An article of apparel such as a rain jacket includes a composite fabric formed of a textile layer including a plurality of yarns, each yarn including five to twenty-five filaments having non-circular cross-sectional shapes and a sealing layer applied as a coating directly to the interior surface of the textile layer and having a thickness of about 10 micrometers to about 30 micrometers.

Nonwoven fabrics suitable for a wide variety of applications (e.g., healthcare, filtration, industrial, packaging, etc.) are provided. In one aspect, the nonwoven fabric includes a plurality of segmented fibers. Each of the plurality of segmented fibers may comprise a fiber axis and a plurality of alternating larger diameter and smaller diameter segments along the fiber axis. The plurality of segmented fibers may be substantially aligned in a first direction.

Nonwoven fabrics suitable for a wide variety of applications (e.g., healthcare, filtration, industrial, packaging, etc.) are provided. In one aspect, the nonwoven fabric includes a plurality of segmented fibers. Each of the plurality of segmented fibers may comprise a fiber axis and a plurality of alternating larger diameter and smaller diameter segments along the fiber axis. The plurality of segmented fibers may be substantially aligned in a first direction.

Nonwoven fabrics suitable for a wide variety of applications (e.g., healthcare, filtration, industrial, packaging, etc.) are provided. In one aspect, the nonwoven fabric includes a plurality of segmented fibers. Each of the plurality of segmented fibers may comprise a fiber axis and a plurality of alternating larger diameter and smaller diameter segments along the fiber axis. The plurality of segmented fibers may be substantially aligned in a first direction.

Nonwoven fabrics suitable for a wide variety of applications (e.g., healthcare, filtration, industrial, packaging, etc.) are provided. In one aspect, the nonwoven fabric includes a plurality of segmented fibers. Each of the plurality of segmented fibers may comprise a fiber axis and a plurality of alternating larger diameter and smaller diameter segments along the fiber axis. The plurality of segmented fibers may be substantially aligned in a first direction.

A multi-composition fiber is provided including a primary fiber material and an elemental additive material deposited on grain boundaries between adjacent crystalline domains of the primary fiber material. A method of making a multi-composition fiber is also provided, which includes providing a precursor laden environment, and promoting fiber growth using laser heating. The precursor laden environment includes a primary precursor material and an elemental precursor material.

A multi-composition fiber is provided including a primary fiber material and an elemental additive material deposited on grain boundaries between adjacent crystalline domains of the primary fiber material. A method of making a multi-composition fiber is also provided, which includes providing a precursor laden environment, and promoting fiber growth using laser heating. The precursor laden environment includes a primary precursor material and an elemental precursor material.

This invention identifies important geometric parameters of an adhesive microfiber with mushroom-shaped tip for improving and optimizing adhesive ability. The magnitude of pull-off stress is dependent on a wedge angle and the ratio of the tip radius to the stalk radius of the mushroom-shaped fiber. Pull-off stress is also found to depend on a dimensionless parameter x, the ratio of the fiber radius to a length-scale related to the dominance of adhesive stress. Finally, the shape of edge tip, where the surface and sides of the mushroom-shaped tip join, is a factor that impacts strength of adhesion. Optimizing ranges for these parameters are identified.

This invention identifies important geometric parameters of an adhesive microfiber with mushroom-shaped tip for improving and optimizing adhesive ability. The magnitude of pull-off stress is dependent on a wedge angle and the ratio of the tip radius to the stalk radius of the mushroom-shaped fiber. Pull-off stress is also found to depend on a dimensionless parameter x, the ratio of the fiber radius to a length-scale related to the dominance of adhesive stress. Finally, the shape of edge tip, where the surface and sides of the mushroom-shaped tip join, is a factor that impacts strength of adhesion. Optimizing ranges for these parameters are identified.

A network of microfibers are fabricated with a core-shell construction from sustainable materials, where the core includes a phase-change material, such as coconut oil, and the shell includes a biomass, such as cellulose. The microfibers are made via a wet-wet electrospinning process utilizing a coaxial spinneret with an inner conduit and an outer conduit. The biomass and the phase-change material are coaxially extruded into a coagulation bath including a mixture of ethanol and water. The collected microfibers exhibit a beaded structure of PCM aggregates and biomass connecting regions between the aggregates and are effective to aid in the thermoregulation of the immediate environment surrounding the network. The microfibers are suitable for use in a variety of sustainable products such as wearable thermoregulating textiles, wall/ceiling panels, insulation, packaging material, and more.