A novel tubular or profile shapes of co-extruded multilayer polymers. These materials contain tens to thousands of layers of milli-, micro- to nano- polymer layers. These new shapes contain contiguous layers of milli- to nano- polymer layers in three dimensions and these contiguous layers may be twisted or turned to further expand the potential microlayer geometries.

An extrusion device has a stack of at least two layers, the stack including an outlet, an inlet for a first material, and a feed channel for the first material arranged to fluidically connect to the inlet for the first material, the feed channel having a sloped end. A method of manufacturing an extrusion device includes forming an outlet, an inlet for a first material and a feed channel for the first material having a sloped end in a stack of layers, aligning the stack of layers to fluidically connect the feed channel for the first material with the inlet for the first material and to fluidically connect the inlet for the first material with the outlet, and bonding the layers together.

A layer multiplier (100) is disclosed. It comprises an inlet (102) for a flow of multilayered flowable material, a distribution manifold (104) into which the inlet debouches, a number >2 of separate splitting channels (106) extending from the distribution manifold, a recombination manifold (108) into which the splitting channels debouch, an outlet in one end of the recombination manifold, and the distribution manifold is arranged in an opposing relationship with the recombination manifold.

A feedblock including a first packet creator that forms a first packet including a first plurality of polymeric layers, the first plurality of layers including at least four first individual polymeric layers; and a second packet creator that forms a second packet including a second plurality of polymeric layers, the second plurality of layers including at least four second individual polymeric layers, wherein the first and second packet creators are configured such that, for each packet creator, respective individual polymeric layers of the plurality of polymeric layers are formed at approximately the same time. The feedblock may include a packet combiner that receives and combines the first and second primary packets to form a multilayer stream. In some examples, at least one of the first and second primary packets may be spread in the cross-web direction prior to being combined with one another.

In one embodiment, a method of forming an extruded board includes mixing a resin and a foaming agent, melting the mixed resin and foaming agent to form a uniformly colored extrudate, differentially expanding voids formed from the foaming agent within the uniformly colored extrudate by passing the uniformly colored extrudate through a breaker plate, forming a board with the differentially expanded voids and uniformly colored extrudate, and forming lightened portions on an outermost surface of the formed board.

A reflective optical film includes a reflective light-polarizing unit including a multilayer reflective sheet composed of a plurality of polymer films stacked on top of one another. Each polymer film has a thickness, every two adjacent polymer films are two different materials, and the thicknesses of the polymer films are gradually decreased from two outmost sides of the multilayer reflective sheet to a middle of the multilayer reflective sheet. At least one of the polymer films is a birefringence material layer that conforms to the condition of NXNYNZ, where NX is the index of refraction of light at X direction of the multilayer reflective sheet, NY is the index of refraction of light at Y direction of the multilayer reflective sheet, and NZ is the index of refraction of light at Z direction of the multilayer reflective sheet.

Novel extruded ceiling fan blades, compositions and methods of making the blades from plastic material such as polystyrene are disclosed. The blades can be formed from two extruders so that different colors and/or finishes, such as wood grain looks can be formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the blades.

A method of forming a confined crystallization multilayer film includes coextruding a plurality of first polymer layers and a plurality of second polymer layer to form a multilayer film wherein each first polymer layer is sandwiched between second polymer layers and axially orienting the multilayer film at a temperature below the melting temperature (T.sub.m) of the second polymer layer and to a thickness such that each first polymer layer forms a high aspect ratio substantially crystalline lamellae.

A flow diverter for an extrusion die is disclosed. The flow diverter includes a body having an outer surface, an elongate opening that extends along a first axis, a set of input passages that extend from said outer surface through said body to said elongate opening, and a set of output passages that extend through said body from said elongate opening to said outer surface. The flow diverter also includes an adjustable valve positioned in said elongate opening. The adjustable valve also has a monolithic spool including a first recess and a second recess opposite to said first recess. The spool is rotatable with respect to said outer body between a first position in a first flow configuration, and a second position in a second, different flow configuration.

An electrode structure has a layer of at least two interdigitated materials, a first material being an electrically conductive material and a second material being an ionically conductive material, the materials residing co-planarly on a membrane in fluid form, at least one of the interdigitated materials forming a feature having an aspect ratio greater than one. A method of forming an electrode structure includes merging flows of an electrically conductive material and a second material in a first direction into a first combined flow, dividing the first combined flow in a second direction to produce at least two separate flows, each separate flow including flows of the electrically conductive material and the second material, merging the two separate flows into a second combined flow, repeating the merging and dividing flow as desired to produce a final combined flow, and depositing the final combined flow as an interdigitated structure in fluid form onto a substrate such that at least one of the materials forms a feature in the structure having an aspect ratio greater than one.