Provided herein are composite materials comprising a layup consisting of one or more surfacing sheets comingled with a carbon fiber non-woven mat. The surfacing sheet may comprise polyamide-6 and the carbon fiber non-woven mat may comprise carbon fibers that have been recycled. The surfacing sheets comprise sub-micron scale particles for reducing the thermal expansion coefficient of the surfacing sheets. The resulting layup is suitable for use in the formation of articles, particularly articles requiring a smooth finish absent of defects caused by underlying surfaces having irregular compositions or textures.

Resilient plant development media are disclosed that can include a first layer that includes a plurality of adjacent strands, a second layer that includes a plurality of strands that are adjacent and that is in stacked relation relative to the first layer, wherein the strands of the first layer and the strands of the second layer are in a non-aligned orientation relative to each other. The strands in the first layer and the strands in the second layer may define a crisscross pattern. The multilayer resilient media is effective in supporting seeds during germination and plants throughout their growth and development. The multilayer resilient media is effective for use in various plant growing modalities, e.g., aeroponic, nutrient film, and hydroponic plant growing environments, ratooning processes, and may be easily cleaned for reuse.

A polymer composition comprising a star-branched copolymer having a plurality of arms is disclosed. Each polymer arm has a molecular weight Mp of from 1 kg/mol to 50 kg/mol and comprises polymerized units (i) derived from a first vinyl aromatic monomer comprising a radical-reactive group, wherein from greater than 10 mol % to 100 mol % of the units (i) are unhydrogenated; and optionally, polymerized units (ii) comprising hydrogenated and unhydrogenated forms of polymerized units derived from a high Tg monomer, and hydrogenated form of polymerized units (i) or hydrogenated form of polymerized styrene units; and optionally, polymerized units (iii) comprising (a) hydrogenated form of polymerized units derived from one or more acyclic conjugated dienes, and (b) polymerized units derived from one or more of a second vinyl aromatic monomer; wherein less than 10 wt. % of units (a) are unhydrogenated.

A lightning strike protection layer for an aircraft is disclosed having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion includes a first fibre reinforced polymer composite layer and a first electrically conductive metal layer and the second portion includes a second fibre reinforced polymer composite layer and a second electrically conductive metal layer, and the first and second portions are joined at a butt joint, with the first and second fibre reinforced polymer composite layers abutting and the first and second electrically conductive metal layers abutting; and a butt-strap extending across the butt joint, the butt-strap comprising a third electrically conductive metal layer electrically connected to the first and second electrically conductive metal layers.

A component including a body having a first surface and a matrix made of semicrystalline thermoplastic resin, a coating at least partially covering the first surface and a lightning protection layer having a matrix, positioned against the surface, between the body and the coating. The matrix of the lightning protection layer is based on at least one amorphous thermoplastic resin.

A method of forming a plate for an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes applying a first strand portion to a base layer including positioning adjacent segments of the first strand portion to form a first layer on the base layer. The adjacent segments of the first strand portion having a greater density across a width of the plate between a medial side and a lateral side at a forefoot region of the plate than at a midfoot region of the plate and at a heel region of the plate. The method also includes applying at least one of heat and pressure to the first strand portion and to the base layer to conform the first strand portion and the base layer to a predetermined shape.

Systems and methods are disclosed for a multi-layered sound absorption structure. The multi-layered sound absorption structure may include a form material, an acoustic material disposed on a surface of the form material, and a construction material disposed on the acoustic material. The acoustic material may couple to the construction material during curing of the construction material. After the construction material is cured, the form material may be removed exposing a least a portion of the acoustic material.

A method for manufacturing a concentrating photovoltaic solar sub-module equipped with a reflective face having a concave predefined geometric shape, wherein it includes laminating, in a single step, a multi-layer assembly comprising in succession: a structural element equipped with a reflective first face and a second face, opposite the first; a layer of a material of good thermal conductivity, higher than that of the material from which the structural element is composed, the layer being placed on the second face of the structural element; a layer of encapsulant or of adhesive; a photovoltaic receiver, the layer of encapsulant or of adhesive being placed between the layer of a material of good thermal conductivity and the receiver; a layer made of transparent encapsulating material, covering at least the entire surface of the photovoltaic receiver; and a transparent protective layer covering the layer made of transparent encapsulating material; and during the lamination, the reflective face of the structural element is shaped by being brought into contact with a convex surface of a counter-mold, in order to obtain the reflective face of concave predefined geometric shape.

A fibrous material or composite including a plurality of layers joined to one another, for example, by needlepunching, is disclosed. The fibrous composite generally has an asymmetrical stretch profile, such that the fibrous composite is more extensible in the cross-machine direction than in the machine direction. The fibrous composite may find particular use in forming a cure-in-place pipe liner.

A multiaxial fabric resin base material includes a multiaxial fabric base material laminate impregnated with a thermosetting resin (B), the multiaxial fabric base material laminate including fiber bundle sheets layered at different angles, the fiber bundle sheets including unidirectionally aligned fiber bundles stitched with stitching yarns composed of a thermoplastic resin (A), the multiaxial fabric base material laminate being penetrated in the thickness direction by other bodies of the stitching yarns, and being stitched with the other bodies of the stitching yarns such that the yarns reciprocate at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction, the thermoplastic resin (A) constituting the stitching yarns having a softening point, the softening point being higher than the resin impregnation temperature of the thermosetting resin (B).