Nonwoven fabrics including (i) continuous fibers and (ii) a blend of staple fibers comprising polyester staple fibers, bicomponent staple fibers, microfiber staple fibers, and wettable staple fibers, in which the continuous fibers are mechanically entangled with the blend of staple fibers. The continuous fibers and the blend of staple fibers may be mechanically entangled via a hydroentangling process.

An alumina fiber aggregate that is formed of alumina short fibers and has been subjected to needling treatment, wherein the alumina short fibers have an average fiber diameter of 6.0 μm or more and 10.0 μm or less and a specific surface area of 0.2 m.sup.2/g or more and 1.0 m.sup.2/g or less, and a residual percentage (%) of high-temperature-cycle opened gap pressure of the alumina fiber aggregate is 45% or more. A value obtained by subtracting twice the standard error of a length-weighted geometric mean diameter of fiber diameters of the alumina short fibers from the length-weighted geometric mean diameter is 6.0 μm or more. A proportion of alumina short fibers having a fiber diameter of more than 10.0 μm is preferably 5.0% or less on a number basis.

A process for producing nonwoven materials is provided. The process includes: providing a three-phase (gas-liquid-solid) suspension, providing a first moving carrier sieve, applying the three-phase suspension onto the first moving carrier sieve to produce a fibrous web, removing aqueous residue of the three-phase suspension through the first carrier sieve, recycling the aqueous residue, pre-integrating the fibrous web by flushing the web with water and collecting flushed water, transferring the pre-integrated fibrous web from the first moving carrier sieve to a second moving carrier sieve, and hydroentangling the fibrous web. The three-phase suspension contains natural and/or manmade fibres, a surfactant, and air.

A process for producing nonwoven materials is provided. The process includes: providing a three-phase (gas-liquid-solid) suspension, providing a first moving carrier sieve, applying the three-phase suspension onto the first moving carrier sieve to produce a fibrous web, removing aqueous residue of the three-phase suspension through the first carrier sieve, recycling the aqueous residue, pre-integrating the fibrous web by flushing the web with water and collecting flushed water, transferring the pre-integrated fibrous web from the first moving carrier sieve to a second moving carrier sieve, and hydroentangling the fibrous web. The three-phase suspension contains natural and/or manmade fibres, a surfactant, and air.

A system and associated method for preparing a composite sheet material is provided. The system includes a nonwoven fabric source; a collection surface onto which a nonwoven fabric is deposited; a carding device disposed downstream of the nonwoven fabric source overlying the collection surface, the carding device including a main cylinder, an air source configured to provide a stream of air; an air manifold having an air inlet in communication with the air source, an air outlet, a fiber inlet, an interior channel, and a fiber outlet. The air outlet is positioned to direct an air stream against a surface the cylinder to dislodge fibers from the surface of the cylinder. The dislodged fibers enter the fiber inlet and flow to the fiber outlet at which point the fibers are deposited onto a surface of the nonwoven fabric. The fabrics are then bonded to form a coherent sheet material.

An absorbent material, such as a non-woven web or a tissue paper, includes continuous filaments and short fibers, the short fibers including natural and/or synthetic fibers or staple fibers. The absorbent material exhibits an absorbency speed of equal to or less than 2 s and a weight loss when washed of equal to or less than 5%. The absorbent material can be incorporated into a wipe.

An absorbent material, such as a non-woven web or a tissue paper, includes continuous filaments and short fibers, the short fibers including natural and/or synthetic fibers or staple fibers. The absorbent material exhibits an absorbency speed of equal to or less than 2 s and a weight loss when washed of equal to or less than 5%. The absorbent material can be incorporated into a wipe.

A planar composite material comprises an UD fiber layer A made of discrete reinforcing fiber rovings and a fiber nonwoven layer B made of a thermoplastic nonwoven which may contain reinforcing fibers, wherein the layers A and B are needled to each other.

A planar composite material comprises an UD fiber layer A made of discrete reinforcing fiber rovings and a fiber nonwoven layer B made of a thermoplastic nonwoven which may contain reinforcing fibers, wherein the layers A and B are needled to each other.

The present disclosure describes a tampon article, a composite fibrous web, and a method of making same. Such an article includes an outer carrier component including an inner surface that defines an internal void. Including an absorbent component elongate along an axis and is disposed in the internal void. The absorbent component includes an outer surface that extends about the axis and faces the inner surface. The absorbent component further includes a composite fibrous web of staple cellulosic fibers and a meltspun web of filaments entangled with the web of staple cellulosic fibers. The composite fibrous web can be in a compressed configuration in the internal void such that at least portion of the outer surface of the absorbent component is defined by the meltspun web of filaments. The tampon can include a withdrawal cord coupled to the absorbent component.