To provide a layered polyester film having excellent mechanical properties, transparency, heat resistance, and in particular excellent gas barrier property. A layered polyester film containing a polyester film and a thin film layer including mainly an inorganic compound, wherein the polyester film is a biaxially oriented polyester film including a dicarboxylic acid component containing mainly a furandicarboxylic acid and a glycol component containing mainly ethylene glycol, the thin film layer is formed on at least one surface of the polyester film, the inorganic compound is at least one of aluminum oxide and silicon oxide, and the layered polyester film has a plane orientation coefficient P of not less than 0.005 and not more than 0.200, a film thickness of not thinner than 1 m and not thicker than 300 m, and an oxygen permeability of not less than 0.1 mL/m.sup.2/day/MPa and not more than 80 mL/m.sup.2/day/MPa under a temperature of 23 C. and a humidity of 65%.

To provide a layered polyester film having excellent mechanical properties, transparency, heat resistance, and in particular excellent gas barrier property. A layered polyester film containing a polyester film and a thin film layer including mainly an inorganic compound, wherein the polyester film is a biaxially oriented polyester film including a dicarboxylic acid component containing mainly a furandicarboxylic acid and a glycol component containing mainly ethylene glycol, the thin film layer is formed on at least one surface of the polyester film, the inorganic compound is at least one of aluminum oxide and silicon oxide, and the layered polyester film has a plane orientation coefficient P of not less than 0.005 and not more than 0.200, a film thickness of not thinner than 1 m and not thicker than 300 m, and an oxygen permeability of not less than 0.1 mL/m.sup.2/day/MPa and not more than 80 mL/m.sup.2/day/MPa under a temperature of 23 C. and a humidity of 65%.

Shaped optical films and methods of shaping optical films are described. The method includes securing at least portions of a perimeter of the optical film in a first plane so that the secured portions do not move relative to one another; and stretching the optical film by displacing a portion of the optical film along at least a first direction perpendicular to the first plane such that one of a radial and circumferential stretching of the optical film is substantially constant from a center to the perimeter of the optical film, and the other one of the radial and circumferential stretching of the optical film substantially changes from the center to the perimeter of the optical film. The optical film is a reflective polarizer including a plurality of alternating polymeric layers.

A bonding method utilizing carbon nanotubes provides first and second objects to be bonded and a carbon nanotube structure. The carbon nanotube structure comprises a super-aligned carbon nanotube film comprising carbon nanotubes, the carbon nanotubes extending substantially along a same direction. The carbon nanotube structure is laid on surface of first object and surface of second object is pressed onto the carbon nanotube structure. Pressure being applied to the first object and the second object bonds the two together.

An article of footwear includes an upper formed of a base layer, a reinforcement layer, and an auxetic structure coupled to the reinforcement layer. The base layer includes an elastic material and is elastically deformable between a resting configuration and a stretched configuration. The base layer is configured to be stretched to a predetermined amount. The inelastic reinforcement layer is coupled to the base layer. The reinforcement layer is configured to delimit the stretch amount of the base layer when the base layer is in the stretched configuration.

An article of footwear includes at least one panel comprised of a composite material. The composite material includes a plurality of layers that are secured together according to a predetermined embroidery stitching pattern. The panel includes a first layer having a maximum elongation in a length direction of the article of footwear, and a second layer having a maximum elongation in a width direction of the article of footwear. The composite material also includes additional layers coupled to the first layer and the second layer.

A light modulation device is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a light modulation device includes a first polymer film substrate, a second polymer film substrate, an active liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second polymer film substrates, a reflective layer, wherein the active liquid crystal layer is capable of switching between a first orientation state and a second orientation state different from the first orientation state upon application of a voltage, each of the polymer film substrates has an in-plane retardation of 4,000 nm or more for light having a wavelength of 550 nm, a ratio of an elongation (E1) in a first direction to an elongation (E2) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction of 3 or more, and wherein an angle formed by the first directions of the first and second polymer film substrates is in a range of 0 degrees to 10 degrees.

A method of preparing a multi-layer assembly, or of protecting a surface of a multi-layer substrate from damage and/or contamination and/or debris, said method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a composite film comprising a polymeric base layer having a first and second surface and disposed on the first surface thereof a polymeric protective layer having a first surface and a second surface such that the first surface of the said base layer is in contact with the first surface of the polymeric protective layer, wherein said polymeric protective layer comprises an ethylene-based copolymer, and preferably wherein the polymeric base layer comprises a polyester derived from one or more diol(s) and one or more dicarboxylic acid(s); (ii) removing said polymeric protective layer from the first surface of said base layer; (iii) disposing on the exposed first surface of said base layer one or more functional layers to provide a multi-layer substrate, wherein the, or at least the uppermost, functional layer comprises zinc and/or tin in an amount of from about 5 to about 80 wt % of said functional layer; and (iv) disposing a polymeric protective layer comprising an ethylene-based copolymer onto the exposed surface of the, or at least the uppermost, functional layer comprising zinc and/or tin to provide a multi-layer assembly.

A light modulation device is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a light modulation device includes a first polymer film substrate, a second polymer film substrate, an active liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second polymer film substrates, wherein the active liquid crystal layer is capable of switching between a first orientation state and a second orientation state when a voltage is applied, and a polarizer, wherein each of the first and second polymer film substrates have in-plane retardation of 4,000 nm or more for light having a wavelength of 550 nm, a ratio of an elongation (E1) in a first direction to an elongation (E2) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction of 3 or more, and wherein an angle formed by the first directions of the first and second polymer film substrates is in a range of 0 degrees to 10 degrees.

A light modulation device is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a light modulation device includes a first polymer film substrate, a second polymer film substrate, an active liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second polymer film substrates, wherein the active liquid crystal layer is capable of switching between a vertical orientation state and a twisting orientation state upon application of a voltage, each of the first and second polymer film substrates has an in-plane retardation of 4,000 nm or more for light having a wavelength of 550 nm, a ratio of an elongation (E1) in a first direction to an elongation (E2) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction of 3 or more, and wherein an angle formed by the first directions of the first and second polymer film substrates is in a range of 0 degrees to 10 degrees.