A polymer body includes a first thermoplastic polymer, and a second thermoplastic polymer. The first thermoplastic polymer and the second thermoplastic polymer form a continuous solid structure. The first thermoplastic polymer forms an external supporting structure that at least partially envelops the second thermoplastic polymer. A first flow temperature of the first thermoplastic polymer is at least 10° C. higher than a second flow temperature of the second thermoplastic polymer. The first thermoplastic polymer may be removable by exposure to a selective solvent.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

A sensing system for measurement of a multilayered blown polymeric film. A feedblock supplies polymeric material streams to an annular blown film die to form a plurality of layers of different polymeric materials. A sensing system is positioned adjacent to a film bubble extruded from the blown film die, wherein the blown film bubble includes annular layers of at least two different polymeric materials. The sensing system emits a signal toward selected circumferential positions around the film bubble and receives a plurality of reflected signals at each circumferential position. Each reflected signal in the plurality of reflected signals is generated at an interface between annular layers that includes a refractive index change detectable by the sensing system. A processor processes the reflected signals from the sensing system, and for each circumferential position determines a layer thickness profile for each polymeric material in the film.

One or more embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for applying a mixture of a first compound and a second compound, the apparatus comprising a first extruder for processing a first compound and a second extruder for processing a second compound, wherein the outlet from the first extruder is in fluid communication with a first channel of a housing, and the outlet from the second extruder is in fluid communication with a second channel of the housing, wherein a gear pump is positioned in each channel, wherein a nozzle is in fluid communication with an outlet of the first channel and an outlet of the second channel, and a coextruded continuous strip is produced. The ratio of the first compound to the second compound may be adjusted instantaneously.

One or more embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for applying a mixture of a first compound and a second compound, the apparatus comprising a first extruder for processing a first compound and a second extruder for processing a second compound, wherein the outlet from the first extruder is in fluid communication with a first channel of a housing, and the outlet from the second extruder is in fluid communication with a second channel of the housing, wherein a gear pump is positioned in each channel, wherein a nozzle is in fluid communication with an outlet of the first channel and an outlet of the second channel, and a coextruded continuous strip is produced. The ratio of the first compound to the second compound may be adjusted instantaneously.

A method is for producing a coextruded and biaxially stretched composite film using a novel combination of stretching and relaxation steps. A corresponding composite film has little or no shrinkage.

A method is for producing a coextruded and biaxially stretched composite film using a novel combination of stretching and relaxation steps. A corresponding composite film has little or no shrinkage.

Provided is a biaxially oriented polypropylene film that has high stiffness, has excellent heat resistance at a high temperature of 150° C., easily maintains a bag shape when being made into a packaging bag, and has less pitch shift during printing or fewer wrinkles in a sealed portion when being heat-sealed. A biaxially oriented polypropylene film, wherein a stress at 5% elongation (F5) at 23° C. of the biaxially oriented polypropylene film is not lower than 40 MPa in a longitudinal direction and not lower than 160 MPa in a width direction, and a heat shrinkage rate at 150° C. of the biaxially oriented polypropylene film is not higher than 7% in the longitudinal direction and not higher than 16% in the width direction.

The invention relates to a multi-layer, preferably co-extruded, plastic film with improved modulus properties, which is suitable, in particular, for producing three-dimensionally shaped articles.