The invention relates to a biologically degradable polymer fibre made of renewable raw materials with good physical properties, as well as a method for its production and its use.

A nanofiber sheet has a nanofiber layer composed of an accumulation of nanofibers. The nanofiber sheet has a plurality of membrane-like regions which extend between the nanofibers. The membrane-like regions of the nanofiber sheet each contain a water insoluble polymer and a pigment. The water insoluble polymer contained in the membrane-like regions of the nanofiber sheet is different from a constituent member of the nanofibers. The nanofiber sheet is preferred because it has a plurality of membrane-like aggregate regions, each an aggregate of a plurality of membrane-like regions which are adjacent to each other via a fiber and it has a non-membrane-like region between the membrane-like aggregate regions adjacent to each other.

The invention relates to methods for providing crimped bast fibers which may include providing an input of bast fibers, adjusting the moisture content of the bast fibers to be in the range of about 10% to about 40% by weight to form a fiber mat, and contacting the fiber mat with a pair of heated crimping rolls to provide crimped bast fibers having a crimp of about 1 to about 10 crimps per centimeter. The invention further provides for a nonwoven fabric comprising at least 5% of the crimped bast fibers. The crimping of the bast fibers in these nonwoven fabrics is beneficial to forming a drylaid, airlaid or wetlaid nonwoven fabric that has desirable properties related to performance in a variety of nonwoven product applications.

A method for producing a sheet having nanofibers that contain a piezoelectric polymer material. The method including dissolving a piezoelectric polymer material into a solvent so as to prepare a spinning solution; preheating a target board before nanofibers are formed by electrospinning the spinning solution; and, after the heating of the target board, receiving the nanofibers formed by electrospinning onto the heated target board so as to form the nanofibers into a sheet on the heated target board.

Methods and apparatuses for producing a zoned and/or layered substrate are described. A substrate can include a first layer including a first zone, a second zone, and an interface between zones. The first zone can include a plurality of fibers. The second zone can include a plurality of fibers and can be offset from the first zone in a cross-direction. The interface can include at least some of the plurality of fibers of the first zone and at least some of the plurality of fibers of the second zone to provide a purity gradient with a transition width less than 3.8 cm as defined by the Purity Gradient Test Method as described herein.

The invention relates to a water-repellent and lipophilic composite needle-punched nonwoven fabric and a preparation method thereof. The method comprises the following steps: blending a PET fiber and a polyolefin-based fiber in a mass ratio of 3:1-1:3, and performing needle punching to obtain a composite needle-punched nonwoven fabric; carrying out hot-drying treatment on the composite needle-punched nonwoven fabric at 110-160° C. for 40-90 min; and carrying out water-repellent finishing on the hot-dried fabric using 50-70 mL/L of an aqueous solution of a modified resin-based fluorine-free waterproofing agent, and drying to obtain the water-repellent and lipophilic composite needle-punched nonwoven fabric, wherein the water-repellent finishing is dip rolling, the air pressure is 1.8 kPa and the liquid carrying rate is 160-230%. The preparation method of the invention is simple, and the prepared composite needle-punched nonwoven fabric has significantly improved water repellency, lipophilicity and tensile strength compared with the fabric before treatment.

An article comprising hollow ceramic microspheres and multi-component fibers is disclosed. The multi-component fibers are adhered together, and the hollow ceramic microspheres are adhered to external surfaces of the multi-component fibers. A method of making the article and use of the article for insulation are also disclosed.

Multi-component fibers or filaments that are ribbon shaped are provided having polymer components positioned in a side-by-side fashion. For example, the multi-component fibers may be bicomponent fibers having ribbon shape. The polymer components of the fibers are selected to have differential shrinkage behavior. Nonwovens are also provided that are manufactured from such ribbon shaped multi-component fibers or filaments.

Provided are a stretchable non-woven fabric including crimped fibers, satisfying the following formula: (σ.sub.65−σ.sub.55)/(σ.sub.30−σ.sub.20)≥2.5, when a stress σ (N/50 mm) at a strain ε of 20%, 30%, 55% and 65% in a stress-strain curve by a tensile test for at least one direction in a plane direction, is referred to as σ.sub.20, σ.sub.30, σ.sub.55 and σ.sub.65, respectively, and a bandage including the non-woven fabric. The non-woven fabric and the bandage lead small deterioration in stretching performance when used repeatedly, and can be excellent in repetition durability.

Membranes suitable for use in membrane distillation are provided. Such membranes may include nano-fibrous layers with adjustable pore sizes. The membranes may include a hydrophobic nanofibrous scaffold and a thin hydrophilic protecting layer that can significantly reduce fouling and scaling problems.