Method for producing arrays of free standing, three dimensional structures on material surfaces by establishing contact with a template, moving the template and the surface in contact relative to one another, inducing an increase in viscosity such that the structures are self-supported, and removing the template, leaving a negative of the template geometry at the tip of the object.

A polyurethane film comprising a polyurethane resin and graphene, wherein the graphene is present in an amount of 1 to 30% by weight on the total weight of the film and consists of graphene nano-platelets, wherein at least 90% has a lateral dimension (x, y) of 50 to 50000 nm and a thickness (z) of 0.34 to 50 nm, wherein the lateral dimension is always greater than the thickness (x, y>z), wherein the C/O ratio is ≥100:1, and a preparation process thereof.

Electrically conductive thermoplastic polymer composites of particulate thermoplastic polyester polymers, electrically conductive components (carbon nanofibers, graphene nanoplatelets, and/or conductive metal nanoparticulates), processing aids such as plasticizers, thermal stabilizers, etc., as well as nanoscopic particulate fillers such as nanoscopic titanium dioxide, etc., the electrically conductive components being distributed substantially uniformly in the composite to form an electrically conductive network. Also, methods for preparing thermoplastic polymer composites, a system for collecting extruded filaments prepared from thermoplastic polymer composites as a coil of filament, as well as method for tempering articles formed from thermoplastic polymer composites to increase the degree of crystallinity of the thermoplastic polymers and thus their mechanical strength properties.

A synthetic barrier material includes a light-cured polymer and graphene nanoplatelets in parallel alignment in the polymer. Disclosed further is a method for manufacturing the synthetic barrier material. The graphene nanoplatelets are dispersed in a photocurable resin and polarically aligned by an electric field. Furthermore, disclosed is a synthetic barrier film manufactured from the aforementioned synthetic barrier material or the aforementioned method.

In a production method for a conductive composite material for an extruder that continuously discharges a kneaded product produced by kneading a raw material using a screw, the screw has a the screw body, the raw material transported along an outer circumferential surface of the screw body receives increased pressure by a barrier part in a transport part and is introduced to a passage from an inlet, and while the kneaded product is continuously discharged, the raw material transported along the outer circumferential surface of the screw body flows in the passage of the extruder and then is guided to the transport part via an outlet provided in the screw body, the raw material contains a conductive filler and a thermoplastic elastomer.

An apparatus for forming a weld between a first portion of a biocompatible conductive thermoplastic material and a second portion of a biocompatible conductive thermoplastic material comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a structure for holding said first and second electrodes in opposition to one other with a space therebetween for receiving said first portion and said second portion in contact with one another. The structure is electrically non-conductive and an electrical circuit comprising a power source and a switch arranged such that closure of said switch applies a voltage potential across said first electrode and said second electrode so as to generate heat via electrical resistance, the heat being sufficient to melt regions of said first and second portions.

Article (9,19) comprising a substrate (10, 20) comprising a polymer and having first (11,21) and second (12, 22) opposed major surfaces. The first major surface (11, 21) has first surface regions (13, 23) with first nanoparticles (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) partially embedded into the first major surface (11, 21), and one of •(a) second surface regions (15) free of nanoparticles; or •(b) second surface regions (25) with at least second nanoparticles (28) on the first major surface (11, 21) or partially embedded into the first major surface (11, 21). The first surface regions (13, 23) have a first average surface roughness, R.sub.a1, of at least 20 nm, wherein the second surface regions (15, 25) have a second average surface roughness, R.sub.a2, of less than 100 nm, wherein the first average surface roughness, R.sub.a1, is greater than the second average surface roughness, R.sub.a2, and wherein there is an absolute difference between the first and second average surface roughness of at least 10 nm.

Provided is a resin molded body production method that enables production of a resin molded body in which mechanical strength is good, anisotropy of physical properties is low, and little warpage is developed. This production method is for a resin molded body containing a thermoplastic resin (A) and a cellulose nanofiber (B), the production method including: a step for preparing a main supply material (a1) containing the thermoplastic resin (A) and the cellulose nanofiber (B) and an auxiliary supply material (a2) that is a product of melting treatment of the main supply material (a1); a resin composition formation step for obtaining a resin composition (b) by melting and mixing of the main supply material (a1) and the auxiliary supply material (a2); and a step for obtaining the resin molded body by molding the resin composition (b).

A pattern forming method including forming a curable film using a curable composition that contains metal oxide nanoparticles, on a substrate, pressing a mold having a line and space pattern against the curable film to transfer the line and space pattern to the curable film, curing the curable film to which the line and space pattern has been transferred while pressing the mold against the curable film, to form a cured film, and peeling the mold off the cured film to form a line and space pattern on the substrate, in which a line width x of the line and space pattern formed on the substrate in a base portion and a volume average primary particle diameter φ of the metal oxide nanoparticles satisfy an expression of 0.03x<φ<0.08x, and an expression of x≤500 nm.

A method for forming a graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite is disclosed. The method includes distributing graphite microparticles into a molten thermoplastic polymer phase; and applying a succession of shear strain events to the molten polymer phase so that the molten polymer phase exfoliates the graphite successively with each event until at least 50% of the graphite is exfoliated to form a distribution in the molten polymer phase of single- and multi-layer graphene nanoparticles less than 50 nanometers thick along the c-axis direction.