An antibacterial fiber that exhibits predetermined antibacterial properties even when washed repeatedly for 50 or more times, and a method for producing an antibacterial fiber are provided.

Disclosed are an antibacterial fiber containing a thermoplastic resin and antibacterial glass particles, and a method for producing the antibacterial fiber, the antibacterial fiber having cracks extending along the length direction of the antibacterial fiber on the surface of the antibacterial fiber, each of the cracks being in a state of having at least one of the antibacterial glass particles sandwiched therein.

The present invention provides a highly functional polyethylene fiber exhibiting reduction of change in their physical properties in a wide range of temperatures for processing for products and in a wide range of temperatures for usage as products, thereby enabling improvement of dimensional stability. In addition, the present invention provides a highly functional polyethylene fiber exhibiting a high degree of dye exhaustion to be obtained in a simple dyeing operation, and excellent color fastness. The highly functional polyethylene fiber of the present invention is characterized in that an intrinsic viscosity [η] is higher than or equal to 0.8 dL/g, and not higher than 4.9 dL/g, ethylene is substantially contained as a repeating unit thereof, and a maximum thermal shrinkage stress is less than or equal to 0.4 cN/dtex in TMA (thermo-mechanical analysis), and a thermal shrinking percentage at 100° C. is less than or equal to 2.5%.

A method of wet spinning poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene):poly (styrenesulfonate) or PEDOT:PSS fibers produces PEDOT:PSS fibers having a unique combination of electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and Young's modulus properties.

A polyolefin fiber that is formed by a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a polyolefin matrix polymer and nanoinclusion additive is provided. The nanoinclusion additive is dispersed within the continuous phase as discrete nano-scale phase domains. When drawn, the nano-scale phase domains are able to interact with the matrix in a unique manner to create a network of nanopores.

A woven textile fabric that is lightweight, soft, smooth, supple and durable has a composition including a regenerated cellulosic fiber, cotton and an elastane fiber such as spandex. The fabric includes warp yarn and weft yarn, and the weft yarn is a core spun yarn made of an elastane fiber core surrounded by a sheath of blended regenerated cellulosic fiber and cotton. The fabric construction may range from about 44 ends/inch to about 300 ends/inch and from about 30 picks/inch to about 600 picks/inch. The warp count may range from 2 s count to 140 s count, and the weft count ranges from 2 s count to 170 s count. The fabric, which can be made using a series of innovative process steps, is particularly useful as a bed linen.

Systems, methods, and apparatus to provide artificial whisker filaments are disclosed and described. An example artificial whisker is tapered to include a tip diameter smaller than a base diameter of the artificial whisker, the artificial whisker formed from a polymer arranged to permit elastic deformation of the artificial whisker, the deformation of the artificial whisker to transmit force to a sensor associated with a base of the artificial whisker. An example method of manufacturing an artificial whisker includes removably affixing a first end of a filament to a heated, non-stick surface; drawing the filament across the surface to form a first, tapered portion, a second portion of the filament remaining on the surface, wherein the filament is to be drawn until the first portion is disengaged from the surface; and separating the first, tapered portion of the filament from the second portion of the filament to form a tapered artificial whisker.

A polyvinyl alcohol fiber that can easily be fibrillated at a low manufacture cost is provided. The readily fibrillative polyvinyl alcohol fiber contains a polyalkylene oxide in addition to a polyvinyl alcohol. A mass ratio of the polyalkylene oxide ranges from 3 to 40% relative to the total mass of the polyvinyl alcohol and the polyalkylene oxide. A method for manufacturing the polyvinyl alcohol fiber is also provided.

An apparatus for producing ultrafine fibers is configured to produce ultrafine fibers by melting and drawing raw filaments. The apparatus for producing ultrafine fibers comprises: a plurality of raw filament passages arranged in a straight row; and a laser irradiation device for irradiating a plurality of raw filaments with a laser beam so as to melt, oscillate and vibrate the plurality of raw filaments after the plurality of raw filaments have passed through the respective raw filament passages together with airstreams. Specifically, the laser irradiation device is configured to output a focused laser beam having a diameter decreasing as distance from the laser irradiation device increases, and having a beam axis parallel to a direction of the row of the plurality of raw filament passages.

The described incandescent tension annealing processes involve thermally annealing twisted or coiled carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns at high-temperatures (1000 C. to 3000 C.) while these yarns are under tensile loads. These processes can be used for increasing yarn modulus and strength and for stabilizing both twisted and coiled CNT yarns with respect to unwanted irreversible untwist, thereby avoiding the need to tether torsional and tensile artificial muscles, and increasing the mechanical loads that can be moved by these muscles.

A method of wet spinning poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene):poly (styrenesulfonate) or PEDOT:PSS fibers produces PEDOT:PSS fibers having a unique combination of electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and Young's modulus properties.