Among other things, the inventive subject matter generally relates to bulk fill materials suitable for an insulative or cushioning material. The bulk fill material consists of a plurality of discrete units comprising clusters or loose webs of fibers. The fibers consist of superfine fibers and/or fibers in a range of 1 to 5 denier; the fibers being entangled to form the clusters or loose webs. In some embodiments the clusters or webs are multinode fiber structures that mimic natural down. The inventive subject matter is also directed to related methods of production.

Among other things, the inventive subject matter generally relates to bulk fill materials suitable for an insulative or cushioning material. The bulk fill material consists of a plurality of discrete units comprising clusters or loose webs of fibers. The fibers consist of superfine fibers and/or fibers in a range of 1 to 5 denier; the fibers being entangled to form the clusters or loose webs. In some embodiments the clusters or webs are multinode fiber structures that mimic natural down. The inventive subject matter is also directed to related methods of production.

Nanofiber filter media ribbons are flexible elongate strips of polymeric material having a surface on which is formed an array of nanofibers. Ribbons are formable into woven or non-woven mats. The array of nanofibers can be configured to filter a predetermined contaminant from a fluid stream passing through the mats. Filter ribbons are formable by applying a moldable polymer to a first angular location of a rotating cylindrical roll having an array of nanoholes formed in a circumferential surface thereof so that the polymer covers the surface of the roll and infiltrates the nanoholes; cooling the polymer while rotating the polymer-covered roll to a second angular position; and removing the cooled polymer from the roll as an elongate film having an array of nanofibers formed on a surface thereof by the polymer that infiltrated the nanoholes.

Nanofiber filter media ribbons are flexible elongate strips of polymeric material having a surface on which is formed an array of nanofibers. Ribbons are formable into woven or non-woven mats. The array of nanofibers can be configured to filter a predetermined contaminant from a fluid stream passing through the mats. Filter ribbons are formable by applying a moldable polymer to a first angular location of a rotating cylindrical roll having an array of nanoholes formed in a circumferential surface thereof so that the polymer covers the surface of the roll and infiltrates the nanoholes; cooling the polymer while rotating the polymer-covered roll to a second angular position; and removing the cooled polymer from the roll as an elongate film having an array of nanofibers formed on a surface thereof by the polymer that infiltrated the nanoholes.

Provided is a conductive nonwoven fabric, including a meltblown nonwoven fabric made from a melt liquid-crystal-forming wholly aromatic polyester having a melt viscosity at 310° C. of less than or equal to 20 Pa.Math.s and satisfying (A) an average fiber diameter from 0.1 μm to 5 μm, (B) two or less film-like objects existing per 1 mm.sup.2 of the nonwoven fabric, (C) a breaking length in a warp direction of greater than or equal to 10 km and a breaking length in a weft direction of greater than or equal to 6 km, (D) a basis weight from 1.0 g/m.sup.2 to 15 g/m.sup.2, (E) a thickness from 5 μm to 50 μm, and (F) an air permeability of less than or equal to 300 cc/cm.sup.2/second, and a metal coating film formed on the meltblown nonwoven fabric.

Provided is a conductive nonwoven fabric, including a meltblown nonwoven fabric made from a melt liquid-crystal-forming wholly aromatic polyester having a melt viscosity at 310° C. of less than or equal to 20 Pa.Math.s and satisfying (A) an average fiber diameter from 0.1 μm to 5 μm, (B) two or less film-like objects existing per 1 mm.sup.2 of the nonwoven fabric, (C) a breaking length in a warp direction of greater than or equal to 10 km and a breaking length in a weft direction of greater than or equal to 6 km, (D) a basis weight from 1.0 g/m.sup.2 to 15 g/m.sup.2, (E) a thickness from 5 μm to 50 μm, and (F) an air permeability of less than or equal to 300 cc/cm.sup.2/second, and a metal coating film formed on the meltblown nonwoven fabric.

A method of making nonwoven webs comprising providing a spinneret wherein the spinneret includes a pattern of conduits, the pattern of conduits forming an extrusion region; directing only a first stream of molten propylene polymer having a first temperature into a region adjacent of the first side of the spinneret, directing only a second stream of molten propylene polymer having a second temperature into a region distal to the first side of the spinneret, extruding only the first stream of molten propylene polymer through the exit openings in a first zone; extruding only the second stream of molten propylene polymer through the exit openings of a second zone; the second zone is distal to the first side with the first zone being between the second zone and the first side.

The invention concerns spunbond nonwoven fabrics comprising a plurality of bicomponent filaments, the bicomponent filaments having a segmented pie cross-sectional configuration including a polycarbonate component and a polypropylene component, wherein a ratio of the polypropylene component to the polycarbonate component is between about 5:95 and about 95:5.

The invention concerns spunbond nonwoven fabrics comprising a plurality of bicomponent filaments, the bicomponent filaments having a segmented pie cross-sectional configuration including a polycarbonate component and a polypropylene component, wherein a ratio of the polypropylene component to the polycarbonate component is between about 5:95 and about 95:5.

A single-layer spunbonded air-filtration web including meltspun autogenously bonded electret fibers with an Actual Fiber Diameter of from 3.0 microns to 15 microns. The air-filtration web exhibits a ratio of mean flow pore size to pore size range of from 0.55 to 2.5. Also disclosed are methods of making such webs, and methods of using such webs to perform air filtration.