A method includes a rotation locking step during which the rotation of the threaded hub about the central axis is blocked by heating a portion of the plug to soften, then by forcing the softened thermoplastic material to penetrate into, and then solidify in, a female cavity hollowed in the wall of the orifice to constitute a male member which fits into the female cavity. The female cavity forms, against the action of the male member, a guiding end stop preventing the male member, and therefore the hub, from rotating about the central axis to oppose any rotary screwing/unscrewing of the plug and maintaining a degree of freedom in axial translation along the central axis of the male member within the female cavity, so as not to impede a sliding of the hub and of its screw thread along the central axis against the wall.

A method for preparing a pre-bond surface of a composite structure includes the steps of: (1) separating a peel ply, co-cured with a composite substrate, from the composite substrate; and (2) transferring an identifiable marking agent from the peel ply to the composite substrate upon separation of the peel ply from the composite substrate. Residue of the peel ply, transferred from the peel ply to the composite substrate upon separation of the peel ply from the composite substrate, is layered on the identifiable marking agent.

A method for preparing a pre-bond surface of a composite structure includes the steps of: (1) separating a peel ply, co-cured with a composite substrate, from the composite substrate; and (2) transferring an identifiable marking agent from the peel ply to the composite substrate upon separation of the peel ply from the composite substrate. Residue of the peel ply, transferred from the peel ply to the composite substrate upon separation of the peel ply from the composite substrate, is layered on the identifiable marking agent.

A hot water storage device having a vessel includes a first section formed from a moulded material and a second section formed from a moulded material. An open end of the first section is sealingly engaged with an opposing open end of the second section to form the vessel. The first and second sections each have a generally cylindrical body portion and a closed end, comprising a head portion. The vessel includes a water inlet aperture moulded into the first or second section and a water outlet aperture moulded into the first or second section and wherein the inlet and outlet apertures are located on the body portion proximal to a tangent line between the body portion and the head portion.

A hot water storage device having a vessel includes a first section formed from a moulded material and a second section formed from a moulded material. An open end of the first section is sealingly engaged with an opposing open end of the second section to form the vessel. The first and second sections each have a generally cylindrical body portion and a closed end, comprising a head portion. The vessel includes a water inlet aperture moulded into the first or second section and a water outlet aperture moulded into the first or second section and wherein the inlet and outlet apertures are located on the body portion proximal to a tangent line between the body portion and the head portion.

Example methods and articles of manufacture related to electrospun aramid nanofibers are provided. One example method may include forming a resultant solution by reacting a solution of aramids dissolved in a solvent with an electrophile. In this regard, the electrophile may perform a side chain substitution on the dissolved aramids. The example method may further include electrospinning the resultant solution to form an aramid nanofiber.

Provided is a method for forming an ophthalmic lens as well as a lens formed by such method. The method includes the curing of a reactive monomer mixture within a mold assembly under conditions to permit incorporation of functional features into selective portions of the ophthalmic lens.

Embodiments of the invention provide body armor composite and methods of fabrication. The body armor composite can include at least one strike-face layer, at least one strike-face reinforcement layer, and at least one catchment layer. Some embodiments include body armor composite with a bump guard layer, and a back-face reduction layer. In some embodiments, the fabrication method includes bonding multiple layers to form an armor composite. Some embodiments include an armor production tool including a housing at least two housing portions which form a substantially air-tight chamber when closed. The tool can include a lower flexible membrane forming at least a portion of a mold, and an upper flexible membrane capable of engaging the lower flexible membrane. The tool can include a pressure port for pressurizing the chamber and to move portions of the mold towards each other, and a locking mechanism for locking the two housing portions.

The present invention is directed toward transparent films prepared from soluble aromatic copolyamides with glass transition temperatures greater than 300° C. The copolyamides, which contain pendant carboxylic groups are solution cast into films using N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), or other polar solvents. The films are thermally cured at temperatures near the copolymer glass transition temperature. After curing, the polymer films display transmittances >80% from 400 to 750 nm, have coefficients of thermal expansion of less than 20 ppm, and are solvent resistant. The films are useful as flexible substrates for microelectronic devices.

The present invention relates to a rapid and innovative mechanism for initiating anionic ring-opening polymerization of laurolactam by means of latent initiators on the basis of thermally activatable N-heterocyclic carbene compounds, such as, more particularly, N-heterocyclic carbene-CO.sub.2 compounds and carbene-metal compounds (NHCs). With the new initiation mechanism it is possible accordingly to realize molecular weights (M.sub.w) of from 2000 up to more than 30,000 g/mol, and narrow polydispersities. The polymerizations may be carried out both in bulk and in solution in a suitable solvent. Compounds of this type are thermally latent and on heating initiate a polymerization to polylaurolactam in high yields, up to a quantitative conversion, whereas at room temperature there is no reaction. Polydispersity and molecular weight of the polylaurolactam can be adjusted through the choice of the initiator and of the reaction conditions.