Composite polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymer tubes incorporate an ultra-thin PEBA layer that enables rapid moisture transfer and exchange through the tube. A composite PEBA film may include a porous scaffold support and may be formed or incorporated into the composite PEBA tube. A porous scaffold support may be coated or imbibed with PEBA to form a composite PEBA film. A composite PEBA film may be wrapped on a mandrel or over a porous scaffold support to form a composite PEBA tube. A film layer may be applied over a wrapped composite PEBA film to secure the layers together. The film layer by applied by dipping, spraying or painting.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

A sensing system for measurement of a multilayered blown polymeric film. A feedblock supplies polymeric material streams to an annular blown film die to form a plurality of layers of different polymeric materials. A sensing system is positioned adjacent to a film bubble extruded from the blown film die, wherein the blown film bubble includes annular layers of at least two different polymeric materials. The sensing system emits a signal toward selected circumferential positions around the film bubble and receives a plurality of reflected signals at each circumferential position. Each reflected signal in the plurality of reflected signals is generated at an interface between annular layers that includes a refractive index change detectable by the sensing system. A processor processes the reflected signals from the sensing system, and for each circumferential position determines a layer thickness profile for each polymeric material in the film.

A method of making a flexible medical article or tube, for example, a sheath for a vascular access device, is provided. The method can include extruding a polymer, for example, a polycarbonate-urethane copolymer, to form a tube and annealing the extruded polymer. The method can further include cutting the extruded tube to a desired length before or after annealing, flaring one end of the annealed tube and over-molding the flared portion onto a hub, and forming the other end of the tube into a tip. A sheath formed by such a method is also provided.

A method of making a flexible medical article or tube, for example, a sheath for a vascular access device, is provided. The method can include extruding a polymer, for example, a polycarbonate-urethane copolymer, to form a tube and annealing the extruded polymer. The method can further include cutting the extruded tube to a desired length before or after annealing, flaring one end of the annealed tube and over-molding the flared portion onto a hub, and forming the other end of the tube into a tip. A sheath formed by such a method is also provided.

Provide is a blown film forming apparatus including a die including a columnar inner peripheral member and a cylindrical outer peripheral member that surrounds the inner peripheral member, and extruding a resin from a lip formed between the inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member, and a plurality of die lip drive mechanisms including a fluid pressure actuator as a drive source and adjusting a lip width by applying a radial load to the outer peripheral member, in which the outer peripheral member includes a plurality of load receiving portions to which a load is applied by the die lip drive mechanism, and a stiffness reducing portion that is provided between the plurality of load receiving portions.

The invention relates to a blown film system for producing a film tube made of plastics material, comprising: an annular nozzle, out of which a plastic melt having a closed cross-section can be brought; a take-up device, by means of which the plastic melt can be drawn up from the direction of the annular nozzle so as to form the film tube; an air-provision device, which is downstream of the annular nozzle when viewed in the transport direction of the film tube and by means of which an amount of air can be provided; and a calibration device, which is downstream of the annular nozzle when viewed in the transport direction of the film tube and surrounds the film tube and by means of which the outer circumference of the film tube can be delimited. At least one detector is contained that has a plurality of detection elements, by means of which electromagnetic radiation emitted or reflected at various points of the film tube can be detected, such that at least one planar region and/or contoured region of the film tube can be detected with regard to characteristic properties, wherein the detector comprises at least 32 detection elements.

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided A process for making a cellulose fibre or film comprising the steps of dissolving pulp in an ionic liquid containing a cationic 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-enium [TBDH]+ moiety and an anion selected from the group according to Formula a), Formula b) and Formula c), wherein each of R, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 is H or an organyl radical and X.sup.− is selected from the group consisting of halides, pseudohalides, carboxylates, alkyl sulphite, alkyl sulphate, dialkylphosphite, dialkyl phosphate, dialkyl phosphonites and dialkyl phosphonates, to provide a spinning dope, extruding the spinning dope through a spinneret to form one or more filaments, and a step selected from the group consisting of spinning cellulose fibres from the solution, and extruding a cellulose film from the solution.

In certain embodiments, a hose includes an inner tube, a filler material, and an outer cover. The inner tube has a cross-sectional shape and includes a cavity for transporting a substance. The filler material is provided around an outer periphery of the inner tube. The filler material includes a self-sealing material or a self-healing material. The outer cover is provided around an outer periphery of the filler material such that the filler material is between the outer cover and the inner tube. The outer cover has a D-shaped cross-sectional shape.