A method comprising providing a polymeric substrate having a melting point of from about 130 C. to about 190 C., and locating a material layer onto the substrate, wherein the material layer comprises one or more polymeric materials that liquefy upon exposure to temperatures of at least about 100 C., to blend with a softened portion of the polymeric substrate. Upon exposure of one or more of the substrate and the material layer to a stimulus, the temperature is increased in a predetermined temperature zone of one or more of the substrate and material layer to cause blending of the one or more polymeric materials of the material layer with the softened portion of the polymeric substrate.

An insulation board assembly, having: a foam insulation board; a top facer attached onto a top side of the foam insulation board, the top facer being made of woven material; and a bottom facer attached onto a bottom side of the foam insulation board, the bottom facer being made of woven material. The top and bottom woven facers may have upper and lower coatings and non-woven layers on either side and woven and non-woven layers may be held together with a tie layer.

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 ad heating to foam and cure the epoxy materials. Alternatively they may be formed by extrusion of the foamable material between the surface layers.

The present invention relates to a panel and method for manufacturing panels for wall or floor coverings, comprising two or more thermoplastic layers including at least one thermoplastic substrate layer and at least one top layer comprising at least a decor layer, a print layer and a transparent wear layer, and wherein both said thermoplastic substrate layer and said top layer are provided with a reinforcement layer, wherein said transparent wear layer is provided with a relief.

There is provided a skin foam-in-place foamed article comprising a pad (15) and a bag-like outer material (20) covering the pad (15). The outer material (20) has a top layer (21) and a liner layer (22) made of a foamed resin. The liner layer (22) has a closed cell structure. A pad-side skin layer (27a) having a density higher than that of a bulk layer (26) is provided on the liner layer (22), on a side of the pad (15). A corona treatment is applied to the pad-side skin layer (27a).

An insulation board assembly, having: a foam insulation board; a top facer attached onto a top side of the foam insulation board, the top facer being made of woven material; and a bottom facer attached onto a bottom side of the foam insulation board, the bottom facer being made of woven material. The top and bottom woven facers may have upper and lower coatings and non-woven layers on either side and woven and non-woven layers may be held together with a tie layer.

A method for making an activatable material having a handling film layer thereon, comprising the steps of providing a continuous mass of a polymeric material having a longitudinal axis and being capable of adhering to a metal surface; applying a handling layer (e.g., film) over at least one side of the mass; forming stress relief indentations in the mass, with the handling layer at least partially extending into the indentations, wherein the stress relief indentations allow a resulting part to be applied in conforming geometry with a surface to which it is applied. The teachings also contemplate parts made by the above method and use thereof to bond to surfaces having a non-planar portion.

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 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.

A method of producing a laminated article comprising placing a first metal skin, a core, and a second metal skin freely onto each other as discreet layers to provide a layered component; and forming the layered component into a shaped article via a die prior to producing a laminated article by applying pressure and heat to the shaped article, wherein at least the first skin moves relative to the core and/or second skin during the forming.