The invention provides methods for making porous devices from substantially monodisperse populations of substantially spherical particles of polyarylketone polymers or of thio-analogues of such polymers, of selected sizes. The porous devices allow greater control of porosity than previously available porous devices. In some embodiments, the porous devices are frits, filters, membranes or monoliths.

Methods for microwave melting of fiber mixtures to form composite materials include placing the fiber mixture in a receptacle located in a microwave oven. The methods further include microwave heating the mixture, causing a heat activated compression mechanism to automatically increase compressive force on the mixture, thereby eliminating air and void volumes. The heat activated compression mechanism can include a shape memory alloy wire connecting first and second compression brackets, or one or more ceramic blocks configured to increase in volume and thereby increase compression on the mixture.

A rotary compression-molding machine includes a lower punch-retaining portion disposed below a table including die bores and retaining a lower punch, and a dust-proofing device including a sealing case supported by the lower punch-retaining portion and including a bottom wall that includes an insertion bore penetrated by the lower punch, faces an upward surface of the lower punch-retaining portion, and includes a dust receiver disposed outside the insertion bore and configured to capture dust, and an outer wall that rises from an outer edge of the bottom wall, has an upper end positioned higher in level than an upward surface of a circumferential edge of the insertion bore, and includes a returning part projecting inward from the upper end or a portion adjacent thereto.

A rotary compression-molding machine includes a lower punch-retaining portion disposed below a table including die bores and retaining a lower punch, and a dust-proofing device including a sealing case supported by the lower punch-retaining portion and including a bottom wall that includes an insertion bore penetrated by the lower punch, faces an upward surface of the lower punch-retaining portion, and includes a dust receiver disposed outside the insertion bore and configured to capture dust, and an outer wall that rises from an outer edge of the bottom wall, has an upper end positioned higher in level than an upward surface of a circumferential edge of the insertion bore, and includes a returning part projecting inward from the upper end or a portion adjacent thereto.

An illustrative method of making a fuel cell component includes obtaining at least one blank plate including graphite and a polymer; establishing a temperature of the blank that is sufficient to maintain the polymer in an at least partially molten state; and applying a compression molding force to the blank until the polymer is essentially solidified to form a plate including a plurality of channels on at least one side of the plate. The blank plate has a central area having a first thickness. The blank plate also has two generally parallel edges on opposite sides of the central area. The edges have a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness.

An illustrative method of making a fuel cell component includes obtaining at least one blank plate including graphite and a polymer; establishing a temperature of the blank that is sufficient to maintain the polymer in an at least partially molten state; and applying a compression molding force to the blank until the polymer is essentially solidified to form a plate including a plurality of channels on at least one side of the plate. The blank plate has a central area having a first thickness. The blank plate also has two generally parallel edges on opposite sides of the central area. The edges have a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness.

A porous polymer composite for daytime radiative cooling includes a porous polymer matrix comprising a thermoplastic polymer and including a plurality of pores, and selectively emitting particles dispersed in the porous polymer matrix. When exposed to solar radiation, the porous polymer composite comprises an infrared emissivity of at least about 80% in a wavelength range of 8-13 μm and/or a solar reflectivity of at least about 80% in a wavelength range of 0.3-2 μm.

A compressible core with an RFID tag is described. The compressible core comprises an RFID integrated circuit, and an inlay material sandwiched between a top hemisphere and a bottom hemisphere. The RFID integrated circuit includes a memory that stores a unique identifier. The inlay material includes an RFID antenna electrically coupled to the RFID integrated circuit. The top hemisphere of the compressible core is separated from the bottom hemisphere of the compressible core. The inlay with the RFID antenna and the RFID integrated circuit placed between the top and bottom hemispheres. The top hemisphere, the inlay and the bottom hemisphere are joined together forming a compressible core. Additionally, the molded shell encapsulates the compressible core.

A seal ring and a sealing structure that reduce the deviation of the central axis of the seal ring from the central axis of a shaft thereby preventing the seal ring from abutting against the tip end of a housing in the operation of inserting the shaft in the housing. The seal ring includes a thin part 100A provided in a range less than 180° with respect to a circumferential direction and a thick part 100B, which is configured to protrude inward in the radial direction from an inner peripheral surface of the thin part 100A, the thin part 100A has an abutment joint part 110, and the thick part 100B has, at respective ends of both side surfaces on an inner peripheral surface side thereof, a concave part 120 over an entire range thereof to form a gap between the ends of the both side surfaces and corner parts at both ends of a groove bottom of the annular groove.

A composition for making a molded article such as a reel flange, and a method making the same, are provided. The composition may consist essentially of about 75-95 wt % dry waste wood and about 10-25 wt % binder such as melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF) or PMUF resin. The waste wood may be recycled wood fiber from pine or other hardwoods, sawdust and wood chips. The method comprises mixing dry waste wood with MUF or PMUF resin binder to make a wood/resin mixture, and compressing the wood/resin mixture in a mold cavity at a pressure and temperature.