Thermoplastic articles are molded from thermoplastic polyurethane compounds including blends of aromatic polycaprolactone thermoplastic polyurethane and aliphatic polycaprolactone thermoplastic polyurethane. The thermoplastic articles can have enhanced stability against exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light relative to thermoplastic articles molded from thermoplastic polyurethane compounds including only aromatic polycaprolactone thermoplastic polyurethane as the thermoplastic polyurethane component. Additionally, the thermoplastic articles can have good stain resistance, good clarity (i.e., low haze), and other desirable properties.

A method for forming a multilayer plastic sheet material (1) for floor and/or wall panels, wherein a first polymer mass comprising a rigid PVC is melted under pressure and is passed through an extruder head at a specified discharge rate in the form of a plastic strand in sheet form that is provided with one or more layers so that a multilayer plastic strand is formed, which is passed to two or more rolls of a finishing stand, which processes the multilayer plastic strand into a sheet of defined thickness, which is then led away via a transport device to a sawing device to be cut to the desired length, wherein, after the plastic strand in sheet form leaves the extruder head, it is first passed between a top roll and a bottom roll of a roughing stand, wherein the speed of the rolls of the finishing stand and the rolls of the roughing stand is synchronized with the discharge rate of the plastic strand in sheet form from the extruder head, so that said plastic strand is processed without stress.

A pelletizing apparatus includes a filter device connected with a melt feed, a granulator downstream of the filter device, particularly an underwater granulator, a water treatment device, and a control means for controlling the filter device, underwater granulator, and water treatment device and adapted to provide at least one control parameter. The apparatus includes at least one machine-readable and -writable identification means for storing and providing an item of component-specific information and being associated with a component in the flow path of the melt or the process water, and a reading device communicating with the control means to receive the component-specific information from the identification means, and a writing device to write the identification means with the component-specific information, the control means to adapt the control parameter based on the component-specific information to provide the component-specific information, and, based on the component-specific information, to execute a diagnostic process.

A thermoplastic resin composition and a molded article including the same can include 100 parts by weight of a base resin including 10 to 50% by weight of an acrylate-aromatic vinyl compound-vinyl cyanide compound graft copolymer (A-1) containing acrylate rubber having an average particle diameter of 0.3 to 0.5 μm, 5 to 40% by weight of an acrylate-aromatic vinyl compound-vinyl cyanide compound graft copolymer (A-2) containing acrylate rubber having an average particle diameter of 0.05 μm or more and less than 0.3 μm, and 20 to 65% by weight of an aromatic vinyl polymer (B), and 0.5 to 12 parts by weight of a polyamide (C). The thermoplastic resin composition can have a solvent resistance of 15 days or more.

The present disclosure provides processes for producing polyethylene resins. In at least one embodiment, a polyethylene has: a density of from about 0.91 g/cm.sup.3 to about 0.94 g/cm.sup.3; a value of Mz of about 1,500,000 g/mol or greater; and a ratio of Mz to Mw of about 7 or greater. A process includes introducing a first feed stream having ethylene monomer and a first free radical initiator to a first inlet of a first reaction zone, where the first reaction zone has a first inlet temperature. The process further includes introducing a second feed stream having ethylene monomer and a second free radical initiator to a second inlet of a second reaction zone, where the second reaction zone has a second inlet temperature that is the same or different than the first inlet temperature.

In an apparatus for manufacturing a hybrid scaffold, a first strand having bin compatible polymer and a second strand having a mixture of bio compatible material and cells alternate with each other. Thus, mechanical strength of the hybrid scaffold is improved, and the cells uniformly grow among entire region of the scaffold. Furthermore, diameters of the first and second strands and interval between the first and second strands are precisely controlled. Thus, the hybrid scaffold is precisely manufactured according to a scaffold design.

The smoothing device for plastic films comprises plastic-melt-producing means (1, 5), an adjustable slit die (10) and a roller smoothing unit (16) having cooled smoothing rollers (11, 12), which form an adjustable smoothing gap (13) between each other. Optionally, further rollers (15) are arranged downstream. A thickness gauge (23) measures the thickness of the plastic-film web (22). A controller (30) for controlling the thickness of the plastic-film web (22) may set a setpoint thickness (SD) of the plastic-film web (22) and the volumetric flow rate (SS) of the plastic melt or the line speed (LS). The controller (30) captures the current torques and rotational speeds of the rollers (11, 12, 15) and the current thickness (FD, FD1-FDn) of the plastic-film web (22).

The controller (30) sends setpoint rotational speed signals (C0S, C2S-CnS, CAS) calculated from the captured torques of the rollers (11, 12, 15) to the drives of the rollers and a smoothing-gap setpoint distance signal (GW) for adjusting the smoothing gap (13), and furthermore—in the case of a specified line speed (LS)—setpoint plastic-melt volumetric flow rate signals (SS) to the plastic-melt-producing means, or—in the case of a specified plastic-melt volumetric flow rate (SS)—setpoint line speed signals (LS) to the drives of the rollers (12).

A supply of build material such as a spool or cartridge is instrumented with a data tag that includes information about the build material. A three-dimensional printer, or a tag reader in communication therewith (directly or indirectly), can read the information from the tag for a determination as to how to use the build material during fabrication of a three-dimensional object.

Disclosed are various embodiments of an extruded expandable barrier, and various processes and systems for manufacturing the same. Using various extrusion processes to form an extruded expandable barrier allows for a reduction in tooling costs while also allowing more flexible barrier designs. Such designs can be specifically tailored for a particular cavity or cavities to ensure that the barrier fills the cavity after expansion. In addition, design changes can occur with little to no tooling changes.

A three-dimensional (3D) drawing device having a housing configured for manipulation by a user's hand and to accept a feed stock that is, in certain embodiments, a strand of thermoplastic. The drawing device has a nozzle assembly with an exit nozzle and a motor connected to a gear train that engages the strand of thermoplastic feed stock such that rotation of the motor causes the feed stock to be extruded out of the exit nozzle to form a three-dimensional object.