An erosion resistant article such as rotor blades for helicopters and wind turbines having the leading edge surface protected from damage from high speed impingement of rain or sand with a protective coating formed from specific polyurethane or polyurea coating having a defined set of minimum physical properties where the protective coating can be applied as a liquid coating and cured in place or as a preformed complementary shaped covering to protect the leading edge against erosion damage in service.

A method of producing a sheet including the photocatalytic nanoparticles by applying the particles in a freshly impregnated and wet surface. The method including the steps of impregnating the sheet with a polymer resin; spraying the sheet, freshly impregnated with the polymer resin in an uncured and wet state, with an impregnation fluid composition comprising dispersed photocatalytic nanoparticles; drying and/or at least partly curing the impregnated sheet comprising the polymer resin and the impregnation fluid.

A composite plate structure including a flexible substrate and a release layer is provided. The flexible substrate has an upper surface and a lower surface. The release layer is disposed on the lower surface of the flexible substrate, and includes a hydrophobic material and a bonding material. The hydrophobic material includes at least one fluorine atom. The bonding material at least includes an amide functional group or an epoxy functional group. The bonding material is bonded to the flexible substrate through the amide functional group or the epoxy functional group. A flexible apparatus including the composite plate structure is also provided.

The present invention refers to a graded barrier film comprising a layered structure, wherein the layered structure comprises a first layer consisting of metal oxide; an intermediate layer consisting of metal nitride or metal oxynitride which is arranged on the first layer; and a third layer consisting of a metal oxide which is arranged on the intermediate layer. The present invention further refers to a sputtering method for manufacturing this graded barrier film and a device encapsulated with this graded barrier film.

An erosion resistant article such as rotor blades for helicopters and wind turbines having the leading edge surface protected from damage from high speed impingement of rain or sand with a protective coating formed from specific polyurethane or polyurea coating having a defined set of minimum physical properties where the protective coating can be applied as a liquid coating and cured in place or as a preformed complementary shaped covering to protect the leading edge against erosion damage in service.

Components with improved erosion resistance are disclosed. A surface of the component or a substrate of the component is modified by coating the substrate with an elastomer layer. The elastomer layer is then modified by embedding hard particles onto an outer side of the elastomer layer. The hard particles exhibit higher fractured toughness providing enhanced erosion protection. The elastic properties of the elastomer experience little reduction because the surface embedded particles are located only at the outer side or outer surface of the elastomer layer. Therefore, the bond between the inner side of the elastomer layer and the substrate or component surface is not interfered with and the potential for electro-chemical corrosion and poor adhesion are not increased by the presence of the hard particles as the hard particles are located away from the inner face between the elastomer layer and the substrate.

Components with improved erosion resistance are disclosed. A surface of the component or a substrate of the component is modified by coating the substrate with an elastomer layer. The elastomer layer is then modified by embedding hard particles onto an outer side of the elastomer layer. The hard particles exhibit higher fractured toughness providing enhanced erosion protection. The elastic properties of the elastomer experience little reduction because the surface embedded particles are located only at the outer side or outer surface of the elastomer layer. Therefore, the bond between the inner side of the elastomer layer and the substrate or component surface is not interfered with and the potential for electro-chemical corrosion and poor adhesion are not increased by the presence of the hard particles as the hard particles are located away from the inner face between the elastomer layer and the substrate.

Exemplary embodiments provide a fuser member containing an intermediate layer and methods for forming the intermediate layer and the fuser member. In one embodiment, the fuser member can include a substrate, a resilient layer, a surface layer and an intermediate layer disposed between the resilient layer (e.g., a silicone rubber layer) and the surface layer (e.g., a fluoroplastic of PFA or PTEE). The intermediate layer can include a CNT/polymer composite containing a plurality of carbon nanotubes in a polymer matrix. The surface layer and the fuser member can thus be treated at a temperature of about 250 C. or higher.

A conductive fiber reinforced polymer composition may include a composite structure having a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, and a through axis, the composite structure including a polymer matrix, a conductive filler incorporated into the polymer matrix, and a reinforcing material incorporated into the polymer matrix.

A transparent substrate for optical elements which is capable of suppressing cracking is provided, and a transparent substrate for optical elements which is capable of extending the life of optical elements such as organic EL elements used in organic EL illumination devices or polarizer plates used in liquid crystal display devices is provided. This transparent substrate for optical elements is characterized by having an inorganic layer and a hydrophilic layer laminated sequentially on a transparent resin film. For this reason, this transparent substrate for optical elements can have excellent gas barrier properties, inhibits degeneration of optical elements due to water vapor, suppresses cracking, is transparent and flexible, is easy to handle, can be efficiently and economically manufactured, and has excellent design properties.