Patent ID: 8821145

Claim:
A die for coextruding a plurality of fluid layers, comprising: a. a primary forming stem; b. one or more distribution plates, each of said plates having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid outlet from each of said plates being in fluid communication with said primary forming stem and structured to deposit a layer of fluid onto said primary forming stem having a thickness D; and c. a microlayer assembly, comprising (1) a microlayer forming stem, and (2) a plurality of microlayer distribution plates, each of said microlayer plates having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid outlet from each of said microlayer plates being in fluid communication with said microlayer forming stem and structured to deposit a microlayer of fluid onto said microlayer forming stem having a thickness M, said microlayer plates being arranged to provide a predetermined order in which the microlayers are deposited onto said microlayer forming stem to form a substantially unified, microlayered fluid mass on said microlayer forming stem, wherein, said thickness M of said microlayers is less than said thickness D of said fluid layer from said distribution plate, and said microlayer forming stem is in fluid communication with said primary forming stem such that said microlayered fluid mass flows from said microlayer forming stem and onto said primary forming stem in order to minimize interfacial flow instabilities.