A method for producing an electrocompacted and aligned strand is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a channel having an anode on one side and a cathode on the other side separated by a non-conductive material to form an electrode; dispensing a solution comprising one or more electrocompactable and alignable molecules, nanoparticles or microparticles with ampholytic nature into the channel to complete a circuit between the anode and the cathode; applying a DC current in the range of 1-200 volts to the electrode through the solution in the channel to form an electrocompacted and aligned strand; and transferring the aligned strand out of the electrode. The one or more electrocompactable and alignable molecules, nanoparticles or microparticles with ampholytic nature can comprise collagen molecules that have different charges at different pH values. Materials including electrochemically aligned and compacted compounds are also disclosed.

A method for producing an electrocompacted and aligned strand is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a channel having an anode on one side and a cathode on the other side separated by a non-conductive material to form an electrode; dispensing a solution comprising one or more electrocompactable and alignable molecules, nanoparticles or microparticles with ampholytic nature into the channel to complete a circuit between the anode and the cathode; applying a DC current in the range of 1-200 volts to the electrode through the solution in the channel to form an electrocompacted and aligned strand; and transferring the aligned strand out of the electrode. The one or more electrocompactable and alignable molecules, nanoparticles or microparticles with ampholytic nature can comprise collagen molecules that have different charges at different pH values. Materials including electrochemically aligned and compacted compounds are also disclosed.

A nonwoven fabric comprising a meltspun fiber of a lignin compound. Also claimed a laminated fabric comprising the nonwoven fabric, a nonwoven fabric product comprising the nonwoven fabric, a structured multicomponent fiber comprising a lignin compound, a web comprising a meltspun fiber of a lignin compound and a method of producing a nonwoven fabric by forming a web of meltspun fiber comprising a lignin compound and bonding at least a portion of the fiber in the web to form the nonwoven fabric.

A nonwoven fabric comprising a meltspun fiber of a lignin compound. Also claimed a laminated fabric comprising the nonwoven fabric, a nonwoven fabric product comprising the nonwoven fabric, a structured multicomponent fiber comprising a lignin compound, a web comprising a meltspun fiber of a lignin compound and a method of producing a nonwoven fabric by forming a web of meltspun fiber comprising a lignin compound and bonding at least a portion of the fiber in the web to form the nonwoven fabric.

The present disclosure is directed toward an improved nanofibrous electret filtration media of which the stand-alone electret nanofibrous web comprises a single source randomly intermingled fiber network that yields high breathability due to the high porosity and improved filtration efficiency for use as improved filtration media for respiratory devices and face masks.

Disclosed herein are methods for producing core-sheath structures by shaping at least one filament bundle containing a plurality of filaments to form at least one shaped strand of filaments, and braiding a plurality of strands, including the at least one shaped strand of filaments, over a core to form the core-sheath structure containing a braided sheath of the strands surrounding the core, wherein the shaped strand of filaments is an untwisted strand having a twist level of less than 1 turn per meter, a cross-sectional aspect ratio of the shaped strand of filaments is at least 3:1, as measured in the braided sheath, a thickness of at least a portion of the braided sheath ranges from about 10 to about 200 μm, and the braided sheath comprises a synthetic fiber having a tensile strength of greater than 12 cN/dtex. Also disclosed herein are core-sheath structures formed by such methods.

A spin dope composition produces a polymeric fiber useful in non-cryogenic gas separation. The composition includes polysulfone as the polymeric component, two solvents, in which the polymer is soluble, and a non-solvent, in which the polymer is insoluble. The solvents preferably include N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N,N-dimethyl acetamide (DMAC), and the non-solvent preferably includes triethylene glycol (TEG). Fibers made from the present composition have been found to exhibit superior properties of gas flux and selectivity, as compared with fibers made from spin dopes having only one solvent component.

An apparatus for making nonwoven has a spinning device for spinning continuous filaments and moving the spun filaments in a vertical travel direction along a vertical travel path and a mesh belt below the spinning device, traveling in a horizontal direction, and having a multiplicity of vertically throughgoing openings distributed generally uniformly over its surface and of which a portion are plugged. A cooler and a stretcher are provided along the path downstream of the spinning device and above the belt for cooling and stretching the filaments and depositing the cooled and stretched filaments at a predetermined deposition location on the belt. A blower underneath the belt at the deposition location aspirates air through the openings and thereby holds the deposited filaments down on the belt.

An apparatus for making nonwoven has a spinning device for spinning continuous filaments and moving the spun filaments in a vertical travel direction along a vertical travel path and a mesh belt below the spinning device, traveling in a horizontal direction, and having a multiplicity of vertically throughgoing openings distributed generally uniformly over its surface and of which a portion are plugged. A cooler and a stretcher are provided along the path downstream of the spinning device and above the belt for cooling and stretching the filaments and depositing the cooled and stretched filaments at a predetermined deposition location on the belt. A blower underneath the belt at the deposition location aspirates air through the openings and thereby holds the deposited filaments down on the belt.

A material comprising a fine fiber pulp is provided. The fine fiber pulp has a plurality of fine fibers have an average diameter of less than 1 micron and an average length of less than 1 millimeter. In embodiments, the fine fibers formed of a polymer. The material can be created according to a method in which the fine fiber strands are formed from a polymer melt or a polymer solution, the fine fiber strands are cooled to a temperature of less than −25° C. to increase brittleness of the fine fibers, and the fine fiber strands are granulated into the fine fiber pulp.