A foamed, opacifying element has a porous substrate composed of woven yarn strands composed of a thermoplastic polymer-coated multifilament core. It has a dry foamed composition on an opposing surface of the substrate, which includes: (a) 0.1-40 weight % of porous particles; (b) 10-80 weight %; (c) 0.2-50 weight % of one or more additives selected from the group consisting of dispersants, plasticizers, flame retardants, optical brighteners, thickeners, biocides, fungicides, tinting colorants, metal flakes, and inert inorganic or organic fillers; (d) less than 5 weight % of water; and (e) at least 0.002 weight % of an opacifying colorant different from all of the one or more additives of (c), which opacifying colorant absorbs electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 380-800 nm. The elements have a light-blocking value (LBV) of at least 4 and can have a bending stiffness that is greater than 0.15 milliNewtons-meter.

A bonded and entangled non-woven structure made of at least 50% staple fibers by weight of the bonded and entangled non-woven structure, and at least a partial bonding of the fibers of the non-woven structure. The at least partial bonding including thermally activated bonds between a first polyolefin material produced with a catalyst including at least one metallocene catalyst and having a melting point in the range 130-170 C. and a second material having a melting point which is at least 10 C. higher than the melting point of the first material, the weight of the first material in the non-woven structure being at least 3% of the weight of the nonwoven structure.

A bonded and entangled non-woven structure made of at least 50% staple fibers by weight of the bonded and entangled non-woven structure, and at least a partial bonding of the fibers of the non-woven structure. The at least partial bonding including thermally activated bonds between a first polyolefin material produced with a catalyst including at least one metallocene catalyst and having a melting point in the range 130-170 C. and a second material having a melting point which is at least 10 C. higher than the melting point of the first material, the weight of the first material in the non-woven structure being at least 3% of the weight of the nonwoven structure.

The present invention provide a sheet-like material having a highly soft texture, and further having high crease resistance while being soft. The sheet-like material of the present invention is a sheet-like material which includes a nonwoven fabric containing ultrafine fibers having an average single fiber diameter of 0.3 to 7 m, and an elastomer, and having nap on a surface, in which the elastomer has a porous structure, and the porous structure has a proportion of micropores with a pore size of 0.1 to 20 m of 60% or more in all pores.

The current invention concerns a covering, such as a floor covering, wall covering or ceiling covering, said covering comprising a surface layer, and a substrate layer attached to said surface layer, said substrate layer optionally comprising one or more reinforced thermoplastic layers. Said covering further comprises a backing layer on the bottom side of said substrate layer, opposite to said surface layer, and a textile layer attached to the bottom side of said backing layer, optionally through a contact layer. The covering further comprises a coating applied to the bottom of said textile layer. The invention also provides a method for producing a covering, such as a floor covering, wall covering or ceiling covering.

The invention provides for a method of manufacturing artificial turf (1000). The method includes creating a polymer mixture, such as polymer mixture (400), where the polymer mixture is at least a three-phase system. The polymer mixture includes a first polymer, a second polymer and a compatibilizer. The first polymer is a polyamide (PA) and the second polymer is a polyethylene (PE). The first polymer is included in an amount of 0.125 percent to 5 percent by weight, the second polymer is included in an amount of 60 percent to 97 percent by weight and the compatibilizer is included in an amount of 0.375 percent to 15 percent by weight. The first polymer and the second polymer are immiscible, and the first polymer forms polymer beads surrounded by the compatibilizer within the second polymer.

A bonded and entangled non-woven structure made of at least 50% staple fibers by weight of the bonded and entangled non-woven structure, and at least a partial bonding of the fibers of the non-woven structure. The at least partial bonding including thermally activated bonds between a first polyolefin material produced with a catalyst including at least one metallocene catalyst and having a melting point in the range 130-170? C. and a second material having a melting point which is at least 10? C. higher than the melting point of the first material, the weight of the first material in the non-woven structure being at least 3% of the weight of the nonwoven structure.

The present application provides a functionalized filament for artificial turf, a method of manufacturing said filament and a field of artificial turf in which said filament is incorporated. The functionalized filament for artificial turf comprising polyolefin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and a compatibilizer that has a high affinity with polyurethane. The compatibilizers can be distributed in the filament uniformly or non-uniformly. The compatibilizer comprises a polyolefin polymer functionalized with various functional groups or their derivatives, such as amine, imide, hydroxyl, acid, anhydride, or acrylic.

A synthetic turf system and method includes turf tufted from monofilament fibers of a thermoplastic polymer where about 1 in about 32 tuft rows comprise at least one antistatic filament per tuft. Each antistatic filament has a first nonconductive polymeric component coextensive with a second non-conductive component. One or more of the antistatic filaments substantially reduces static electrical discharge within the turf. The thermoplastic polymer for each fiber may comprise at least one of nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyester. Each tuft of the tufted turf may be twisted and each tuft may be slit to form multiple ends. The turf system may comprise stitched turf. Each antistatic filament may comprise a carbon core surrounded by a non-conductive sheath, wherein a ratio of the antistatic filament per number of tuft rows may comprise at least one of 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, and 1:16.

An artificial leather includes a resin layer as the surface and a base fabric connected to the resin layer as the substrate. The base fabric comprises at least two monolayer structures arranged in an orderly manner as two laminates. Each monolayer structure is woven with some of the warp yarns and/or weft yarns in such layer or with some of the warp yarns and/or weft yarns in one or more other layers to form a number of connecting points, such that at least two monolayer structures arranged in an orderly manner as two laminates are connected with each other in the weaving process, forming a multi-layer integrated base fabric. The artificial leather incorporates a number of air vent holes distributed in the resin layer and the base fabric in the direction of thickness while retaining mechanical properties of tensile strength and tear resistance.