8197 results about "Thermoplastic elastomer" patented technology

Thermoplastic starch compositions that include a particulate filler, e.g. an inorganic filler component, and optional fibrous component The compositions include a thermoplastic phase comprising a thermoplastic starch melt that contains, at a minimum, starch blended with an appropriate plasticizing agent under conditions in order for the starch to form a thermoplastic melt. The thermoplastic phase may also include one or more additional thermoplastic polymers and other optional reactants, liquids or cross-linking agents to improve the water-resistance, strength, and/or other mechanical properties of the thermoplastic melt, particularly upon solidification. The inorganic filler component may affect the mechanical properties but will mainly be added to reduce the cost of the thermoplastic starch compositions by displacing a significant portion of the more expensive starch or starch/polymer melt. Fibers may optionally be included in order to improve the mechanical properties of the thermoplastic starch compositions. The thermoplastic starch compositions may be shaped into a wide variety of useful articles, such as sheets, films, containers, and packaging materials. Because the thermoplastic starch compositions will typically include a thermoplastic phase that is biodegradable, and because the other components will either constitute a naturally occurring mineral and optionally a natural fiber, the overall composition will typically be more environmentally friendly compared to conventional thermoplastic materials.

Disclosed herein are methods, devices, compositions, and systems for providing an interface between medical instrumentation and a patient. In various embodiments, the interface provides a sterile barrier, acoustic coupler, and thermal insulator between the patient and a medical instrument. In some embodiments, an acoustic coupler interface is used between an ultrasound instrument and a patient. In some embodiments, the acoustic coupler comprises a thermoplastic elastomer (“TPE”) and in particular oil-enhanced or gelatinous TPEs that can be used in diagnostic and therapeutic (HIFU) ultrasound procedures.

PCT No. PCT/JP97/01514 Sec. 371 Date Jan. 28, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Jan. 28, 1998 PCT Filed May 2, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO97/45489 PCT Pub. Date Dec. 4, 1997A pneumatic tire having an air permeation preventive layer comprising a low permeability thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising a thermoplastic elastomer having a thermoplastic resin composition as a continuous phase and a rubber composition as a dispersed phase, in which a barrier resin composition is contained, which low permeability thermoplastic elastomer composition has a phase structure in which the barrier resin composition is dispersed in the form of a flat state in the thermoplastic elastomer, is abundant in flexibility, is superior in gas permeation preventive property, and enables the tire to be reduced in weight.

A process for forming a thermoplastic vulcanizate compromising the steps of dynamically vulcanizing a rubber within a blend that comprises the rubber and a thermoplastic polymer, where said step of vulcanizing is carried out by using a phenolic resin in the presence of a catalyst system formed by combining a metal halide and a metal carboxylate. Also, a thermoplastic vulcanizate having low moisture pick-up with a technologically useful cure.

A super-enhanced aquatic floating island plant habitat that is adjustably buoyant and optionally biodegradable. The first embodiment is comprised of a thermoplastic elastomer, a mat, soil/flotation chambers, apertures, nutrient channels, buoyant waterscape options, and a tethering system. The floating island can include monitors that measure water and atmospheric conditions, dispensers for fish food or chemicals, and a water agitation/oxygenation device. Another embodiment comprises a positively buoyant soil matrix contained within a water-permeable bag. Another embodiment comprises a flotation collar, an outrigger, and one or more water-permeable bladders containing negatively or neutrally buoyant bedding soil. The present invention also covers an aquarium-scale floating island and submersible planter, a plant containment bag made out of thermoplastic elastomer, and several methods of adjusting the buoyancy of a floating island. A method of manufacturing a floating island comprising molded thermoplastic elastomer.

A device for repair of intervertebral discs and cartilages in articular joints includes a catheter for inserting through a cannula, the catheter having a distal end and a proximal end and a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough. An expandable balloon may optionally be detachably attached to the catheter near the distal end. The proximal end of the catheter is coupled to an injector that holds a supply of a thermoplastic elastomer material at a predetermined elevated temperature sufficiently high to maintain the thermoplastic elastomer at a liquid state. The device allows a thermoplastic elastomer material to be injected into the intervertegral disc space or the articular joint space as a replacement prosthetic for the disc's nucleus pulposus or the joint's cartilage. This procedure is carried out percutaneously through the cannula.

A dilatation balloon and catheter for insertion into a bodily conduit. The catheter (10) includes shaft (12) and a dilatation balloon (24) at the distal end of the shaft. The balloon is inflated via a central lumen (14) in the shaft for delivery of a fluid inflation media. The balloon is fabricated from a combination of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), preferably an engineering thermoplastic elastomer (ETE), with a non-compliant structural polymeric material. The combination may be a blend of the non-compliant structural polymer and the TPE. Alternatively, the combination may be a layered balloon having, for example, a non-compliant structural polymer inner layer and a soft, abrasion resistant, elastomeric outer layer. Methods for fabricating the balloon from the combination of a TPE and a non-compliant structural polymer are also disclosed.

According to an embodiment, a component for attachment to an article includes an upper component that is made of a thermoplastic material having a first melting temperature and a flange member that is molded onto the upper component and made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature of the upper component. The flange member extends laterally from a bottom end of the upper component so that a bottom surface of the flange member is flush with or positioned axially below a bottom surface of the upper component. The melting temperature of the thermoplastic elastomer material enables the flange member to be directly coupled to the article via heat welding and the like without substantially affecting the upper component.

A thermoplastic elastomer composition which, when used for the inner tube and/or outer cover of a hose, can improve the hose flexibility at an ordinary temperature and low temperature, oil resistance, and cold resistance and can reduce the production costs since it does not require a vulcanization step and a hose having said properties using this elastomer composition for its inner tube and/or outer cover and a process and apparatus for the production thereof.

An anisotropic conductive adhesive contains conductive particles dispersed in a resin composition, wherein the resin composition includes a radical polymerization resin (A), an organic peroxide (B), a thermoplastic elastomer (C) and a phosphoric ester (D). The resin composition can further contain an epoxy silane coupling agent (E) represented by formula (2) or (3). The resin composition is mixed with other components after the radical polymerization resin (A), the thermoplastic elastomer (C), the phosphoric ester (D) and the epoxy silane coupling agent (E) are reacted. It is also possible to preliminarily react only the phosphoric ester (D) and the epoxy silane coupling agent (E) and to react the product of the preliminary reaction with the radical polymerization resin (A) and the thermoplastic elastomer (C), and then to add other components. The anisotropic conductive adhesive of the present invention can be used for electrical joining of electronic or electric parts of electrical apparatus.

A shoulder model and methods of shoulder arthroscopy using the shoulder model. The shoulder model includes an acromioclavicular (AC) joint assembly, a joint capsule assembly, a scapula mount, a shoulder musculature, a skin, and a base. The AC joint assembly is mounted on the scapula mount and the joint assembly is attached to the AC joint assembly and fastened using a screw/nut to form the shoulder assembly. The shoulder assembly is placed in the shoulder musculature and the skin is rolled over the shoulder musculature and zipped in place. The bones of the shoulder assembly are made of foam-cortical shell, the shoulder musculature is made of foam, the soft tissue components are made of thermoplastic elastomers, and the skin is made of vinyl. A method of practicing shoulder arthroscopy using the shoulder model includes mounting the shoulder model in a beach chair position, making anatomical references, establishing a posterior viewing portal, inserting cannulas into the glenohumeral joint or the subacromial space, creating a labral disruption or a rotator cuff tear, and repairing the rotator cuff tear or labral disruption.

A prefilled syringe and syringe assembly having a syringe and a tip cap are produced from materials that do not interfere with the substance contained in the syringe and enable long term storage. The tip cap is made from a blend of a cyclic olefin polymer or copolymer and a thermoplastic elastomer. The thermoplastic elastomer is blended with the cyclic olefin copolymer in an amount so that the normally stiff and hard cyclic olefin copolymer is flexible and resilient to effectively seal and couple to the tip of a prefilled syringe.

The invention discloses a halogen-free flame-retardant thermoplastic elastomer cable material with polyphenylether as the base materials and a preparation method thereof. The raw material of the cable material contains the components with the following weight percentage: 10 to 35 percent of matrix resin A; 5 to 15 percent of matrix resin B; 10 to 25 percent of elastomer; 5 to 25 percent of softening plasticizer; 8 to 15 percent of flame-retardant plasticizer; 20 to 40 percent of smoke-suppression flame retardant; 3 to 10 percent of compatilizer; 1 to 5 percent of lubricant; 1 to 5 percent of powder surface conditioner; 0 to 10 percent of mineral filler; 0.1 to 1 percent of stabilizing agent. The invention adds matrix resin, polyphenylether of strong polarity and functional group of styrene-ethylene / butylene-styrene segmented copolymer, which effectively improves the compatibility of non-polar elastomer with polyphenylether; the invention also adds plasticizer, which reduces the hardness of the material and increases the flexibility; and through the optimization and interaction of the softening plasticizer and the flame-retardant plasticizer, the invention reduces the hardness and improves the tactility of the material, and the flame retardant performance is excellent.

A soft, flexible, low-density, open-cell, thermoplastic, absorbent foam formed from a foam polymer formula including a balanced amount of a plasticizing agent and a surfactant in combination with a base resin. Thermoplastic elastomers can be added to the foam polymer formula to improve softness, flexibility, elasticity, and resiliency of the resulting foam. The surfactant may be either a single surfactant or a multi-surfactant system. The foam possesses a number of qualities, such as softness and strength, which render the foam particularly suitable for use in a variety of personal care products, medical products, and the like.

Absorbent articles having a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet are disclosed. The absorbent articles include a thermoplastic elastomer joined to or disposed in a stretch zone on at least one component or region of the absorbent article to impart an elastic resistance that provides sizing or shaping capabilities to the article. The absorbent article can be in the form of diapers, pull-on diapers, training pants, sanitary napkins, wipes, bibs, incontinence briefs or inserts.

Embodiments related to the tactile enhancement of a computer input device are disclosed herein. In one disclosed embodiment, a method of making removable tactile-enhancing grips for a computer input device is disclosed. The method comprises heating a thermoplastic elastomeric sheet to a temperature at which the thermoplastic elastomeric sheet is capable of receiving and retaining an imprinted feature, pressing onto the thermoplastic elastomeric sheet a plate comprising a pattern, thereby embossing the pattern onto the thermoplastic elastomeric sheet, and cooling the thermoplastic elastomeric sheet to a temperature at which the pattern is retained in the thermoplastic elastomeric sheet. An adhesive layer is then formed on an opposite side of the thermoplastic elastomeric sheet as the pattern.

A golf ball has a cover member and a core member. The cover member contains: 3 to 30 parts by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer containing polyamide; 5 to 50 parts by weight of a terpolymer ionomer containing ethylene, (meth)acrylic acid, and (meth)acrylic ester; 30 to 80 parts by weight of a copolymer ionomer containing ethylene and (meth)acrylic acid; and 1 to 20 parts by weight of an epoxidized-diene-based block copolymer. The core member is formed by vulcanizing a rubber composition containing: 100 parts by weight of a base rubber, A parts by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid or a metal salt thereof, B parts by weight of an organic peroxide, and C parts by weight of a sulfide where A, B, and C satisfies the relationship:andA lies in the range from 25 to 45.

A thermoplastic ionomer blend or alloy exhibiting advantageous properties upon molding or extrusion and/or thermoforming, consisting essentially of the following components:A. about 15 to 85 parts by weight of a thermoplastic copolymer containing about 91 to 80 weight percent of alpha-olefin units and about 9 to 20 weight percent of alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid units said carboxylic acid units being about 20 to 90 percent neutralized with metal ions, preferably zinc,B. about 10 to 80 parts by weight of a rubber, preferably a thermoplastic elastomer selected from the group consisting of (a) crosslinked ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers and equivalent polyolefin copolymers such as ethylene-butene, hexene, or octene, (b) acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymers, (c) styrene-butadiene copolymers, and (d) styrene acrylonitrile graft-crosslinked butadiene rubbers, andC. about 5 to 40 parts by weight of a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene copolymers and homopolymers, the total number of parts being 100,and molded or extruded and/or thermoformed products produced from the same.

A plunger cover for use with a syringe includes a sealing portion adapted to form a seal with the syringe and a central portion adapted to contact fluid within the syringe. The central portion can, for example, be more rigid than the sealing portion. The sealing portion and the central portion are connected in an overmolding process. The sealing portion can, for example, be formed from a thermoplastic elastomer or a thermoplastic polyurethane. The central portion can, for example, be formed from polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate or copolymers thereof.

A composition of matter comprising a water-swellable IPN or semi-IPN including a hydrophobic thermoset or thermoplastic polymer and an ionic polymer, articles made from such composition and methods of using such articles. The invention also includes a process for producing a water-swellable IPN or semi-IPN from a hydrophobic thermoset or thermoplastic polymer including the steps of placing an ionizable monomer solution in contact with a solid form of the hydrophobic thermoset or thermoplastic polymer; diffusing the ionizable monomer solution into the hydrophobic thermoset or thermoplastic polymer; and polymerizing the ionizable monomers to form a ionic polymer inside the hydrophobic thermoset or thermoplastic polymer, thereby forming the IPN or semi-IPN.

Absorbent articles having a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet are disclosed. The absorbent articles include a thermoplastic elastomer joined to or disposed in a stretch zone on at least one component or region of the absorbent article to impart an elastic resistance that provides sizing or shaping capabilities to the article. The absorbent article can be in the form of diapers, pull-on diapers, training pants, sanitary napkins, wipes, bibs, incontinence briefs or inserts.