A free fibre or loose fibre structure for padding comprising a shell containing a plurality of free or loose fibres, said structure being characterised in that said free or loose fibres have a cut that reproduces the length, and in part the fineness, of genuine goose down.

A free fibre or loose fibre structure for padding comprising a shell containing a plurality of free or loose fibres, said structure being characterised in that said free or loose fibres have a cut that reproduces the length, and in part the fineness, of genuine goose down.

Nonwoven webs/nonwoven laminates for use in absorbent articles are disclosed. The nonwoven laminate includes a first nonwoven web with continuous spunbond crimped fibers and a second web joined to the first nonwoven web. A plurality of apertures extend through at least one of the first nonwoven web or the second web. The nonwoven web includes a plurality of continuous spunbond crimped fibers wherein a plurality of apertures extend through the nonwoven web.

Nonwoven webs/nonwoven laminates for use in absorbent articles are disclosed. The nonwoven laminate includes a first nonwoven web with continuous spunbond crimped fibers and a second web joined to the first nonwoven web. A plurality of apertures extend through at least one of the first nonwoven web or the second web. The nonwoven web includes a plurality of continuous spunbond crimped fibers wherein a plurality of apertures extend through the nonwoven web.

A disposable absorbent article having a crimped fiber spunbond nonwoven web is described herein. The disposable absorbent article has a topsheet, a backsheet attached to the topsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. The crimped fiber spunbond nonwoven web is either at least a portion of the topsheet or the backsheet or at least a portion of the topsheet and the backsheet. The crimped fiber spunbond nonwoven web includes a plurality of apertures extending therethrough.

A disposable absorbent article having a crimped fiber spunbond nonwoven web is described herein. The disposable absorbent article has a topsheet, a backsheet attached to the topsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. The crimped fiber spunbond nonwoven web is either at least a portion of the topsheet or the backsheet or at least a portion of the topsheet and the backsheet. The crimped fiber spunbond nonwoven web includes a plurality of apertures extending therethrough.

Dimensionally stable fire-resistant fibrous structures including fire-resistant melt-blown nonwoven fibers, and processes and apparatus for producing such dimensionally stable, fire-resistant nonwoven fibrous structures. The melt-blown fibers include poly(phenylene sulfide) in an amount sufficient for the nonwoven fibrous structures to pass one or more fire-resistance test selected from UL 94 V0, FAR 25.853 (a), and FAR 25.856 (a), without any halogenated flame-retardant additive in the nonwoven fibrous structure. The melt-blown fibers are subjected to a controlled in-flight heat treatment at a temperature below a melting temperature of the poly(phenylene sulfide) immediately upon exiting from at least one orifice of a melt-blowing die, in order to impart dimensional stability to the fibers. The nonwoven fibrous structures including the in-flight heat treated melt-blown fibers exhibit a Shrinkage less than a Shrinkage measured on an identically-prepared structure including only fibers not subjected to the controlled in-flight heat treatment operation, and generally less than 15%.

Dimensionally stable fire-resistant fibrous structures including fire-resistant melt-blown nonwoven fibers, and processes and apparatus for producing such dimensionally stable, fire-resistant nonwoven fibrous structures. The melt-blown fibers include poly(phenylene sulfide) in an amount sufficient for the nonwoven fibrous structures to pass one or more fire-resistance test selected from UL 94 V0, FAR 25.853 (a), and FAR 25.856 (a), without any halogenated flame-retardant additive in the nonwoven fibrous structure. The melt-blown fibers are subjected to a controlled in-flight heat treatment at a temperature below a melting temperature of the poly(phenylene sulfide) immediately upon exiting from at least one orifice of a melt-blowing die, in order to impart dimensional stability to the fibers. The nonwoven fibrous structures including the in-flight heat treated melt-blown fibers exhibit a Shrinkage less than a Shrinkage measured on an identically-prepared structure including only fibers not subjected to the controlled in-flight heat treatment operation, and generally less than 15%.

Provided is a conjugate fiber for air-laid nonwoven fabric manufacture having a planar zig-zag crimp shape before a thermal treatment, such that a uniform web is obtained by air laying with high processability and productivity, and the conjugate fiber develops a spiral crimp when the web is subjected to a thermal treatment to thereby enable the web to shrink significantly, as a result of which a nonwoven fabric can be obtained in which fibers are amassed to a high density. The conjugate fiber for air-laid nonwoven fabric manufacture is a heat-fusible conjugate fiber in which a first component comprising an olefinic thermoplastic resin is conjugated with a second component comprising an olefinic thermoplastic resin having a melting point higher than that of the first component. The conjugate form is such that the centers of gravity of the conjugate components are mutually different in the fiber cross section, the fiber has a single-yarn fineness of 1 to 10 dtex, a fiber length of 3 to 20 mm, and a planar zig-zag crimp whose crimp shape index (actual length of short fiber/distance between both ends of short fiber) ranges from 1.05 to 1.60, and the web shrinkage upon thermal treatment at 145 C. of a web obtained by an air-laid method is not lower than 40%.

Provided is a conjugate fiber for air-laid nonwoven fabric manufacture having a planar zig-zag crimp shape before a thermal treatment, such that a uniform web is obtained by air laying with high processability and productivity, and the conjugate fiber develops a spiral crimp when the web is subjected to a thermal treatment to thereby enable the web to shrink significantly, as a result of which a nonwoven fabric can be obtained in which fibers are amassed to a high density. The conjugate fiber for air-laid nonwoven fabric manufacture is a heat-fusible conjugate fiber in which a first component comprising an olefinic thermoplastic resin is conjugated with a second component comprising an olefinic thermoplastic resin having a melting point higher than that of the first component. The conjugate form is such that the centers of gravity of the conjugate components are mutually different in the fiber cross section, the fiber has a single-yarn fineness of 1 to 10 dtex, a fiber length of 3 to 20 mm, and a planar zig-zag crimp whose crimp shape index (actual length of short fiber/distance between both ends of short fiber) ranges from 1.05 to 1.60, and the web shrinkage upon thermal treatment at 145 C. of a web obtained by an air-laid method is not lower than 40%.