A composite panel with a thermosetting cellular matrix, a method for manufacturing said panel, and a structure for covering a wall that is formed from an assembly of such panels. The structure provides the wall with heat insulation against cryogenic fluids and/or protection against fire or flames and/or sealing against the fluids. A panel having a thermosetting cellular matrix, includes at least one substrate that includes short, non-woven basalt fibers and is impregnated by the matrix. The panel is such that the at least one substrate includes a plurality of non-woven layers stacked to a stacking thickness. The non-woven layers each include the short basalt fibers and are needled through the thickness without using thermoplastic fibers.

A composite panel with a thermosetting cellular matrix, a method for manufacturing said panel, and a structure for covering a wall that is formed from an assembly of such panels. The structure provides the wall with heat insulation against cryogenic fluids and/or protection against fire or flames and/or sealing against the fluids. A panel having a thermosetting cellular matrix, includes at least one substrate that includes short, non-woven basalt fibers and is impregnated by the matrix. The panel is such that the at least one substrate includes a plurality of non-woven layers stacked to a stacking thickness. The non-woven layers each include the short basalt fibers and are needled through the thickness without using thermoplastic fibers.

An apparatus for making a spunbond nonwoven from monofilaments of thermoplastic synthetics has a spinneret for spinning and emitting the filaments in a travel direction, a cooler downstream of the spinneret for cooling the spun filaments, and a stretcher downstream of the cooler for stretching the filaments. An intermediate passage extending in the travel direction between the cooler and the stretcher has upstream and downstream converging passage sections. The upstream passage section in the travel direction of the filaments having a shorter length than the downstream passage section in the travel direction of the filaments. A ratio B.sub.E/B.sub.A of an inlet width B.sub.E to an outlet width B.sub.A of the upstream passage section is 1.5 to 5.5. A ratio of an inlet width b.sub.E, to an outlet width b.sub.A, of the downstream passage section is 1 to 4.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to apparatuses and methods for fabricating tubular structures from a combination of fibrous materials for use in, for example, tissue engineering scaffold applications. These materials may also be useful in other biological or non-biological applications in which such tubular fibrous structures may be applicable, examples including conventional medical devices, filters, fiber optics, cable wraps, geotextiles, batteries, fuel cells, armor, and other diverse applications.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to apparatuses and methods for fabricating tubular structures from a combination of fibrous materials for use in, for example, tissue engineering scaffold applications. These materials may also be useful in other biological or non-biological applications in which such tubular fibrous structures may be applicable, examples including conventional medical devices, filters, fiber optics, cable wraps, geotextiles, batteries, fuel cells, armor, and other diverse applications.

A process for producing a deformed nonwoven is described. The process includes the steps of: adjusting a water content of a nonwoven such that the nonwoven has at least one area having a water content of at least about 12% by weight of the nonwoven in the area, and subjecting the nonwoven to a mechanical deformation process. The deformation process is a mechanical deformation of the nonwoven and dewatering of the nonwoven to obtain a deformed nonwoven.

A process for producing a deformed nonwoven is described. The process includes the steps of: adjusting a water content of a nonwoven such that the nonwoven has at least one area having a water content of at least about 12% by weight of the nonwoven in the area, and subjecting the nonwoven to a mechanical deformation process. The deformation process is a mechanical deformation of the nonwoven and dewatering of the nonwoven to obtain a deformed nonwoven.

An alumina fiber aggregate that is formed of alumina short fibers and has been subjected to needling treatment, wherein the alumina short fibers have an average fiber diameter of 6.0 m or more and 10.0 m or less and a specific surface area of 0.2 m.sup.2/g or more and 1.0 m.sup.2/g or less, and a residual percentage (%) of high-temperature-cycle opened gap pressure of the alumina fiber aggregate is 45% or more. A value obtained by subtracting twice the standard error of a length-weighted geometric mean diameter of fiber diameters of the alumina short fibers from the length-weighted geometric mean diameter is 6.0 m or more. A proportion of alumina short fibers having a fiber diameter of more than 10.0 m is preferably 5.0% or less on a number basis.

The present disclosure provides a composite fabric including an elastic mesh layer and a non-woven layer. The non-woven layer includes a plurality of non-oriented fibers. The elastic mesh layer is interposed in the non-woven layer, and at least one of the non-oriented fibers extends through the elastic mesh layer.

A method of making a three-dimensional web is provided. The method comprises spinning continuous filaments from a spinneret, moving the spun continuous filaments along a travel path having an end, and rotating a collection surface at or proximate to the end of the travel path. The collection surface comprises cavities and land areas. The land areas are tangentially planar with an outer surface of the collection surface. The cavities are recessed with respect to the outer surface of the collection surface. The method comprises applying a fluid pressure to the collection surface and collecting the filaments on the collection surface to create an intermediate three-dimensional web having first regions formed in the cavities and second regions formed on the land areas. The first and second regions differ in at least one intensive property. The method comprises bonding the intermediate web using a bonding operation to form a final three-dimensional web.