This invention identifies important geometric parameters of an adhesive microfiber with mushroom-shaped tip for improving and optimizing adhesive ability. The magnitude of pull-off stress is dependent on a wedge angle γ and the ratio of the tip radius to the stalk radius β of the mushroom-shaped fiber. Pull-off stress is also found to depend on a dimensionless parameter x, the ratio of the fiber radius to a length-scale related to the dominance of adhesive stress. Finally, the shape of edge tip, where the surface and sides of the mushroom-shaped tip join, is a factor that impacts strength of adhesion. Optimizing ranges for these parameters are identified.

A concrete reinforcing member for admixture into a concrete composite. The concrete reinforcing member has a body extending in a longitudinal direction along an axis, the body having a lateral width. At least two anchor segments are axially spaced on the body, each anchor segment having at least one lateral extension projecting in a lateral direction along an associated plane that extends radially relative to the axis of the body. The associated plane of the lateral extension of one of the anchor segments is offset radially about the axis at an angle of greater than 0° and less than 90° relative to the associated plane of the lateral extension of the other anchor segment.

The invention relates to a process for fabricating a high-precision object made of at least one inorganic material, comprising the following steps: using a high-resolution photolithography process, employing X-rays or UV rays depending on the desired degree of precision, in a chosen direction Z, to form a negative mold, which does not deform at the microscale during the steps of the process, in a material able to withstand a step for forming the object by dry deposition and capable of either being removed without altering the object fabricated or being separated from said object; choosing, independently of the normal redox potential of its constituent elements, at least one inorganic material from the set of materials that can be deposited by dry deposition and that allow the object to be fabricated to meet its thermomechanical and environmental specifications; and forming, by means of the non-deformable negative mold, the object to be fabricated by dry deposition of said at least one inorganic material, thereby allowing an object to be fabricated with better than microscale precision, especially with respect to the angle between the walls generated by the dry deposition and said direction Z. The invention is preferably applied to the fabrication of high-precision micromechanical objects, in particular in the aeronautical and clock-/watch-making fields.

A sea-island composite fiber includes island component fibers having a circumscribed circle diameter of 10 to 1000 nm, a circumscribed circle diameter variation of 1 to 20%, a non-circularity of 1.2 to 5.0, and a non-circularity variation of 1 to 10%.

Recycled carbon fibers are processed by rotational tumbling in a mixture with binder material to prepare fiber-containing particles having a dual-tapered shape and general alignment of fibers with a longitudinal direction of the particles. Bulk products including such fiber-containing particles are compounded with polymer and pelletized to prepare fiber-reinforced composite pellets, which are useful for applications such as injection molding to prepare molded products of carbon fiber-reinforced composite material with recycled carbon fibers.

An artificial turf filament has a cross-section that includes a body having a center juncture having a first width and a first and second wing member arranged in diverging orientation from the center juncture. Each wing member having a plurality of legs and a plurality of leg junctures positioned between respective legs of the plurality of legs. Moving from the center juncture to a distal end of each wing member, the minimal cross-sectional widths of the respective legs of the plurality of legs decrease and the maximal cross-sectional widths of the respective leg junctures of the plurality of leg junctures decrease.

A novel monofilament trimmer line is provided for reducing noise, reducing air drag and increasing durability by having a non-round cross-sectional shape defined as a polygon with three to six sides wherein the vertices between adjacent sides have been replaced with generous circular arcs, the arcs of a parabola, or even other arc shapes so long as the arc is convex and contains no sharp edges and wherein each arc is tangent to the two adjacent sides with a smooth and continuous transition, and the sides of the polygon are either straight or slightly convex, but not concave.

A novel monofilament trimmer line is provided for reducing noise, reducing air drag and increasing durability by having a non-round cross-sectional shape defined as a polygon with three to six sides wherein the vertices between adjacent sides have been replaced with generous circular arcs, the arcs of a parabola, or even other arc shapes so long as the arc is convex and contains no sharp edges and wherein each arc is tangent to the two adjacent sides with a smooth and continuous transition, and the sides of the polygon are either straight or slightly convex, but not concave.

Gelatinous materials combined with the Colloidal Silver additive to formulate an antimicrobial product having cushioning properties. Embodiments of the present invention can include gelatinous materials selected from a group consisting of thermosetting polymer, Styrene-Ethylene-Butadiene-Styrene polymer (SEBS), Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE), and Polyurethane (PU) gelatin with and without a raised geometry on an outer surface.

A method of forming an extruded structure includes dispensing at least a first material through an extrusion head, varying a pressure applied during extrusion of the first material over time, and depositing the first material on a substrate, wherein a width of the first material varies with a pressure forming a stripe of the first material having a varying width along a length of the stripe.