| abstract |
The present invention is an improved moldable composite comprising an open microporous unsintered ePTFE substrate containing a resilient material, such as curable silicone, fluorosilicone rubber, or fluorocarbon elastomer, on the walls of the micropores. The present invention also includes molded, shaped articles of the moldable composite. This substrate may take any shape, such as tubes, beads, rods, tapes, or sheets. The substrate is permeated with a curable resilient material in such a way as to envelope the walls, e.g., fibrils and nodes of ePTFE. By shaping and compressing into a desired shape and then curing the resilient material, a highly resilient article is created with significantly improved operational properties. |