A fabrication method for a filter containing tragacanthin-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers includes obtaining a homogenous tragacanthin-PVA solution by obtaining a PVA solution by dissolving PVA in distilled water, and adding tragacanthin to the PVA solution. The method may further include obtaining a support layer by coating a stainless steel mesh with a thin layer of a hydrophobic polymer, coating a stainless steel mesh with the thin layer of the hydrophobic polymer comprising electrospinning a hydrophobic polymer solution onto the stainless steel mesh, and forming a tragacanthin-PVA nanofibrous web on the support layer by electrospinning the homogenous tragacanthin-PVA solution onto the support layer.

The present invention is an apparatus used for the removal of moisture from of a section of polymer filament just prior to its consumption by an external process. The apparatus removes moisture by heating the polymer filament in a controlled manner to a temperature which releases the moisture from the polymer filament, but below the temperature that significantly distorts the polymer filament so that the mechanical structure of the polymer filament (diameter and linearity) is substantially maintained. As the polymer filament is externally consumed, it moves through the apparatus. The apparatus removes moisture from polymer filament more rapidly than other methods.

The present invention is an apparatus used for the removal of moisture from of a section of polymer filament just prior to its consumption by an external process. The apparatus removes moisture by heating the polymer filament in a controlled manner to a temperature which releases the moisture from the polymer filament, but below the temperature that significantly distorts the polymer filament so that the mechanical structure of the polymer filament (diameter and linearity) is substantially maintained. As the polymer filament is externally consumed, it moves through the apparatus. The apparatus removes moisture from polymer filament more rapidly than other methods.

A method of forming a single piece, shaped, down feather thermally insulating article having different thermal insulating sections is described. A mold is formed with a cavity defining a non-uniformed prescribed shape and having sections of different shapes and depths. Down feather clusters or a mixture thereof is mixed with a binding material and is injected into the mold which is then heated with a suitable heat source to cause the binding material to soften and fuse the mixture together. After cooling the mold, there is formed a single piece, shaped, down feather article which is comprised of sections having different thermal insulating values for use in a product where parts of the product provide different thermal insulating properties.

A radio opaque fiber, filament, and yarn is disclosed herein. The radio opaque fiber, filament, or yarn comprises a matrix (102) comprising a plurality of radio opaque material (104) and a first polymer (106), where the radio opaque material (104) is at least one of a radio opaque element, an alloy of the radio opaque element, and a compound of the radio opaque element, or a combination thereof, wherein the radio opaque element if of an atomic number greater than or equal to 29, and wherein the matrix (102) forms a unified flexible structure. The radio opaque fiber, filament, or yarn further comprises a carrier polymer (108) which binds the plurality of the matrix (102) and imparts spinnability to form the fiber, filament, and yarn.

The present invention is directed to a reactive dye-dyeable polyurethane-urea elastic yarn including a reaction product of at least two polyols, a diisocyanate compound, a diamine chain extender, an amine chain terminator, and a diethylenetriamine compound, wherein one of the polyols is polyethylene glycol, which is included in an amount of 20 to 30.0 mol % based on the total amount of the polyols, a polyurethane-urea polymer includes 10 meq/kg to 45 meq/kg of primary amine ends, and the capping ratio (CR) of the diisocyanate to the polyols is 1.8 to 2.0.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of fabricating a chemically active fibre device (1) by thermal drawing. The method comprises the steps of providing a preform, the preform comprising a support element (3) at least partially made of a first polymeric material; and carrying out a thermal drawing process of the preform to produce a thermally drawn fibre. The preform comprises one or more chemically active agents and/or biological materials configured to react with a fluid sample when the one or more chemically active agents and/or biological materials are in contact with the fluid sample. In this manner miniaturised lab-in-fibre devices can be fabricated.

A binder component for a feedstock compound for use in a shaping and sintering process comprises b-i) 3 to 70% by volume of at least one first thermoplastic and/or wax-type material, and b-li) 30 to 97% by volume of at least one second thermoplastic and/or wax-type material, based on the total volume of the binder component. The first thermoplastic and/or wax-type material and the second thermoplastic and/or wax-type material differ in at least one property which property is selected from (1) solubility in a solvent, (2) degradability induced by heat and/or a reactant, and (3) volatility. The first thermoplastic and/or wax-type material is less soluble, less degradable or less volatile than the second thermoplastic and/or wax-type material. T.sub.cross is below 120 C., wherein T.sub.cross is the temperature at the intersection between the storage modulus G curve and the loss modulus G curve in a dynamic viscoelasticity measurement of the binder component. The feedstock compound containing the binder component and non-organic sinterable particles is used in an additive manufacturing process, an injection molding process, a pressing process or a casting process.

A binder component b) for a particulate feedstock compound for use in a shaping and sintering process contains b-i) 3 to 70% by volume of a polyolefin, a polyolefin wax or an oxidized polyolefin wax, and b-lii) 30 to 97% by volume of a non-polymeric wax or non-polymeric wax-type substance, or a water-soluble or water-dispersible thermoplastic polymer, based on the total volume of the binder component b). The feedstock compound containing the binder component and non-organic sinterable particles is used in an additive manufacturing process, an injection molding process, a pressing process or a casting process.

Curative fibre components comprise one or more fibres for filaments of curative suitable to cure curable resins such as thermoset resin. In curative fibre components comprising a plurality of fibres of curative, the fibres can be commingled, such as twisting, to form a thread or yarn. Curative fibre components can be used to form a material in the form of a sheet, fabric, layer, textile or mat of woven or non-woven curative fibres. Curative fibre components can be used to produce composite materials such as fibre reinforced resinous composite materials. The curative fibre components can be commingled, including interwoven, stitched and layered with other fibres or fibrous materials, such as fibrous reinforcement, fibrous curable resin, fibrous thermoplastic, other non-reinforcing fibres to form composite materials, prepregs, preforms and articles.