An uncoated woven fabric of yarn formed from synthetic fibers woven in the warp direction and weft direction to form a top surface and a bottom wherein the fabric is treated in order to permanently modify the fabric surface structure such that fibrillous or apical structures extend approximately normal to the surface of the fabric, and at least a portion of the yarn on the top surface and/or at least a portion of the yarn on the bottom surface have warp and weft fibers which are melt fused together at their intersections, and a majority of the yarn on the top surface and/or a majority of the yarn on the bottom surface have fibers with a permanently modified cross-section that are fused together, is provided. Methods for production and use of this fabric in application to products such as automobile airbags, sailcloths, inflatable slides, temporary shelters, tents, ducts, coverings and printed media are also provided.

Example forms of the invention relate to a woven fabric material comprising an array of machine direction yarns and cross-machine direction yarns, with larger denier yarns arranged in an alternating pattern with smaller denier yarns in both the machine direction and the cross-machine direction, wherein the material allows water to pass freely therethrough. Further example forms of the invention relate to a swimming pool cover at least partially formed of the disclosed fabric.

The agricultural greenhouse of the invention and the plant cultivation method using the same can cultivate plants economically and efficiently with less energy per crop yield, as it is provided with a CO.sub.2 supply means, a heat-ray shielding means, and a dehumidification and cooling means, the heat-ray shielding means is formed of using a heat-ray reflecting film, and plural through holes are formed in the heat-ray shielding means. The heat-ray reflecting film structure can cultivate plants by the agricultural greenhouse utilizing sunlight economically and efficiently as it has a structure that narrow band-shaped tapes obtained by cutting a multi-layer laminated film made by laminating at least two kinds of resin layers with different refractive indices alternately and having an average transmittance at 80% or more for visible light and an average reflectance at 70% or more for heat-ray is woven or knitted as a warp or a weft.

A composite material for an insulation baffle comprising a baffle layer comprising a plurality of baffle shell structures coupled to one another by spacers, wherein each of the baffle shell structures comprises a baffle face layer and a baffle back layer that define a cavity therebetween, and wherein the spacers define a breathablity zone having a higher air permeability than one or more of the baffle face layer and a baffle back layer measured in accordance with ASTM D737.

An electrically conductive geotextile incorporating graphene and a method of using conductive properties in same to detect anomalies in said textile.

A greenhouse screen is described with strips of film material that are interconnected by a yarn system of transverse threads and longitudinal threads by means of knitting, warp-knitting or weaving process to form a continuous product is disclosed. At least some of the strips include a film material in the form of a single- or multilayer polyethylene film having a thickness of 10-70 micrometers. Said film has at least 2-4 wt.-% SiO.sub.2 particles having a D.sub.50 of 2-10 micrometers. The film is advantageously used as a screen providing light scattering properties particularly suited for greenhouse applications.

Methods of producing a graphic mesh for a solar module are described in which mesh parameters such as warp fiber thickness, weft fiber thickness, and open area size are determined to meet a target energetic efficiency and a chromatic effectiveness. In some embodiments, chromatic effectiveness is based on mesh count, where the mesh count is set according to a distance at which the mesh will be viewed when assembled into the solar module. The mesh has a plurality of warp fibers having the warp fiber thickness and a plurality of weft fibers having the weft fiber thickness, that are interlaced to form a plurality of mesh unit cells. A graphic appearance is printed into the mesh using a coloring substance, where the coloring substance is absorbed by the fiber material to form the graphic mesh.

A polypropylene fiber including: a polypropylene matrix, at least a surface modifier, and at least an additive selected from surfactants, lubricating agents or mixtures thereof. A method of producing polypropylene fibers by (i) mixing a polypropylene with a surface modifier in extrusion, (ii) melt spinning the composition obtained in step (i) to produce the fibers, where a surfactant is added to step (i) and/or a lubricant is applied to the fibers during step (ii). A fiber cement-reinforced composite including a cementitious matrix, a cellulosic component, optionally, a limestone component and a polypropylene fiber comprising: a polypropylene matrix, at least a surface modifier, at least one additive selected from surfactants, lubricating agents and mixtures thereof. An article comprising the fiber cement-reinforced composite and a roof tile comprising the fiber cement-reinforced composite.

The agricultural greenhouse of the invention and the plant cultivation method using the same can cultivate plants economically and efficiently with less energy per crop yield, as it is provided with a CO.sub.2 supply means, a heat-ray shielding means, and a dehumidification and cooling means, the heat-ray shielding means is formed of using a heat-ray reflecting film, and plural through holes are formed in the heat-ray shielding means. The heat-ray reflecting film structure can cultivate plants by the agricultural greenhouse utilizing sunlight economically and efficiently as it has a structure that narrow band-shaped tapes obtained by cutting a multi-layer laminated film made by laminating at least two kinds of resin layers with different refractive indices alternately and having an average transmittance at 80% or more for visible light and an average reflectance at 70% or more for heat-ray is woven or knitted as a warp or a weft.

Methods of producing a graphic mesh for a solar module are described in which mesh parameters such as warp fiber thickness, weft fiber thickness, and open area size are determined to meet a target energetic efficiency and a chromatic effectiveness. In some embodiments, chromatic effectiveness is based on mesh count, where the mesh count is set according to a distance at which the mesh will be viewed when assembled into the solar module. The mesh has a plurality of warp fibers having the warp fiber thickness and a plurality of weft fibers having the weft fiber thickness, that are interlaced to form a plurality of mesh unit cells. A graphic appearance is printed into the mesh using a coloring substance, where the coloring substance is absorbed by the fiber material to form the graphic mesh.