A sensor system senses one or more characteristics of vehicles in a vehicle system with sensors disposed onboard the vehicles and communicate data representative of the one or more characteristics from the sensors to one or more of a controller or a control system of the vehicle system. The data communicated from the sensors onboard the same vehicle can be synchronously communicated with respect to the sensors onboard the same vehicle and asynchronously communicated with respect to the sensors disposed onboard one or more other vehicles in the vehicle system. The systems and methods can direct components disposed onboard a vehicle system to change operations, monitor data output by sensors operatively connected with the components, and determine which of the sensors are operatively connected with which of the components based on the operations of the components that are changed and the data that is output by the sensors.

The present invention provides an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene powder having a viscosity-average molecular weight of 1010.sup.4 or higher and 100010.sup.4 or lower, wherein a difference between a temperature at which a torque value reaches 80% of the maximum torque value and a temperature at which the torque value reaches 20% of the maximum torque value is 0.1 C. or more and 50 C. or less in torque value measurement.

A polymeric master batch for preparing an antimicrobal and antifungal and antiviral polymeric material comprising a slurry of thermoplastic resin, an antimicrobal and antifungal and antiviral agent consisting essentially of water insoluble particles of ionic copper oxide, a polymeric wax and an agent for occupying the charge of the ionic copper oxide.

A highly fire-resistant expanded polymeric material for thermal insulation, acoustic insulation and/or fire barrier contains rubber, expandable graphite, at least one alkaline earth metal component selected from alkaline earth metal carbonates, alkaline earth metal hydroxides, hydrates of either, and combinations thereof, and a component containing silica or a silicate. The expanded polymeric material is preferably manufactured by a process including decomposition of a chemical blowing agent.

An improved method forms and employs a wax to modify asphalt. The method includes: (a) selecting a solid polymeric material, (b) heating the solid polymeric material in an extruder to produce a molten polymeric material, (c) filtering the molten polymeric material, (d) placing the molten polymeric material through a chemical depolymerization process in a reactor to produce a depolymerized polymeric material, and (e) adding the depolymerized material to a pre-wax mixture to produce a polymer-modified asphalt. The addition of wax reduced the mixing time necessary to achieve improved polymer dispersion compared to the control formulation modified bitumen and reduced the viscosity of the neat bitumen. Pre-polymer addition of wax is detrimental to most properties of the resulting modified asphalt. Post-polymer addition improved viscosity reduction, higher softening point and improved dimensional stability.

The present invention is related to decorative surface coverings, in particular floor or wall coverings, comprising one or more layer(s) and a cured top-layer, combining excellent anti-slip properties and scuff resistance. The invention is further related to a method for the preparation of said surface coverings.

A method of fabricating an electrically conductive loaded powder of thermoplastic polymers. The method comprises the steps of making an original powder containing cores made of thermoplastic polymers and of making the loaded powder by using electrically conductive submicrometer filaments and wax, forming a plurality of particulate compounds each comprising one of the cores together with at least one of the filaments and a protective membrane of the wax.

A coating agent contains a particulate fluorocarbon polymer, an acid-modified polyolefin, a urethane resin, and a curing agent. The present invention provides a coating agent capable of forming a coat with high wear resistance under high contact pressure and high temperature conditions, a surface-coated elastic body obtained using the same, and a surface-coated rubber metal laminate.

A composition for producing a foamed layer of a sheet, comprising: a primary component and an auxiliary component; the primary component is composed of polyvinyl chloride and calcium carbonate, and the auxiliary component comprises a regulator, a stabilizer, a lubricant and a foaming agent; in parts by weight, the polyvinyl chloride is 75 parts, the calcium carbonate is 75 to 80 parts, the regulator is 6 to 8 parts, the stabilizer is 3 to 5 parts, the lubricant is 0.7 to 1.4 parts, and the foaming agent is 0.2 to 0.7 parts. The compositions for producing a foamed layer and solid layers of a sheet in the present application do not contain any glue-like component, and there is no gluing process in the production method, so it is very environmentally friendly and healthy. The foamed layer is formed by foaming polyvinyl chloride and the solid layers made of non-foamed polyvinyl chloride are co-extruded on two sides of the foamed layer to form a core layer of the sheet, so that the sheet produced by the compositions and the method has excellent compression resistance, warping and shrinkage performance, and is waterproof, moisture-proof and mothproof.

To provide a polyacetal resin composition which is good sliding characteristics and is less likely to produce the blister; a molded article; and a method for manufacturing the polyacetal resin composition. The polyacetal resin composition containing: (A) 100 parts by mass of a polyacetal resin; (B1) a polyolefin resin grafted with a silicone compound; (B2) a non-grafted silicone compound; and (C) 0.5 to 1.8 parts by mass of a polyolefinic lubricant, with a total of content of the silicone compound in the (B1) polyolefin resin and content of the (B2) non-grafted silicone compound, being adjusted to 0.6 to 2.5 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the (A) polyacetal resin, and with (B1)/(B2), which is a ratio by mass of the content of the (B1) polyolefin resin and the content of the (B2) non-grafted silicone compound, being adjusted to 68/32 to 45/55.