Provided herein is a new fire barrier material composed of flame retardant (FR) cellulosic fiber(s) and one or more of an antimicrobial (AM) cellulosic fiber and an untreated cellulosic fiber(s). The fire barrier material may be a fabric woven or knitted from the yarn containing the FR cellulosic fiber(s) and the one or more of AM cellulosic fibers and untreated cellulosic fibers. When AM cellulosic fibers are combined with FR treated cellulosic fibers, the fire barrier material has the dual features of flame retardancy and antimicrobial properties. The fire barrier material may also be a nonwoven, and in preferred embodiments optionally includes a binder fiber. The FR cellulosic fiber contains FR chemical(s) or FR compound(s) that have a melting point or decomposition temperature at 400° C. (752° F.) or below. The FR performance of the new nonwoven provided herein is comparable to the conventional FR nonwoven (FR cellulosic fiber/binder fiber), but has advantages in cost effectiveness, as well as antimicrobial properties.

A refractory, coarse ceramic product including at least one granular refractory material, has an open porosity of between 22 and 45 vol.-%, in particular of between 23 and 29 vol.-%, and a grain structure of the refractory material, wherein the medium grain size fraction with grain sizes of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm is 10 to 55 wt.-%, in particular 35 to 50 wt.-%, and wherein the remainder of the grain structure is a finest grain fraction with grain sizes of up to 0.1 mm and/or coarse-grain fraction with grain sizes of more than 0.5 mm.

A nonwoven fabric and a method of making thereof. The nonwoven fabric includes a plurality of randomly-oriented fibers, the plurality of randomly-oriented fibers including: at least 60 wt % of oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers; and from to less than 40 wt % of reinforcing fibers having an outer surface comprised of a (co)polymer with a melting temperature of from 100° C. to 450° C.; and a fluoropolymer binder on the plurality of randomly-oriented fibers; wherein the plurality of randomly-oriented fibers is bonded together to form the nonwoven fabric, optionally wherein the nonwoven fabric has a thickness of one millimeter or less.

Provided are a space filling material and a space filling structure capable of filling a predetermined space for various purposes, and method for using those. A space filling material (11) includes reinforcing fibers as an expansion material and a resin. The reinforcing fibers form a plurality of intersections and are bonded with the resin at at least one of the intersections. Heating of the space filling material causes an expansion stress in at least a thickness direction (X) such that the space filling material fills a predetermined space (13). For example, the space filling material may contain the resin at a volume ratio of 15 to 95 vol % based on a total volume of the reinforcing fibers and the resin.

Filter media comprising non-woven fiber webs having one or more advantageous physical properties are generally described. In some embodiments, a filter media and/or non-woven fiber web described herein comprises a combination of fibers that results in enhanced physical properties. For example, the non-woven fiber web may comprise a combination of fiber types that is advantageous, such as a combination comprising fibrillated fibers, glass fibers, and/or binder fibers. In some cases, the filter media and/or non-woven fiber web comprising the combination of fibers may be formed into undulations (e.g., by a creping and/or microcreping process) to further enhance the physical properties of the filter media and/or non-woven fiber.

Filter media comprising non-woven fiber webs and having one or more advantageous structural properties are generally described. In some embodiments, a filter media and/or non-woven fiber web described herein has one or more properties that are both beneficial and easily obtainable by undulating the non-woven fiber web, such as by performing a creping procedure. This property may be characteristic of the procedure employed to form the undulations (e.g., creping and/or microcreping), or may be attainable via one or more methods of undulation.

Described is a composite made from a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, or a knitted face fabric and a non-woven fabric. The woven fabric, the non-woven fabric, or the knitted face fabric is needle punched such that fibers protrude into the non-woven fabric. The woven fabric, the non-woven fabric, or the knitted face fabric has a first polymer having a first melting point and a second polymer having a second melting point being higher than the first melting point. The nonwoven backing material comprises a third polymer having a third melting point and a fourth polymer having a fourth melting point being higher than the third melting point. The woven fabric, the non-woven fabric, or the knitted face fabric is further bonded to the nonwoven backing material applying heat to at least partially melt or soften the first polymer and the third polymer such that they bond together.

Disclosed is an arrangement and a method for manufacturing of a web of packaging material for an oral pouched snuff product. The web is a saliva-permeable nonwoven web includes fibres, whereof 0%-95% of said fibres are of a first type and 5%-100% of a second type, the fibres of the first type being cellulose-based staple fibres, and the fibres of the second type being thermoplastic fibres, which are meltable and/or softenable at least at the surface. The arrangement includes a carding unit for carding the fibres to form a pre-web, an air-through bonding unit for bonding the pre-web by means of at least partial melting and/or softening of the fibres of the second type to form the web, and a calendering unit for surface treatment of the web.

Disclosed is an arrangement and a method for manufacturing of a web of packaging material for an oral pouched snuff product. The web is a saliva-permeable nonwoven web includes fibres, whereof 0%-95% of said fibres are of a first type and 5%-100% of a second type, the fibres of the first type being cellulose-based staple fibres, and the fibres of the second type being thermoplastic fibres, which are meltable and/or softenable at least at the surface. The arrangement includes a carding unit for carding the fibres to form a pre-web, an air-through bonding unit for bonding the pre-web by means of at least partial melting and/or softening of the fibres of the second type to form the web, and a calendering unit for surface treatment of the web.

An article of apparel including insulation material is discussed. The insulation material includes an insulating layer formed of waterfowl fibers and synthetic fibers. The waterfowl fibers are present in an amount of at least 20% by weight of the insulating layer. The insulating layer is generally free of waterfowl plumage.