A panel suitable for constructing a floor or wall covering includes a core comprising a mineral composite comprising a mineral and a filler. The panel further comprises an additive within the core in order to improve the flexibility and/or tensile strength of the panel.

A wound cleaning product is described as used for sterile debridement of wounds. The wound cleaning product comprises a composite material having a foam layer and a fiber layer arranged on a surface of the foam layer. The fiber layer is at least partially thermally solidified, and the foam layer and the fiber layer are connected to one another by needling such that fibers of the fiber layer have penetrated into the foam layer and form capillary channels that extend from the fiber layer into the foam layer.

The present invention relates to multi-layer fiber products and a method of manufacturing these kinds of products. The present product comprises a first layer consists mainly of natural fibers and a second, heat-sealing layer located on top of the first layer. The heat-sealing layer consists mainly of synthetic thermoplastic fibers or particles. According to the present method, the heat-sealing layer is brought onto the first layer already during the web forming process, the first and the second layers being formed and joined together in a foam forming process. With the present invention, it is possible to decrease the amount of plastic materials in packaging materials having heat-sealing properties.

Disclosed is a composite floor, comprising a wear-resistant layer, a polyvinyl chloride patterned fabric layer, a base material layer, a balance layer, and a muting layer that are sequentially arranged, the wear-resistant layer being a melamine wear-resistant paper layer. The composite floor has a clear and vivid pattern, and the wear and scratch resistance is far better than that of a conventional floor, the manufacturing process comprising laying, hot pressing, demolding and tempering steps. The manufacturing process has simple steps, and the obtained composite floor has high dimensional stability and good wear and scratch resistance.

An underlay element configured to be provided between a floor covering and a subfloor. The underlay element includes a base matrix and a plurality of restriction members at least partly embedded in the base matrix. The base matrix includes a first material which is compressible and, preferably, foamed. The restriction members include a second material, wherein a size of each of the restriction members exceeds 0.25 mm in at least one direction. A compression of the underlay element is configured to be restricted by the restriction members. Also, a corresponding floor assembly including a floor covering and an underlay element.

Beads may be stitched to a substrate layer and then fused to form structures including foam midsoles, foam pads, and other foam structures. Beads may be embroidered to multiple substrate layers and then folded or stacked together to form a preform used in a mold to form a midsole.

The present invention provides a solar absorber incorporated bilayer foam solar evaporator for seawater and wastewater purification including a plurality of solar absorbers partially incorporated into a porous polymer framework and partially forming a thermal insulation layer proximal to solar irradiation. In particular, low-cost commercially available B.sub.4C powders are embedded into a porous polymer foam in a one-pot method to form a scaffold of boron carbide bilayer foam (BCBF) with good hydrophilic wettability, heat-shielding, and solar-thermal conversion. The boron carbide bilayer foam (BCBF) of the present invention enables a high cost-performance seawater desalination and wastewater purification at a high evaporation rate of 2.8 kg/m.sup.2/h with 93% solar evaporation efficiency under 1 sun illumination (or 1 kW/m.sup.2). The present invention thereby provides an excellent and cost-effective solar evaporator tool for industrial-level water purification. Following the present method to prepare the BCBF solar evaporator, the fabrication cost can be as low as 3.6 $/m.sup.2.

A structure comprising: (i) a fiber and resin matrix material layer at least partially forming a hollow section of the structure; and (ii) a foamable material layer in direct planar contact with the fiber and resin matrix material layer, the foamable material layer at least partially filling the hollow section.

The present invention relates to a modified polyvinyl butyral material, comprising a polyvinyl butyral composite material, a filler, an anti-hydrolysis agent, a first plasticizer, zinc stearate, calcium stearate, and a polymeric dispersant; wherein the polyvinyl butyral composite material is obtained by plasticizing a composition comprising polyvinyl butyral and a second plasticizer. The present invention also relates to a preparation method of the modified polyvinyl butyral material, a modified polyvinyl butyral product comprising at least one modified polyvinyl butyral layer prepared from a material comprising the modified polyvinyl butyral material, and the preparation method of the modified polyvinyl butyral product.

Shielding articles are disclosed. One shielding article includes a fire retardancy element/fire propagation reduction element, which includes a pair of flexible graphite outer layers and a core, where the flexible graphite outer layers are on opposing sides of the core. The core may include one or more fire retardant elements or insulation materials. Also disclosed are battery packs that include the shielding articles. The shielding articles can be applied in any system that reduced fire propagation would be desirable.