A pipe joining system and pipe joint are shown m which two sections of molecularly oriented pipe are joined using heat shrinking techniques. A first section of pipe is provided having a straight, pre-formed socket with an internal diameter and with an end opening having enough clearance to allow a mating spigot section having a given external diameter to be inserted into the socket end opening. After the spigot end is inserted to a given depth, the socket is heated sufficiently so that the internal diameter of the socket end comes into contact with the external diameter of the spigot end, the molecularly oriented pipe being in a rubbery state and exhibiting a low elastic modulus which allows the socket end to conform tightly to the spigot end external diameter without deforming the spigot end.

A method of producing flexible polypropylene fabric bags with heat fused seams comprising providing fabric pieces, wherein each fabric piece has a coated side and an uncoated side; positioning fabric pieces so that a coated side of one fabric piece faces a coated side of another fabric piece; selecting an area of fabric to be joined for forming a seam or joint; applying heat to the area to be joined that is less than the melting point of the fabrics, for forming one or more seams or joints and wherein the heat fused seams or joints of a resulting polypropylene bag retains at least 85% of the fabric strength without using sewing machines.

Articles having mechanically strengthened seams (320) and methods of making the same are provided. An article includes at least one material sheet (311) and a seam (320) formed from an overlap of two portions (310, 314) of the at least one material sheet (311) and an adhesive (312) deposited between the two portions (310, 314) of the at least one material sheet (311) along at least a portion of the overlap, the adhesive (312) sealing the two portions (310, 314) of the at least one material sheet (311), wherein at least one of the two portions (310, 314) of the material sheet (311) comprises a plurality of indents (322) on a surface thereof, such that the adhesive (312) penetrates the material sheet (311) at the indents (322) to provide a mechanical bond between the two portions (310, 314) of the at least one material sheet (311).

The present disclosure is directed to processes for producing ultrasonic sealable film structures and flexible containers with ultrasonic seals. The film structure includes a first multilayer film and a second multilayer film. Each multilayer film includes a backing layer and a seal layer. Each seal layer includes an ultrasonic sealable olefin-based polymer (USOP) having the following properties: (a) a heat of melting, Hm, less than 130 J/g, (b) a peak melting temperature, Tm, less than 125 C., (c) a storage modulus in shear (G) from 50 MPa to 500 MPa, and (d) a loss modulus in shear (G) greater than 10 MPa. The multilayer films are arranged such that the seal layer of the first multilayer film is in contact with the seal layer of the second multilayer film. The seal layers form an ultrasonic seal having a seal strength from 30 N/15 mm to 80 N/15 mm when ultrasonically sealed at 4 N/mm seal force.

Elongated shaft for a catheter including a single layer biaxially oriented nonporous thermoplastic polymer tubular member having a Shore durometer hardness of less than about 75D is provided. Elongated shaft for a catheter prepared by a process is also provided.

A method of producing flexible polypropylene fabric bags with heat fused seams comprising providing fabric pieces, wherein each fabric piece has a coated side and an uncoated side; positioning fabric pieces so that a coated side of one fabric piece faces a coated side of another fabric piece; selecting an area of fabric to be joined for forming a seam or joint; applying heat to the area to be joined that is less than the melting point of the fabrics, for forming one or more seams or joints and wherein the heat fused seams or joints of a resulting polypropylene bag retains at least 85% of the fabric strength without using sewing machines.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to manufacturing a balloon envelope for use in a stratospheric balloon system. For instance, a stream of polyethylene mixture us extruded through an extruder in order to orient molecules of polymer chains of polyethylene and to provide an oriented film. The oriented film is passed through an electron beam and thereby crosslinking the polymer chains to provide a cross-linked film. The cross-linked film is heat sealed to form the balloon envelope

A method of producing flexible polypropylene fabric bags with heat fused seams comprising providing fabric pieces, wherein each fabric piece has a coated side and an uncoated side; positioning fabric pieces so that a coated side of one fabric piece faces a coated side of another fabric piece; selecting an area of fabric to be joined for forming a seam or joint; applying heat to the area to be joined that is less than the melting point of the fabrics, for forming one or more seams or joints and wherein the heat fused seams or joints of a resulting polypropylene bag retains at least 85% of the fabric strength without using sewing machines.

The present disclosure is directed to a process. In an embodiment, the process includes (A) providing a flexible container having (i) a body, and (ii) a neck. The process includes (B) positioning a fitment into the neck. The fitment is composed of a polymeric material and includes a top portion and a tapered base. The tapered base extends from the top portion to a base end. The top portion has a top inner diameter (TiD) and the base end has a base end inner diameter (BEiD). The BEiD is less than the top inner diameter, (TiD). The process includes (C) heating the tapered base to a malleable state and (D) inserting a mandrel into the fitment. The mandrel includes an expandable collar. The process includes (E) expanding the expandable collar radially outward to contact an inner surface of the tapered base. The process includes (F) increasing, with the expanding, the inner diameter of the base end to a stretched base end inner diameter (sBEiD). The sBEiD is greater than the BEiD. The process includes (G) sealing, with a pair of opposing seal bars, the tapered base to the neck.

Method of making a balloon catheter includes melt-extruding a thermoplastic polymeric material into a tube, cooling the extruded tube, placing the extruded tube within a capture member and biaxially orienting the polymeric material of the extruded tube while simultaneously tapering at least a section of the extruded tube by radially expanding the extruded tube with pressurized media in the tube lumen and axially expanding the extruded tube with an external load applied on at least one end of the tube as an external heat supply traverses longitudinally from a first end to a second end of the extruded tube in the capture member, wherein an overall axial load on the tubing is varied as at least a section of the tube is heated. The method includes cooling the expanded tube to form a tapered biaxially oriented nonporous thermoplastic polymer tubular member and sealingly securing a balloon proximate a distal end of the tubular member.