A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a mixing unit that mixes fibers and a composite in the atmosphere, a forming unit that deposits and heats a mixture mixed by the mixing unit to form a sheet; in which the composite is resin particles with at least a portion of a surface coated by inorganic fine particles, and an absolute value of an average charging amount of the composite is 40 μC/g or higher.

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a mixing unit that mixes fibers and a composite in the atmosphere, a forming unit that deposits and heats a mixture mixed by the mixing unit to form a sheet; in which the composite is resin particles with at least a portion of a surface coated by inorganic fine particles, and an absolute value of an average charging amount of the composite is 40 μC/g or higher.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for forming a composite structure comprising rotating a base layer of an apparatus for forming the composite structure about an axis of rotation, transferring carbon short fibers from a first vibratory feed ramp onto the base layer in order to form a plurality of fibrous layers in the composite structure, and vibrating the first vibratory feed ramp during the transferring the carbon short fibers. The base layer may comprise an annular shape.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for forming a composite structure comprising rotating a base layer of an apparatus for forming the composite structure about an axis of rotation, transferring carbon short fibers from a first vibratory feed ramp onto the base layer in order to form a plurality of fibrous layers in the composite structure, and vibrating the first vibratory feed ramp during the transferring the carbon short fibers. The base layer may comprise an annular shape.

A sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a defibrating unit that defibrates a material containing fibers into a defibrated material, and a deposition unit that deposits a defibrated material defibrated by the defibrating unit. The deposition unit includes a material supply port through which the defibrated material from the defibrating unit is supplied, a plurality of opening ports through which the supplied defibrated material passes, and a dwell area disposed between the material supply port and the opening ports so that the defibrated material temporarily dwells in the dwell area. The dwell area allows the defibrated material to temporarily dwell in the dwell area so that a variation amount of the defibrated material that passes through the opening ports becomes smaller than a variation amount of the defibrated material supplied through the material supply port.

An article including one or more moisture wicking layers and one or more fibrous layers. The fibrous layers may have generally vertically oriented fibers, which may be oriented generally perpendicularly to a surface having or producing moisture. The article may be adapted to remove moisture form the surface having or producing moisture. The article may be breathable. The article may be quick drying. The article may provide cushioning. The article may be a wearable item.

An article including one or more moisture wicking layers and one or more fibrous layers. The fibrous layers may have generally vertically oriented fibers, which may be oriented generally perpendicularly to a surface having or producing moisture. The article may be adapted to remove moisture form the surface having or producing moisture. The article may be breathable. The article may be quick drying. The article may provide cushioning. The article may be a wearable item.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to coated substrates having, e.g., anti-viral properties, to articles including the coated substrates, and to processes for making such coated substrates and articles. In an embodiment, a mask for preventing infection by a virus is provided. The mask includes a coated substrate having a breathing resistance (95 L/min, EN 149:2001) of about 6 mbar or less and a water droplet absorption time of less than about 5 seconds. The coated substrate includes a non-woven fabric having a weight of about 120 g/m.sup.2 or less according to ASTM D3776, and mineral oxide particles, iron oxide particles, or both, coupled to at least a portion of the non-woven fabric.

An article including one or more moisture wicking layers and one or more fibrous layers. The fibrous layers may have generally vertically oriented fibers, which may be oriented generally perpendicularly to a surface having or producing moisture. The article may be adapted to remove moisture form the surface having or producing moisture. The article may be breathable. The article may be quick drying. The article may provide cushioning. The article may be a wearable item.

An article including one or more moisture wicking layers and one or more fibrous layers. The fibrous layers may have generally vertically oriented fibers, which may be oriented generally perpendicularly to a surface having or producing moisture. The article may be adapted to remove moisture form the surface having or producing moisture. The article may be breathable. The article may be quick drying. The article may provide cushioning. The article may be a wearable item.