A continuous process for preparing insulation panels having thick (0.2 mm to 1 mm) metal facing panels and a fiber-reinforced polymer foam core is disclosed. In the process, a bottom metal facing panel (2) is continuously supplied. A mat (10) of reinforcing fibers and a foamable resin composition (19) are applied to the bottom facing panel. A flexible barrier layer (5) is applied atop the foamable resin composition, and the assembly is passed through nip rolls (12,13) to compress the assembly and force the resin composition into the fiber mat. An adhesive layer (4) and top metallic facing layer (1) are then applied on top of the flexible barrier layer, and the resulting assembly is gauged and cured by passing it through a double band laminator (11).

Methods of producing core layers with a variable basis weight across a width of the core layer are described. The core layers can be used in vehicle headliners to permit proper side air bag deployment in the vehicles during crashes. Systems and various materials used to produce the core layers are also described.

A display panel and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The display panel includes a buffer layer and/or at least one adhesive layer. The buffer layer is disposed on a bottom of the display panel, and the adhesive layer is disposed between two of adjacent layers in a layered structure of the display panel. Wherein, the buffer layer and the adhesive layer have materials having Poisson's ratio of less than 0.1.

A display panel and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The display panel includes a buffer layer and/or at least one adhesive layer. The buffer layer is disposed on a bottom of the display panel, and the adhesive layer is disposed between two of adjacent layers in a layered structure of the display panel. Wherein, the buffer layer and the adhesive layer have materials having Poisson's ratio of less than 0.1.

Flooring material has an anti-slip, noise reducing pad directly self-adhered to a bottom surface. The pad is formed by applying a foamable PVC material is directly on the bottom surface of the flooring and heating the PVC material to foam the PVC material. The PVC material may then be cooled to form the pad with a definite formed shape having a resilient outer surface layer and a spongy foamy inner structure.

A method of forming an article is provided. Multi-fiber cellulose strips are interacted with a bonding agent and layered in a plurality of layers, the layered cellulose strips collectively defining opposed major surfaces. A porous sheet member, interacted with a fire-retarding solution, is engaged with one of the major surfaces of the layered cellulose strips, to substantially cover the major surface. The porous sheet member is disposed adjacent to a substantially smooth and uniform surface, and layered cellulose strips and the porous sheet member collectively exposed to an actuating element, configured to actuate the bonding agent to react in a volumetrically-expensive reaction with the fire-retarding solution to facilitate cohesion between the layered cellulose strips and the porous sheet member to form a board member, wherein the porous sheet member conforms to the adjacent surface via the volumetrically-expansive reaction to define a substantially smooth and uniform surface of the board member.

Light weight composites with high flexural strength comprise epoxy foam sandwiched between two layers of facing material have high strength and low weight and can be used to replace steel structures. The facing layer may be fibrous material especially glass or carbon fibres, the facing material is preferably embedded into the epoxy matrix. Alternatively they may be matching box structures or concentric metal tubes. The sandwich structures may be prepared by laying up the fibre; coating and/or impregnating the layer with epoxy resin, laying a layer of heat activatable foamable epoxy material, providing a further layer of the fibrous material optionally coated and/or impregnated with epoxy resin on the foamable material and heating to foam and cure the epoxy materials. Alternatively they may be formed by extrusion of the foamable material between the surface layers.

A ventilated seating assembly comprises a first rigid component, a foam layer, and a second rigid component. The first rigid component comprises formed cloth and has a bonding surface, a ventilation surface opposite the bonding surface, and a 3-dimensional profile. The foam layer has an A-surface and a B-surface opposite the A-surface with the first rigid component bonded to the B-surface of the foam layer such that a portion of the B-surface includes the 3-dimensional profile. The second rigid component comprises a polymeric material affixed to a portion of the ventilation surface of the first rigid component. The first and second rigid components define a cavity including a plurality of air passageways defined by the 3-dimensional profile of the first rigid component.

An automotive crash pad and a method for manufacturing the same. The automotive crash pad includes: a skin layer forming the outer surface of the crash pad including an airbag module; a fiber-based layer formed on the lower surface of the skin layer; a cushion layer formed on the lower surface of the fiber-based layer and including slab foam; and a core layer formed on the lower surface of the cushion layer, wherein a laminate of the skin layer and the fiber-based layer has a tensile strength in transverse direction (TD) of 5 to 50 kgf/3 cm and an elongation at break in transverse direction (TD) of 40 to 220%.

Laminated light-blocking decorative articles are prepared by applying an aqueous foamed opacifying composition to a decorative fabric, drying, laminating a non-woven fabric to the resulting dry foamed opacifying layer, and densifying that layer to have a thickness that is at least 20% less than before densifying. This operation can be carried out so that non-woven fabric, decorative fabric, and aqueous foamed opacifying composition are supplied in a single-pass, in-line operation to make any quantity of laminated light-blocking decorative article. The applied aqueous foamed opacifying composition has 35%-70% solids and a foam density of 0.1-0.5 g/cm.sup.3. It is composed of (a) porous particles, (b) a binder material, (c) two or more additives comprising at least one foaming surfactant and at least one foam stabilizer, (d) an aqueous medium, and (e) at least 0.0001 weight % of an opacifying colorant that absorbs electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 380-800 nm.