A carbon substrate for a gas diffusion layer that has a porosity gradient in a thickness direction thereof, a gas diffusion using the carbon substrate, an electrode and a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell that include the gas diffusion layer, and a fuel cell including the membrane-electrode assembly having the gas diffusion layer are provided. The gas diffusion layer has improved water discharge ability and improved bending strength both in the machine direction and cross-machine direction.

A process of making a paper or nonwoven article is provide. The process comprising: a) providing a fiber furnish comprising a plurality of fibers and a plurality of binder microfibers, wherein the binder microfibers comprise a water non-dispersible, synthetic polymer; wherein the binder microfibers have a length of less than 25 millimeters and a fineness of less than 0.5 d/f; and wherein the binder microfibers have a melting temperature that is less than the melting temperature of the fibers; b) routing the fiber furnish to a wet-laid nonwoven process to produce at least one wet-laid nonwoven web layer; c) removing water from the wet-laid nonwoven web layer; and d) thermally bonding the wet-laid nonwoven web layer after step (c); wherein the thermal bonding is conducted at a temperature such that the surfaces of the binder microfibers at least partially melt without causing the fibers to melt thereby bonding the binder microfibers to the fibers to produce the paper or nonwoven article.

A process of making a paper or nonwoven article is provide. The process comprising: a) providing a fiber furnish comprising a plurality of fibers and a plurality of binder microfibers, wherein the binder microfibers comprise a water non-dispersible, synthetic polymer; wherein the binder microfibers have a length of less than 25 millimeters and a fineness of less than 0.5 d/f; and wherein the binder microfibers have a melting temperature that is less than the melting temperature of the fibers; b) routing the fiber furnish to a wet-laid nonwoven process to produce at least one wet-laid nonwoven web layer; c) removing water from the wet-laid nonwoven web layer; and d) thermally bonding the wet-laid nonwoven web layer after step (c); wherein the thermal bonding is conducted at a temperature such that the surfaces of the binder microfibers at least partially melt without causing the fibers to melt thereby bonding the binder microfibers to the fibers to produce the paper or nonwoven article.

The invention relates to an image receiving material for offset printing comprising a support and an image receiving layer, the image receiving layer comprising a porous pigment and an aqueous dispersion of a polymer particle characterized in that the image receiving layer further comprises a copolymer comprising alkylene and vinyl alcohol units.

A method for forming a thermoplastic composite material in a papermaking machine, wherein the method comprises the steps of: forming an aqueous fiber material suspension; bringing said fiber suspension in contact with at least one additive, said additive being introduced into said fiber suspension, whereby said additive reacts to form a precipitation product onto or into the fibers, thereby forming an intermediate suspension, introducing, after the formation of the intermediate suspension, a plastic material into said intermediate suspension, thereby forming a plastic fiber composite suspension.

A method for forming a thermoplastic composite material in a papermaking machine, wherein the method comprises the steps of: forming an aqueous fiber material suspension; bringing said fiber suspension in contact with at least one additive, said additive being introduced into said fiber suspension, whereby said additive reacts to form a precipitation product onto or into the fibers, thereby forming an intermediate suspension, introducing, after the formation of the intermediate suspension, a plastic material into said intermediate suspension, thereby forming a plastic fiber composite suspension.

A paper comprising polymeric fibers and a binder, wherein the polymeric fibers comprise first fibers and second fibers, the first fibers comprising an aramid copolymer having a structure derived from the reaction of para-oriented aromatic diamine monomer and benzimidazole monomer with a para-oriented aromatic diacid monomer, the second fibers comprising poly(para-phenylene terephthalate) homopolymer, and the binder comprising a third polymer that is either an aramid homopolymer or aramid copolymer; the paper having an ultimate tensile strength of 21 N-m/g or greater and average specific modulus of 4950 Pa-m.sup.3/g or greater.

A paper comprising polymeric fibers and a binder, wherein the polymeric fibers comprise first fibers and second fibers, the first fibers comprising an aramid copolymer having a structure derived from the reaction of para-oriented aromatic diamine monomer and benzimidazole monomer with a para-oriented aromatic diacid monomer, the second fibers comprising poly(para-phenylene terephthalate) homopolymer, and the binder comprising a third polymer that is either an aramid homopolymer or aramid copolymer; the paper having an ultimate tensile strength of 21 N-m/g or greater and average specific modulus of 4950 Pa-m.sup.3/g or greater.