A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a coarse crushing portion that crushes a raw material containing a fiber into coarse crushed pieces, a defibrating portion that defibrates the coarse crushed pieces into a defibrated material, a sieve portion that includes a plurality of openings, a sheet forming portion that uses the defibrated material passing through the opening of the sieve portion to form a sheet, and a transport passage that transports the defibrated material, which has not passed through the opening of the sieve portion, between the coarse crushing portion and the defibrating portion.

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a coarse crushing portion that crushes a raw material containing a fiber into coarse crushed pieces, a defibrating portion that defibrates the coarse crushed pieces into a defibrated material, a sieve portion that includes a plurality of openings, a sheet forming portion that uses the defibrated material passing through the opening of the sieve portion to form a sheet, and a transport passage that transports the defibrated material, which has not passed through the opening of the sieve portion, between the coarse crushing portion and the defibrating portion.

A spatially controllable, for example CD controllable, eductor, and more particularly an eductor that is capable of providing a variable motive fluid and processes using such an eductor are provided.

A wettable SMS material for personal protective equipment, such as a SMS fabric that has been treated to improve the wettability and absorbency properties of the SMS fabric is provided. A treated SMS fabric for personal protective equipment can retain its durability, breathability, and comfort, and may also provide the fabric with wettability and absorption properties. An article for personal protective equipment formed from a wettable SMS fabric is also provided.

A wettable SMS material for personal protective equipment, such as a SMS fabric that has been treated to improve the wettability and absorbency properties of the SMS fabric is provided. A treated SMS fabric for personal protective equipment can retain its durability, breathability, and comfort, and may also provide the fabric with wettability and absorption properties. An article for personal protective equipment formed from a wettable SMS fabric is also provided.

Provided is a reinforcing fiber mat including a reinforcing fiber mat constituted by reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm. The reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iv): i) a weight-average fiber width (Ww) of the reinforcing fibers satisfies the following Equation (1):
0.03 mm<Ww<5.0 mm   (1);
ii) an average fiber width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn) defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn) of the reinforcing fibers is 1.8 or more and 20.0 or less; iii) a weight-average fiber thickness of the reinforcing fibers is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww); and iv) a fiber width distribution of the reinforcing fibers included in the reinforcing fiber mat has at least two peaks.

Provided is a reinforcing fiber mat including a reinforcing fiber mat constituted by reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm. The reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iv): i) a weight-average fiber width (Ww) of the reinforcing fibers satisfies the following Equation (1):
0.03 mm<Ww<5.0 mm   (1);
ii) an average fiber width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn) defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn) of the reinforcing fibers is 1.8 or more and 20.0 or less; iii) a weight-average fiber thickness of the reinforcing fibers is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww); and iv) a fiber width distribution of the reinforcing fibers included in the reinforcing fiber mat has at least two peaks.

A random mat includes a chopped fiber bundle [A] obtained by obliquely cutting a partially separated fiber bundle [B] prepared by alternately forming separation-processed sections, each of which is separated into a plurality of bundles, and not-separation-processed sections, along the lengthwise direction of a fiber bundle, wherein the total cross-sectional area of reinforcing fibers exhibits a specific change amount between both tips of the chopped fiber bundle [A]; a production method produces the random mat; and a fiber-reinforced resin molding material uses the random mat.

A random mat includes a chopped fiber bundle [A] obtained by obliquely cutting a partially separated fiber bundle [B] prepared by alternately forming separation-processed sections, each of which is separated into a plurality of bundles, and not-separation-processed sections, along the lengthwise direction of a fiber bundle, wherein the total cross-sectional area of reinforcing fibers exhibits a specific change amount between both tips of the chopped fiber bundle [A]; a production method produces the random mat; and a fiber-reinforced resin molding material uses the random mat.

Systems, devices and methods are provided for producing fibrous materials and products, such as filters. A system comprises a first device for generating one or more fiber stream(s), and a second device for isolating nanoparticles within a gaseous medium. The second device forms the nanoparticles into a stream and feeds this stream into the fiber streams to form the fibrous material. This distributes the nanoparticles more uniformly throughout the fibrous material. In addition, the nanoparticles increase the overall surface area within the material, which, in certain applications, increases its filtration efficiency and allows for the capture of submicron contaminants without significantly compromising other factors, such as pressure drop through the filter. Filters produced with these systems and methods are capable of withstanding rigorous conditioning, which allows the filter to achieve substantially the same level of filtration performance throughout the lifetime of the filter.