The invention provides a molded article having excellent mechanical strength, heat resistance, surface roughness, and ferroelectricity. The molded article contains a crystal of a vinylidene fluoride/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer. The crystal is a crystal and is a nano-oriented crystal that has a size of 100 nm or smaller. The molded article has an arithmetic average roughness of 3.0 m or lower.

A method of providing a fibre-reinforced composite material, the method comprising: dispersing particles of a first polymeric composition comprising a first thermoplastic in a liquid comprising water, thereby forming a dispersion; coating, at least in part, a first set of reinforcement fibres with the dispersion; redistributing the particles of the first polymeric composition comprised in the coating; and melting at least some of the redistributed particles of the first polymeric composition comprised in the coating, thereby providing the composite material.

Disclosed are functional materials for use in additive manufacturing (AM). The functional material can comprise an elastomeric composition (e.g., a silicone composite) for use in, for example, direct ink writing. The elastomeric composition can include and elastomeric resin, and a magnetic nanorod filler dispersed within the elastomeric resin. Nanorod characteristics (e.g., length, diameter, aspect ratio) can be selected to create 3D-printed constructs with desired mechanical properties along different axes. Furthermore, since nickel nanorods are ferromagnetic, the spatial distribution and orientation of nanorods within the continuous phase can be controlled with an external magnetic field. This level of control over the nanostructure of the material system offers another degree of freedom in the design of functional parts and components with anisotropic properties. Magnetic fields can be used to remotely sense compression of the constructs, or alternatively, control the stiffness of these materials.

This invention relates to a method for manufacturing an individualized immobilization element for the non-invasive immobilization and/or mobilization of at least a segment of a body part of a patient in a predetermined position relative to a reference and/or in a pre-certain configuration. The method comprises the steps of (i) providing a data set that comprises a three-dimensional image of an outer contour of at least a part of the segment of the body part to be immobilized and/or mobilized and (ii) the manufacture of at least a part of the immobilization element by rapid manufacturing of a shape on the basis of said data set using a polymeric material containing a thermoplastic polymer having a melting point less than or equal to 100 C., wherein the polymer material contains a nucleating agent for enhancing the of the crystallization of the thermoplastic polymer.

The invention relates to foamed acrylic materials using both traditional chemical blowing agents as well as foamable microspheres. The acrylic foams have improved density reduction, optical properties, and insulation properties. The acrylic foams of the invention can be formed by traditional melt processing methods (extrusion, blow molding, etc.) as well as innovative foaming methods, such as foaming during or after polymerization. One novel method of the invention involves the use of expandable microspheres blended with monomers, the monomers then polymerized through bulk polymerization in cell cast, infusion, or compression molding processes. This method can be effectively used to produce composite foam structures, such as in combination with ELIUM liquid resins from Arkema.

A technique for initiating the formation of pores in a polymeric material that contains a thermoplastic composition is provided. The thermoplastic composition contains microinclusion and nanoinclusion additives dispersed within a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer. To initiate pore formation, the polymeric material is mechanically drawn (e.g., bending, stretching, twisting, etc.) to impart energy to the interface of the continuous phase and inclusion additives, which enables the inclusion additives to separate from the interface to create the porous network. The material is also drawn in a solid state in the sense that it is kept at a temperature below the melting temperature of the matrix polymer.

A composite film having a high dielectric permittivity engineered particles dispersed in a high breakdown strength polymer material to achieve high energy density.

A composite film having a high dielectric permittivity engineered particles dispersed in a high breakdown strength polymer material to achieve high energy density.

Described herein are methods and compositions for forming three-dimensional objects via material jetting processes, the methods including the repeated steps of selectively depositing a liquid thermoset material onto a surface from a nozzle of at least one jetting head in a first specified direction and exposing at least a portion of the liquid thermoset material to a source of actinic radiation in order to form a three-dimensional object from the cured thermoset material, wherein the jetting head is configured to eject droplets of the liquid thermoset material from the nozzle at prescribed elevated operating temperatures, and wherein the liquid thermoset material is chosen so as to possessing prescribed viscosity and rheological characteristics.

Fabricating a high refractive index photonic device includes disposing a polymerizable composition on a first surface of a first substrate and contacting the polymerizable composition with a first surface of a second substrate, thereby spreading the polymerizable composition on the first surface of the first substrate. The polymerizable composition is cured to yield a polymeric structure having a first surface in contact with the first surface of the first substrate, a second surface opposite the first surface of the polymeric structure and in contact with the first surface of the second substrate, and a selected residual layer thickness between the first surface of the polymeric structure and the second surface of the polymeric structure in the range of 10 m to 1 cm. The polymeric structure is separated from the first substrate and the second substrate to yield a monolithic photonic device having a refractive index of at least 1.6.