A novel cutting-edge structure and method and apparatus for manufacturing the cutting-edge structure is provided. The cutting-edge structure is comprised of naturally derived or renewable material at greater than 50% by volume fraction. In one embodiment, the naturally derived material is a cellulose nanostructure such as a cellulose nanocrystal. The cellulose nanocrystal is processed using a base or mold structure to provide a cutting edge of any shape such as linear or circular edge structures. The process includes dual cure steps to produce an optimal cutting-edge structure without shrinkage. The formed cutting-edge structure can be utilized as a razor blade as it is formed with very sharp tip and edge suitable for cutting hair. The base structure can form one or more cutting-edge structures simultaneously.

A crystallized bioabsorbable polymer scaffold comprises a polymer composition of poly (L-lactide-co-tri-methylene-carbonate) or poly (D-lactide-co-tri-methylene-carbonate) or poly (L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) or poly (D-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) in the form of block copolymers of blocky copolymers, wherein the scaffold is cold-bendable.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object includes providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface. The carrier and the build surface define a build region therebetween. The method further includes filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid; continuously or intermittently irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid; applying a reduced pressure and/or polymer inhibitor-enriched gas to the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member to thereby reduce a gas content of the polymerizable liquid; and continuously or intermittently advancing (e.g., sequentially or concurrently with said irradiating step) said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer.

A fully compostable container is provided having an enclosed body with an opening through an interior surface and an exterior surface. The enclosed body having a plant fiber structural layer configured to biodegrade in ambient conditions into nontoxic residue and a fluid barrier layer formed on a first side of the structural layer to form the interior surface of the enclosed body, the fluid barrier layer configured to biodegrade in ambient conditions into nontoxic residue. The container is gradually biodegradable when exposed to a set of factors in a natural environment and has a shelf life of six months when stored under standard commercial conditions.

Three dimensionally printed aesthetic particles that are water dispersible are provided. Each particle has a first side and a second side, while the first side has a length from 0.2 mm to 20 mm. Further, such particles have at least two voids, while the at least two voids are each a through hole extending between the first side and the second side.

Three dimensionally printed aesthetic particles that are water dispersible are provided. Each particle has a first side and an opposing second side, while the first side has a length from 0.2 mm to 20 mm. Further, such particle comprises at least one wall separating a first void and a second void contained between the first side and the second side, while the wall has a width ranging from 0.01 mm to 5 mm as measured in a cross sectional plane.

Apparatus and methods for manufacturing compostable, biodegradable drink straws from polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) material are disclosed herein. Such apparatus may include a hopper that contains raw PHA material, an extruder that receives the raw PHA material from the hopper and produces extruded PHA material, one or more waters baths that cool the extruded PHA material, a puller that pulls a tubular stream of PHA material through the system, and a cutter that is configured to cut the stream of PHA material into finished straws. The finished straws may be soil- and marine-biodegradable, as well as home- and industrial-compostable.

The invention relates to a method for producing a fibre composite moulded part. The method includes the steps of i) applying a gelatine-containing matrix material onto a fibre material, ii) deforming the fibre material provided with matrix material, and iii) curing the fibre material provided with matrix material.

A method for producing a thermoformed product on a single machine with several stations and with different tools includes the following steps: (a) melting and homogenizing plastic granules and providing the plastic melt at a preform station; (b) producing a preform at the preform station in a preform cavity; (c) transferring the preform by a transfer carrier to a thermoforming station at the same machine, the thermoforming station having a thermoforming tool having a thermoforming cavity; (d) preferably heating the preform during the transfer; (e) thermoforming of the thermoformed product in the thermoforming cavity. Advantageously, the final thermoformed product is produced directly from the plastic granules using only a single machine, and in particular without any waste, when the preform is dimensioned in such a way that it does not present any excess with respect to the final shape of the product to be produced.

Compounds and compositions are provided which are useful in additive printing, particularly additive printing techniques such as stereolithography (SLA), wherein a composition of one or more photocurable compounds, such as a compound with multiple ethylenically unsaturated groups and a compound with multiple thiol groups, is photopolymerized, optionally in the presence of two or more thermocurable compounds which are reactive with one another and are subjected to thermopolymerization, to form a manufactured article in solid form.