A method of creating a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web is provided. The method includes providing molten polymer to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices, and flowing a fluid intermediate the spinneret and a moving porous member. The moving porous member is positioned below the spinneret. The method includes using the fluid to draw or push the molten polymer, in a direction that is toward the moving porous member, through at least some of the plurality of orifices to form a plurality of individual continuous fiber strands. The method includes depositing the continuous fiber strands on the moving porous member at a first location to create an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web, and removing and/or diverting some of the fluid proximate to the first location to maintain loft and softness in the deposited intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web.

A composite sheet comprising two or more layers is described where the degree of abrasiveness of can be controlled. The sheet can comprise partially or wholly biodegradable or compostable materials or blends thereof. Methods of preparing the composite sheets are also described.

A composite sheet comprising two or more layers is described where the degree of abrasiveness of can be controlled. The sheet can comprise partially or wholly biodegradable or compostable materials or blends thereof. Methods of preparing the composite sheets are also described.

A strap is provided with a core having a core main body having a plurality of members including at least a member having flexibility is stacked, and a skin member surrounding the core. The core main body is formed of a variable performance member and a special member bonded to each other with thermocompression bonding to be stacked in a face-back direction of a timepiece. The variable performance member has flexibility and temperature dependency, and is formed including plastic.

A strap is provided with a core having a core main body having a plurality of members including at least a member having flexibility is stacked, and a skin member surrounding the core. The core main body is formed of a variable performance member and a special member bonded to each other with thermocompression bonding to be stacked in a face-back direction of a timepiece. The variable performance member has flexibility and temperature dependency, and is formed including plastic.

A method of creating a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web is provided. The method includes providing molten polymer to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices, and flowing a fluid intermediate the spinneret and a moving porous member. The moving porous member is positioned below the spinneret. The method includes using the fluid to draw or push the molten polymer, in a direction that is toward the moving porous member, through at least some of the plurality of orifices to form a plurality of individual continuous fiber strands. The method includes depositing the continuous fiber strands on the moving porous member at a first location to create an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web, and removing and/or diverting some of the fluid proximate to the first location to maintain loft and softness in the deposited intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web.

Disclosed herein a stitch-bonded fabric comprising at least one fibrous web layer having a plurality of the fibers with a first length of more than about 25 mm, oriented substantially in a cross-direction (XD) of the stitch-bonded fabric wherein a density of the at least one fibrous web layer is less than about 0.12 g/cm.sup.3. The at least one fibrous web layer is stitch-bonded with yarns following a pattern of linear stitches along a machine direction (MD) spaced from about 1.4 mm to about 4.0 mm along XD, and repeating with a spacing front about 0.8 mm to about 2.5 mm in MD, wherein the plurality of fibers having said first length are captured by multiple stitches. A density of fibers and yarn enclosed within the stitches is above about 0.10 g/cm.sup.3 and below about 5.0 g/cm.sup.3 and the linear stiches are depressed below exposed the wales between the linear stitches along MD. The stitch-bonded yarns can be heat set to stabilize the stitch-bonded fabric.

Nonwoven webs comprising a water insoluble α-(1,3.fwdarw.glucan) polymer and methods of forming the nonwoven webs are disclosed. The water insoluble α-(1,3.fwdarw.glucan) polymer comprises 90% or greater α-1,3-glycosidic linkages, less than 1% by weight of α-1,3,6-glycosidic branch points, a number average degree of polymerization in the range of from 55 to 10,000, and a ratio of apparent DPw to true DPw in the range of from 2 to 10. The nonwoven webs can be used for personal hygiene wipes, filtration media, apparel, or other uses.

Nonwoven webs comprising a water insoluble α-(1,3.fwdarw.glucan) polymer and methods of forming the nonwoven webs are disclosed. The water insoluble α-(1,3.fwdarw.glucan) polymer comprises 90% or greater α-1,3-glycosidic linkages, less than 1% by weight of α-1,3,6-glycosidic branch points, a number average degree of polymerization in the range of from 55 to 10,000, and a ratio of apparent DPw to true DPw in the range of from 2 to 10. The nonwoven webs can be used for personal hygiene wipes, filtration media, apparel, or other uses.

Provided is a cellulose fiber nonwoven fabric with compacted parts that is beautiful even when dry. The cellulose fiber nonwoven fabric is characterized in that: the fabric has compacted parts; the percentage of recesses due to the compacting is 9-25%; the transverse rupture strength is at least 15 N; the transmittance of the compacted parts when dry is 3-25%; and the fabric weight is 30 g/m.sup.2 to 110 g/m.sup.2.