A laminate including a metal substrate having a chemically etched surface and a fluoroelastomer layer laminated in contact with the chemically etched surface or laminated in contact with a surface of a fluororesin layer laminated in contact with the chemically etched surface, and a gate valve including the laminate, are provided.

Methods of bonding highly-fluorinated thermoplastics to elastomers are described. The methods include apply primers comprising at least one aromatic silane and at least one amino-silane to an uncured elastomer and irradiating the primer with actinic radiation before or after applying the highly-fluorinated thermoplastics. The elastomer may then be cured to provide articles having good adhesion between the highly-fluorinated thermoplastic and the cured elastomer.

An adhesive tape substrate production method disclosed in the present description includes the steps of decreasing the amount of a sizing agent contained in a glass cloth by heat; impregnating the glass cloth for which the amount of the sizing agent has been decreased with a dispersion of a fluorine resin; and heating the impregnated glass cloth to a temperature equal to or higher than a melting point of the fluorine resin. Thus, an adhesive tape substrate including the glass cloth impregnated with the fluorine resin is obtained. This method are more productive of adhesive tape substrates and adhesive tapes than conventional methods. In addition, adhesive tape substrates and adhesive tapes for which the occurrence of defects in appearance are reduced can be produced.

An adhesive tape substrate production method disclosed in the present description includes the steps of: decreasing the amount of a sizing agent contained in a glass cloth by heat; impregnating the glass cloth for which the amount of the sizing agent has been decreased with a dispersion of a fluorine resin; and heating the impregnated glass cloth to a temperature equal to or higher than a melting point of the fluorine resin. Thus, an adhesive tape substrate including the glass cloth impregnated with the fluorine resin is obtained. This method are more productive of adhesive tape substrates and adhesive tapes than conventional methods. In addition, adhesive tape substrates and adhesive tapes for which the occurrence of defects in appearance are reduced can be produced.

A venting apparatus is disclosed herein. The venting apparatus comprises a substrate, such as a metal substrate or a specialty plastic substrate, having an opening therein and a fluoropolymer membrane, such as ePTFE, disposed over said opening and thermally bonded using a thermoplastic material to said substrate. This allows the fluoropolymer membrane to be directly bonded to the said substrate without using an adhesive layer.

A protective film laminate for attachment to a surface may include, for example, a self-adhesive polymeric film having a display surface on a first side and a first adhesive on a second side for attachment to the surface; and a clear polymeric film having a first side and a second adhesive on a second side, the second side of the clear polymeric film being laminated onto the first side of the self-adhesive polymeric film via the second adhesive thereby forming the protective film laminate.

The present invention relates to a catheter system having a reinforced guidewire shaft and a method of manufacturing a reinforced catheter shaft. In particular, the present invention relates to a catheter shaft having two or more polymer layers and a reinforcement layer that is comprised of braids or a coil or combination thereof. The braided reinforcement layer may have a constant picks per inch (PPI) between braids or a variable PPI between braids. Similarly, the coiled reinforcement layer may have a constant pitch space between coils or a variable pitch space between coils. The reinforced catheter shaft may be manufactured by a continuous reel-to-reel process using liquid polymers that are heat-hardened or by a discrete process using extruded tube that is shrunk with heat.

The present disclosure provides composite ion exchange membranes and methods of making the same. The composite ion exchange membranes of the present disclosure include a first layer comprising a first ion-conducting membrane; a second layer comprising a gas-blocking membrane; and a third layer comprising a second ion-conducting membrane.

The present disclosure provides composite ion exchange membranes and methods of making the same. The composite ion exchange membranes of the present disclosure include a first layer comprising a first ion-conducting membrane; a second layer comprising a gas-blocking membrane; and a third layer comprising a second ion-conducting membrane.

The present invention provides a system for the manufacture of membrane electrode assemblies, comprising: a first carriage traversable along a first track, the first carriage having a support platform; a second carriage traversable along a second track, the second carriage having a support platform; sheet supplying means for supplying sheets comprising a gas diffusion layer onto the support platforms of the carriages; and supply means for supplying a continuous web comprising an ion-conducting membrane between at least a portion of the first and second tracks, wherein the system is arranged to align the first and second carriages either side of the continuous web with the support platforms of the first and second carriages facing the continuous web, whereby the system is suitable for adhering sheets carried thereby to opposite sides of the continuous web in an aligned configuration.