The present invention describes various methods for manufacturing gel composite sheets using segmented fiber or foam reinforcements and gel precursors. Additionally, rigid panels manufactured from the resulting gel composites are also described. The gel composites are relatively flexible enough to be wound and when unwound, can be stretched flat and made into rigid panels using adhesives.

A composite material having at least two layers of reinforcing fibers impregnated with a curable resin; an interlaminar region formed between adjacent layers of reinforcing fibers; and a combination of polymeric toughening particles and fire-retardant particles in the interlaminar region.

An article comprising: (a) one or more nonwoven material layers comprising a lofted fibrous material; and (b) one or more molded material layers having a fibrous matrix, wherein the article is configured to at least partially thermally insulate an item or compartment and the article absorbs external heat or cold to substantially prevent amplitude of temperature fluctuation of the item or within the compartment.

A laminated body is disclosed. The laminate body has a leather layer comprising natural leather in which all or a portion of the reticular layer has been removed, a fiber layer comprising natural and/or synthetic fibers positioned at the rear-side of the leather layer, and an adhesive layer between the leather layer and the fiber layer, wherein, in the leather layer, the proportion of the thickness of the reticular layer is 5% or less and the proportion of the thickness of the papillary layer is 95% or more.

A multi-layered composite insulation material includes a first and second outer layers having one or more of para-aramid, meta-aramid, flame-retarded modacrylic, or pre-oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers; and an inner layer disposed between the first and second outer layers having one or more of polyacrylonitrile fibers or ceramic fibers. The inner and outer layers are bonded via needle punching, thermal bonding, or stitch bonding. The outer layers further include flame-retardant rayon fibers and a woven or knit fabric having continuous high-temperature glass, silica, or ceramic filaments.

A nonwoven web obtained by electrospinning, suitable for the filtration of nano- and/or submicron aerosols, including a multiplicity of fibers of composition C1, the composition C1 including at least 50% by weight of at least one polymer P1 based on the repeat unit resulting from vinylidene fluoride (VDF), the fibers of composition C1 having a degree of crystallinity in polar phase(s), preferentially in solely beta phase, of at least 65% by weight, with respect to their total weight. Also, a process for the manufacture of the web, to a membrane including the web and also to a process for the washing/sterilization of the web or of the membrane.

The present invention is directed to multifunctional surfacing films each comprising: (a) a single layer of curable polymer composition having opposing first and second surfaces: (b) a peelable porous sheet disposed at or beneath the second surface; and (d) at least one porous sheet of functional material disposed within the single layer of curable polymer composition and positioned between the first surface and the peelable porous sheet, and methods of making and using such multifunctional surfacing films.

A polymer composite of dissimilar polymers covalently bonded at the interface is disclosed. A method for bonding dissimilar polymers includes providing a first precursor to a hydrogel polymer network comprising a first coupling agent; providing a second precursor to a second polymer network comprising a second coupling agent, wherein the hydrogel polymer network and the second polymer network are different; initiating polymerization of the first precursor to form a hydrogel polymer network, wherein the first coupling agent is incorporated into the polymer network with a negligible amount of condensation; initiating polymerization of the second precursor to form a second polymer network, wherein the second coupling agent is incorporated into the second polymer network with a negligible amount of condensation; contacting one of the first hydrogel precursor or the hydrogel polymer network with one of the second polymer precursor or second polymer networks and initiating condensation between the first and second coupling agents to form a covalent bond.

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.

A composite material includes a fiber and a structure including a plurality of carbon nanotubes and having a network structure in which the carbon nanotubes are in direct contact with each other and in which the carbon nanotubes directly adhere to a surface of the fiber. The carbon nanotubes have a bent shape including a bent portion.