecting fibres that draw the extension towards the other face, thereby at least partly closing the space at the edge of the cloth and preventing the settable material from spilling out. In addition, the packing of the settable material and maximum space between the faces are such that only a predetermined amount of liquid can be accommodated within the space and that amount is matched to the water required to set the cement.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a sandwich panel comprises the steps of: a) providing a plate-shaped assembly of a first cover part and a second cover part and between these cover parts a core part of a thermoplastic material containing a physical blowing agent, b) heating the assembly resulting from step a) under pressure between press tools in a press to a foaming temperature below the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material in the core part, thereby effecting adhesion of the foamed core part to the first and second cover parts c) foaming the thermoplastic material in the core part under pressure and at the foaming temperature wherein the spacing between the press tools is increased; d) a cooling step of cooling the foamed sandwich panel resulting from step c), while the sandwich panel is maintained under pressure between the press tools; e) removing the thus cooled sandwich panel from the press; and f) drying the sandwich panel thus obtained; wherein the cooling step d) comprises.a first substep d1) of cooling the foamed assembly from the foaming temperature to an intermediate temperature in the range of 70-100° C. at a first cooling rate and a second substep d2) of cooling the foamed assembly from the intermediate temperature to ambient temperature at a second cooling rate, the second cooling rate is less than the first cooling rate.

An article including a composite including a subsurface structure and a second phase of material forming a coating on the subsurface structure. The coating includes a first region defining a first plurality of microtextures in an outer surface of the coating, where the first plurality of microtextures include an average bore width of less than about 250 micrometers (μm) and a first average bore depth, and a second region positioned adjacent to the first region wherein the coating defines a second plurality of microtextures on the outer surface of the coating, where the second plurality of microtextures include an average bore width of less than about 250 μm and a second average bore depth less than the first average bore depth.

The pressing of an article is achieved with a closed-loop feedback press. The closed-loop feedback press is effective to measure an amount of pressure applied and adjust the pressure to achieve a prescribed amount of compression on the article. Further, the press may leverage a closed-loop feedback system to maintain a consistent temperature of one or more platens. The press is able to adjust a pressure applied one or more times during a pressing operation to accelerate a temperature change in the pressed article while reducing the pressure applied as the temperature approaches a target temperature to limit unintentional deformation and bleeding of the pressed material of the article.

A continuous flexible cement sheet roll for coating construction slabs, is disclosed. The sheet comprising a flexible cement layer, which has a thickness of between 0.3 to 6 mm, such as between 0.5 and 5 mm, and which comprises a) essentially inorganic mortar and b) up to 15% polymeric binder. When the amount of a component in a mixture is expressed in % units, the weight % of the component relative to the weight of the whole mixture is intended. The flexible cement sheet roll of the invention comprises, a reinforcing layer of a thickness lower than the thickness of said cement layer, selected from films of a nonwoven fabrics, layers of organic or inorganic fibers, polymer webs, chop strand mat, and fiberglass mats, among others.

A method for manufacturing (S) a subassembly (3) for a tire (4) comprising the following substeps: providing an assembly comprising a supporting structure (14) comprising supporting filamentary elements linking a first structure (10) of filamentary elements and a second structure (12) of filamentary elements, aligning (S1) the first structure (10) and the second structure (12), securely fixing (S4) the first structure (10) onto the second structure (12) using a securing element (18), and cutting (S5) the assembly (1) along the securing element (18) so as to separate said securing element (18) from the rest of the assembly (1) and to obtain at least one subassembly (3) without securing element (18).

A carbon fiber tape material is favorable in followability to molds and impregnation with matrix resins, and capable of enhancing the productivity in producing a reinforcing fiber laminate by a method of fiber placement and capable of providing a molded body with high mechanical strength when the material is impregnated with a resin and molded. The carbon fiber tape material has a carbon fiber bundle group including a plurality of carbon fiber bundles arranged in parallel with the fiber orientation direction and a fabric are integrated, and satisfies (a) to (c): (a) the fabric includes one or more thermoplastic resins; (b) the carbon fiber tape material excluding the fabric is between 120 g/m.sup.2 and 400 g/m.sup.2 in basis weight; and (c) the fabric elongation rate with a load of 80 mN/50 mm applied to the fabric is 5% to 100% in at least one direction of the fabric.

Proposed is an air purifying filter. The air purifying filter includes a filtering layer (30) configured as a dielectric which collects minute particles, a first electrode layer (50) laminated on a side of the filtering layer (30) and comprising insulated wires (51) to which power is able to be applied, and a second electrode layer (70) laminated on a side of the filtering layer (30) opposite to the side of the first electrode layer and comprising a conductive material such that a polarity opposite to a polarity of the first electrode layer (50) is applied to the second electrode layer or the second electrode layer is grounded.

A hose includes an outer cover layer and at least one ply disposed inward from the outer cover layer, characterized in that the outer cover layer is a shrink sleeve, and where the at least one ply is formed from a reinforced silicone rubber sheet which includes a reinforcement. The hose may further include an inner layer disposed within the at least one ply, and which defines a lumen. The shrink sleeve may be a polyolefin shrink sleeve. The layers are tensioned together with the shrink sleeve. The hose may be prepared by a shrink tension method without the use of a tape wrap. A method of preparing the above hose may include wrapping the inner layer around a mandrel, wrapping the at least one at least one ply around the inner layer, pulling the shrink sleeve over the at least one at least one ply, and vulcanizing the hose.

A lightweight reinforced mesh, such as a surgical mesh, suitable for use in various applications, including breast reconstruction, cosmetic breast surgery, mastopexy, breast augmentation, breast reduction, soft tissue reconstruction, hernia repair, tissue plication reinforcement, tissue support and repair, tendon support and repair, tissue engineering, and procedures or other applications requiring additional soft tissue strength or thickness. In addition, disclosed is a use of such a mesh for tissue engineering, regardless of the surgical application. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a surgical mesh capable of providing enhanced support while maintaining flexibility, low density, and absorbable characteristics. Further the present disclosure, focuses on reducing the material burden of a scaffold while increasing void space to facilitate tissue ingrowth.