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.

Disclosed herein are biomaterials that include a plurality of fibers embedded in a matrix of hydrogel material. The plurality of fibers and hydrogel material are formed during one process step. In one embodiment, the plurality of fibers and hydrogel materials are formed using a multilayer coextrusion process step. Additional process steps can be performed to form a tissue engineering scaffold. Such a scaffold can be used to grow biological matter. In one embodiment, stem cells are applied to the scaffold to grow biological material. Process steps can be controlled to determine certain mechanical properties of the resulting biomaterial. In one embodiment, the process steps are controlled to determine the stiffness of the resulting biomaterial. In such an embodiment, the stiffness of the resulting biological material determines physical properties of the biological material grown on the scaffold.

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.

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.

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.

A co-extrusion device includes at least one first inlet port to receive a first material, at least one second inlet port to receive a second material, a first combining channel arranged to receive the first material and the second material and combine the first and second materials into a first combined flow flowing in a first direction, a splitter channel arranged to receive the first combined flow and to split the first combined flow into at least two split flows in a second direction at least partially orthogonal to the first direction, wherein each split flow consists of the first and second materials, a second combining channel arranged to receive the split flows and combine the split flows into a second combined flow in the first direction, and at least one exit orifice arranged to allow the materials to exit the device as a single flow.

The invention relates to a melt conductor (1), in particular a melt distributor or melt mixer, for an extruding die (2) of an extrusion facility (3), comprising a melt conductor block (4) with a multi-channel system (5), the multi-channel system (5) being arranged inside the melt conductor block (4) with three-dimensional extension and having at least one input (6) and at least one output (7) for polymer melt, between one input (6) and one output (7) fluidically connected to the input (6) several branchings (8) arranged in series and several levels (9a) of sub-branches (10) being formed over several levels (12a, 12b) of divided melt channels (11a, 11b); with m melt channels (11a) of the a.sup.th level (12a) with X.sup.th local cross-sections and n melt channels (11b) of the b.sup.th level (12b) with y.sup.th local cross-sections being present, wherein n>m if b>a, the y.sup.th local cross-sections of the melt channels (11b) of the b.sup.th level (12b) being smaller than the X.sup.th local cross-sections of the melt channels (11a) of the a.sup.th level (12a). The invention further relates to an extruding die, an extrusion facility and to a method of operating the extrusion facility.

Described herein are UV reflective particles, and methods of forming UV reflective particles, comprising extruding a film having a plurality of alternating layers of polycarbonate (PC) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), wherein each layer is less than 150 nm thick, and grinding the film into particles having a median particle size less than 200 microns.

Described herein are UV reflective particles, and methods of forming UV reflective particles, comprising extruding a film having a plurality of alternating layers of polycarbonate (PC) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), wherein each layer is less than 150 nm thick, and grinding the film into particles having a median particle size less than 200 microns.

A security marking has a physically unclonable function (PUF) wherein the PUF includes a disordered multilayer photonic crystal structure having an electromagnetic transmission and/or reflection spectrum and/or spectra upon receipt of electromagnetic radiation within a photonic bandgap region of the structure that is unique to the structure.