The present invention provides a binder that is for inorganic fibers and that is characterized by containing (A) 100 parts by mass of a polyvinyl alcohol resin having a degree of polymerization of 100-3500, (B) 1-50 parts by mass of colloidal silica having an average particle size of 100 nm or less, and (C) 3 parts by mass or more of an ammonia-modified copolymer containing maleic anhydride. By using the binder for inorganic fibers according to the present invention, an inorganic fiber mat having resiliency comparable to that of phenolic resins can be fabricated, and the amount of volatile organic compounds released from the inorganic fiber mat is very small.

A method and apparatus for producing non-woven elements, including a body of bonded fibers in which graphene and/or graphene oxide is incorporated.

A method and apparatus for producing non-woven elements, including a body of bonded fibers in which graphene and/or graphene oxide is incorporated.

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 coated substrate is provided. The coated substrate includes a substrate having a weight of about 120 g/m.sup.2 or less according to ASTM D3776, mineral oxide particles, iron oxide particles, or both, coupled to at least a portion of the substrate wherein the coated substrate has a breathing resistance (95 L/min, EN 149:2001) of about 6 mbar or less.

Nonwoven fibrous webs including randomly oriented discrete fibers defining a multiplicity of non-hollow projections extending from a major surface of the nonwoven fibrous web (as considered without the projections), and a plurality of substantially planar land areas formed between each adjoining projection in a plane defined by and substantially parallel with the major surface. In some exemplary embodiments, the randomly oriented discrete fibers include multi-component fibers having at least a first region having a first melting temperature and a second region having a second melting temperature, wherein the first melting temperature is less than the second melting temperature. At least a portion of the oriented discrete fibers are bonded together at a plurality of intersection points with the first region of the multi-component fibers. In certain embodiments, the patterned air-laid nonwoven fibrous webs include particulates. Methods of making and using such patterned air-laid nonwoven fibrous webs are also disclosed.

Nonwoven fibrous webs including randomly oriented discrete fibers defining a multiplicity of non-hollow projections extending from a major surface of the nonwoven fibrous web (as considered without the projections), and a plurality of substantially planar land areas formed between each adjoining projection in a plane defined by and substantially parallel with the major surface. In some exemplary embodiments, the randomly oriented discrete fibers include multi-component fibers having at least a first region having a first melting temperature and a second region having a second melting temperature, wherein the first melting temperature is less than the second melting temperature. At least a portion of the oriented discrete fibers are bonded together at a plurality of intersection points with the first region of the multi-component fibers. In certain embodiments, the patterned air-laid nonwoven fibrous webs include particulates. Methods of making and using such patterned air-laid nonwoven fibrous webs are also disclosed.

A fibrous structure exhibits an absorbency time of equal to or less than 1.5 s and exhibits an antimicrobial effect.

A method for controlling fiber cross-alignment in a nanofiber membrane, comprising: providing a multiple segment collector in an electrospinning device including a first and second segment electrically isolated from an intermediate segment positioned between the first and second segment, collectively presenting a cylindrical structure, rotating the cylindrical structure around a longitudinal axis proximate to an electrically charged fiber emitter; electrically grounding or charging edge conductors circumferentially resident on the first and second segment, maintaining intermediate collector electrically neutral; dispensing electrospun fiber toward the collector, the fiber attaching to edge conductors and spanning the separation space between edge conductors; attracting electrospun fiber attached to the edge conductors to the surface of the cylindrical structure, forming a first fiber layer; increasing or decreasing rotation speed of the cylindrical structure to alter the angular cross-alignment relationship between aligned nanofibers in adjacent layers, the rotation speed being altered to achieve a target relational angle.

A sheet-like fiber structure (101) includes a plurality of first resin fibers with a plurality of gap portions, in which the plurality of first resin fibers each contain fine particles of tungsten-based oxide in a dispersed form. The content of the fine particles of tungsten-based oxide is preferably 0.5 wt % or more and 6 wt % or less relative to a total weight of the plurality of first resin fibers. By dispersing, into each of the plurality of first resin fibers that constitute the fiber structure (101), the fine particles of tungsten-based oxide having an optical wavelength-selective reflectivity of transmitting visible light and reflecting infrared light, it is possible to achieve both of high transmittance of visible light and high heat shielding performance.

A multilayer non-woven mat for a lead-acid battery includes a first layer of non-woven web of fibers including coarse fibers having an average fiber diameter from about 6 μm to about 25 μm and a second layer of non-woven web of fibers including microfibers having an average diameter from about 0.5 μm to about 5 μm. The multilayer non-woven mat includes a binder configured to simultaneously bind the coarse fibers in the first layer together, the microfibers in the second layer together, and at least some of the coarse fibers in the first layer to at least some of the microfibers in the second layer together. The first layer is configured to absorb an active material of an electrode of the lead acid battery, and the second layer is configured to block the active material of the electrode from passing through the non-woven glass mat.