A reinforcing fiber mat includes reinforcing fiber bundles having an average fiber length of 5 mm to 100 mm, wherein reinforcing fiber bundles consisting of 86 or more fibers per bundle are contained at a weight content of more than 99 wt % to 100 wt % and the reinforcing fiber bundles contain single yarns by 500 fibers/mm-width or more and 1,600 fibers/mm-width or less and have a drape level of 120 mm or more and 240 mm or less.

A semipermeable membrane support having a thickness difference between measurement thickness at 0.80 N/cm.sup.2 and measurement thickness at 1.27 N/cm.sup.2 of 1.0 to 5.0% is excellent in adhesion to a semipermeable membrane and also adhesion between a raw water spacer and the semipermeable membrane and thereby can be expected to maintain high water permeability after modulation. A method of producing a semipermeable membrane support comprises the step of carrying out hot-press processing by using an elastic roll, which has(have) a hardness between a type A durometer hardness of 60 or more and a type D durometer hardness of 95 or less.

An apparatus for making a nonwoven fabric from thermoplastic fibers has a spinneret for spinning fibers into continuous filaments and a cooler for cooling the filaments. The cooled filaments are then deposited on a conveyor to form a nonwoven web. A first consolidator surface treats the nonwoven web with a hot fluid or hot air as it is conveyed on the conveyor. A second consolidating downstream of the first consolidator has a dual-belt furnace in which the nonwoven web is passed between two circulating belts or continuous belts for surface treating the nonwoven web with a hot fluid or hot air and for applying surface pressure can be applied to the nonwoven web at the same time.

An apparatus for making a nonwoven fabric from thermoplastic fibers has a spinneret for spinning fibers into continuous filaments and a cooler for cooling the filaments. The cooled filaments are then deposited on a conveyor to form a nonwoven web. A first consolidator surface treats the nonwoven web with a hot fluid or hot air as it is conveyed on the conveyor. A second consolidating downstream of the first consolidator has a dual-belt furnace in which the nonwoven web is passed between two circulating belts or continuous belts for surface treating the nonwoven web with a hot fluid or hot air and for applying surface pressure can be applied to the nonwoven web at the same time.

A system for thermally bonding nonwoven fibers of assemblages of nonwoven fibers loosely held together may include a processing duct including an inlet end, an outlet end, and an intermediate portion extending between the inlet end and the outlet end. The system also may include one or more heat inlets located in the intermediate portion and configured to facilitate introduction of heat and air flow into the intermediate portion. The system further may include an inlet air feed at the inlet end and configured to separate the assemblages upon entry into the inlet end and propel the assemblages into the intermediate portion. The system also may include one or more heating devices configured to heat the assemblages as the assemblages are conveyed toward the outlet end to form processed assemblages, each of the processed assemblages including at least some nonwoven fibers adhered to one another.

A system for thermally bonding nonwoven fibers of assemblages of nonwoven fibers loosely held together may include a processing duct including an inlet end, an outlet end, and an intermediate portion extending between the inlet end and the outlet end. The system also may include one or more heat inlets located in the intermediate portion and configured to facilitate introduction of heat and air flow into the intermediate portion. The system further may include an inlet air feed at the inlet end and configured to separate the assemblages upon entry into the inlet end and propel the assemblages into the intermediate portion. The system also may include one or more heating devices configured to heat the assemblages as the assemblages are conveyed toward the outlet end to form processed assemblages, each of the processed assemblages including at least some nonwoven fibers adhered to one another.

A method for making a high topography nonwoven substrate includes generating a foam including water and synthetic binder fibers; depositing the foam on a planar surface; disposing a template form on the foam opposite the planar surface to create a foam/form assembly; heating the foam/form assembly to dry the foam and bind the synthetic binder fibers; and removing the template from the substrate after heating the foam/form assembly, wherein the substrate includes a planar base layer having an X-Y surface and a backside surface opposite the X-Y surface; and a plurality of projection elements integral with and protruding in a Z-direction from the X-Y surface, wherein the projection elements are distributed in both the X- and Y-directions, and wherein the density of a projection element is the same as the density of the base layer.

A shaped sheet including a plurality of rows of protruding portions formed on a non-woven fabric sheet and extending in a first direction and a plurality of rows of protruding portions formed on the non-woven fabric sheet and extending in a second direction that crosses the first direction, wherein: the shaped sheet is more stretchable in the first direction than in the second direction; the shaped sheet is formed from a single layer of the non-woven fabric sheet; and a fusion-bonded portion that extends discontinuously or continuously in the first direction and that has a smaller thickness than the protruding portions due to its fusion-bonded structure is provided along a part or whole of a periphery of the protruding portions on the shaped sheet.

A non-woven textile may be formed from a plurality of thermoplastic polymer filaments. The non-woven textile may have a first region and a second region, with the filaments of the first region being fused to a greater degree than the filaments of the second region. A variety of products, including apparel (e.g., shirts, pants, footwear), may incorporate the non-woven textile. In some of these products, the non-woven textile may be joined with another textile element to form a seam. More particularly, an edge area of the non-woven textile may be heatbonded with an edge area of the other textile element at the seam. In other products, the non-woven textile may be joined with another component, whether a textile or a non-textile.

A non-woven textile may be formed from a plurality of thermoplastic polymer filaments. The non-woven textile may have a first region and a second region, with the filaments of the first region being fused to a greater degree than the filaments of the second region. A variety of products, including apparel (e.g., shirts, pants, footwear), may incorporate the non-woven textile. In some of these products, the non-woven textile may be joined with another textile element to form a seam. More particularly, an edge area of the non-woven textile may be heatbonded with an edge area of the other textile element at the seam. In other products, the non-woven textile may be joined with another component, whether a textile or a non-textile.