Load-bearing composite panels, materials, and products made by surrounding with a long fiber and/or fiber cloth reinforced polyurethane resin, an assembly containing one or more load-bearing members, graphene, a structural polyurethane/resin sandwich composite and/or spider silk protein fiber-cloth-continuous fibers. The composite structures can provide stronger, lighter-weight structural items such as vehicle floor and body panels, bullet-proof anti-ballistic panel products, vehicle bullet-proof anti-ballistic body panel structures and floors, bullet-proof vests, vehicle chassis, monocoque chassis, motor homes chassis-bodies, fuselage floors and frames for aircraft and/or UAV's, bicycle and motorcycle frames, wind turbine blades frames and structures, ship or boat haul body structures, shipment containers, pre-fabricated walls of buildings, train structure body or floor panels, solar panel supports, battery housings, mobile home walls, roof modules, truck beds, and truck trailer floors. Such composite panels, materials, and products can also be utilized in artificial organs, ligaments or tendons, artificial disc vertebrae, ropes, and 3D printing parts.

The present invention relates to a mono or multi-layer polyester film, a process for producing the mono or multi-layer polyester film, an article comprising the mono or multi-layer polyester film as well as the use of the mono or multi-layer polyester film packaging products, insulating materials, solar, marine or aviation applications, science, electronic or acoustic applications, wires, cables, radio frequency identifications, flexible circuits, graphic arts, stone paper, holograms, filter products, cosmetic products, household products imaging, recording media, or industrial products.

Crumb rubber obtained from recycled tires is subjected to an interlinked substitution process. The process utilizes a reactive component that interferes with sulfur bonds. The resulting treated rubber exhibits properties similar to those of the virgin composite rubber structure prior to being granulated, and is suitable for use in fabricating new tires, engineered rubber articles, and asphalt rubber for use in waterproofing and paving applications.

A rib-stiffened composite structure includes a composite face sheet having a continuous reinforcing fiber in a polymer matrix. A polymer core is in a grid pattern disposed on the composite face sheet, the grid pattern having a first series of paths crossing over a second series of paths. Material voids are formed in the spaces between the series of paths. A composite rib-cap is disposed upon an upper surface of the polymer core. The composite rib-cap includes a continuous reinforcing fiber in a polymer matrix. The fibers of the continuous reinforcing fiber of the polymer matrix of the composite rib cap are oriented in a direction along the first and second series of paths of the grid pattern of the extruded polymer core.

A prepreg having high processability and laminating performance and a method to produce such a prepreg in an industrially advantageous way is described, the prepreg comprising at least the components [A] to [E] shown below, and having a structure incorporating a first layer composed mainly of the component [A] and a first epoxy resin composition that contains the components [B] to [D] but which is substantially free of the component [E], and a second layer composed mainly of a second epoxy resin composition that contains the components [B] to [E] and which is disposed adjacent to each surface of the first layer, the second epoxy resin composition being characterized in that its component [D] has a weight-average molecular weight of 2,000 to 30,000 g/mol and accounts for 5 to 15 parts by mass relative to the total quantity of its components [B] to [E], which accounts for 100 parts by mass, [A] carbon fiber, [B] epoxy resin, [C] curing agent, [D] thermoplastic resin, and [E] particles containing a thermoplastic resin as primary component and having a volume-average particle diameter of 5 to 50 μm.

Methods and systems that can produce light weight reinforced thermoplastic articles are described. In some embodiments, a method includes heating and pressing a core layer and then cooling and pressing the core layer to maintain the thickness of the core layer during cooling. Automotive articles, building articles and recreational vehicle articles that can be produced using the methods and systems are also described.

Crumb rubber obtained from recycled tires is subjected to an interlinked substitution process. The process utilizes a reactive component that interferes with sulfur bonds. The resulting treated rubber exhibits properties similar to those of the virgin composite rubber structure prior to being granulated, and is suitable for use in fabricating new tires, engineered rubber articles, and asphalt rubber for use in waterproofing and paving applications.

Described herein are details for designing and manufacturing enhanced shock and impact resistant helicoidal lay-ups by combining nanomaterials, variable pitch and partial spirals, Thin unidirectional fiber plies, hybrid materials, and/or curved fibers within a ply. The helicoidal structures created in the prescribed manners can be tuned and pitched to desired wavelengths to dampen propagating shock waves initiated by ballistics, strike forces or foreign material impacts and can arrest the propagation of fractures including catastrophic fractures. These enhancements open the helicoidal technology up for use in such applications as consumer products, protective armor, sporting equipment, crash protection devices, wind turbine blades, cryogenic tanks, pressure vessels, battery casings, automotive/aerospace components, construction materials, and other composite products.

The present invention proposes a novel construction system consisting of the attachment of modified hyperboloid shaped-structural elements called “laminate cells” which, when working together, create a structural system with integrated over having the capacity of absorbing and transmitting in all directions and orientations.

A lattice structure includes multiple identical unit cells formed from joined plates. In the lattice structure, some of the plates are rectangular plates, some of the plates are triangular plates, and some of the plates are trapezoidal plates. Further, any two of the joined rectangular plates have corresponding surface normals perpendicular to each other and at least two edges of each one of the triangular plates are joined to one of a surface or an edge of one of the plurality of joined plates. Further, at least three edges of each one of the trapezoidal plates are joined to one of a surface or an edge of one of the plurality of joined plates, and any one of a plurality of surface normals for the triangular plates and the trapezoidal plates are nonparallel to any one of a plurality of surface normals of rectangular plates.