Oriented, multilayer shrink films, either clear or opaque, comprise a core layer and at least one skin layer. The core layer has a thickness greater than the thickness of the at least one skin layer. The at least one skin layer comprises at least one cyclic-olefin copolymer as the predominant component thereof. The core layer comprises a blend of a polyolefin polymer and a polybutene-1 copolymer with ethylene, the butene-1 constituting over 75% by weight of the polybutene-1 copolymer. The film has a shrinkage of at least 20% in at least one of the machine and transverse directions of formation when said film is heated to a temperature of between 80 and 100° C. Optionally the films can include a propylene-based elastomer, a styrenic based block copolymer elastomer, reclaim including the components of the film, or combinations thereof.

Novel or improved microporous single or multilayer battery separator membranes, separators, batteries including such membranes or separators, methods of making such membranes, separators, and/or batteries, and/or methods of using such membranes, separators and/or batteries are provided. In accordance with at least certain embodiments, a multilayer dry process polyethylene/polypropylene/polyethylene microporous separator which is manufactured using the inventive process which includes machine direction stretching followed by transverse direction stretching and a subsequent calendering step as a means to reduce the thickness of the multilayer microporous membrane, to reduce the percent porosity of the multilayer microporous membrane in a controlled manner and/or to improve transverse direction tensile strength. In a very particular embodiment, the inventive process produces a thin multilayer microporous membrane that is easily coated with polymeric-ceramic coatings, has excellent mechanical strength properties due to its polypropylene layer or layers and a thermal shutdown function due to its polyethylene layer or layers. The ratio of the thickness of the polypropylene and polyethylene layers in the inventive multilayer microporous membrane can be tailored to balance mechanical strength and thermal shutdown properties.

An article of apparel includes a composite material. The composite material includes a pliable first layer and a resilient second layer, where the first and second layers are secured to each other via a patterned strand network. In forming the composite material, the second layer is stretched and maintained under tension while the first layer is secured to the second layer via the patterned strand network. The tension on the second layer is then released, resulting in contraction of the second layer in relation to the first layer and an outward buckling or protrusion of the first layer in relation to the second layer to form protruding cells along the composite material that are bounded by portions of the patterned strand network. The patterned strand network can be formed using embroidery with one or more auxetic patterns in the stitching.

An improved nozzle box is disclosed having side walls spaced apart from each other, a base and a ventilation wall spaced apart from it, thereby forming an interior space. A plurality of ventilation openings arranged offset to each other is provided in the ventilation wall, the nozzle box is provided on its ventilation wall with a plurality of protrusions that are raised by at least a height (H) in relation to the sections of ventilation wall or the top side or surface of the ventilation wall the sections being located adjacent to the protrusions, the ventilation openings are configured raised in the region of the protrusions in relation to the top side or surface of the ventilation wall and/or the ventilation wall includes in the transverse direction (Q) of the nozzle box opposing side flanges that overlap the side walls of the nozzle box outside the interior space of the nozzle box.

The shape-forming packaging material is a shape-forming packaging material including a heat resistant resin layer as an outer layer, a heat fusible resin layer as an inner layer, and a metal foil layer disposed between both the layers, and is configured such that a print improving resin layer is laminated on a further outer side of the heat resistant resin layer.

Thin PTFE layers are described having little or no node and fibril microstructure and methods of manufacturing PTFE layers are disclosed that allow for controllable permeability and porosity of the layers. In some embodiments, the PTFE layers may act as a barrier layer in an endovascular graft or other medical device.

Thin PTFE layers are described having little or no node and fibril microstructure and methods of manufacturing PTFE layers are disclosed that allow for controllable permeability and porosity of the layers. In some embodiments, the PTFE layers may act as a barrier layer in an endovascular graft or other medical device.

Provided is a microporous film which has a surface A and a surface B opposite to the surface A. In one embodiment, the microporous film has a ratio (F.sub.B/F.sub.A) of a dynamic friction coefficient F.sub.B of the surface B to a dynamic friction coefficient F.sub.A of the surface A of 1.2 to 20. In another embodiment, the microporous film is a single layer having a thickness of 3-18 μm, a number N.sub.A of pores on the surface A is 10-100/μm.sup.2, a number N.sub.B of pores on the surface B is 20-200/μm.sup.2, and N.sub.A/N.sub.B is 0.2-0.96. In addition, a total area S.sub.A of pores on the surface A is 0.02-0.5 μm.sup.2/μm.sup.2, a total area S.sub.B of pores on the surface B is 0.01-0.3 μm.sup.2/μm.sup.2, and S.sub.A/S.sub.B is 1.1-10. Furthermore, in another embodiment, a number W.sub.B of protrusion-like bodies on the surface B is 0.2-1000/100 μm.sup.2.

A method of manufacturing a film (F1) including cavities and formed from a polymer in which a cavitating agent is dispersed, said method including a step of extruding the polymer through an extrusion die equipped with adjustment actuators for adjusting thickness of the extruded film, and a step of stretching (Str1) the film, as well as establishing a mapping function of the film on the basis of mass-per-unit-area profiles of the film before and after the stretching step, establishing a stretch profile of the film as stretched on the basis of said mapping function and of said transverse mass-per-unit-area profiles, and establishing a characteristic transverse profile that is characteristic of the film on the basis of said stretch profile and of a transverse profile of the concentration by mass of cavitating agent in the film as stretched that makes it possible to take into account the distribution of the cavities in the film; in which method said adjustment actuators are controlled as a function of said characteristic transverse profile.

A method of manufacturing a film (F1) including cavities and formed from a polymer in which a cavitating agent is dispersed, said method including a step of extruding the polymer through an extrusion die equipped with adjustment actuators for adjusting thickness of the extruded film, and a step of stretching (Str1) the film, as well as establishing a mapping function of the film on the basis of mass-per-unit-area profiles of the film before and after the stretching step, establishing a stretch profile of the film as stretched on the basis of said mapping function and of said transverse mass-per-unit-area profiles, and establishing a characteristic transverse profile that is characteristic of the film on the basis of said stretch profile and of a transverse profile of the concentration by mass of cavitating agent in the film as stretched that makes it possible to take into account the distribution of the cavities in the film; in which method said adjustment actuators are controlled as a function of said characteristic transverse profile.