A method for producing a nonwoven for shielding electromagnetic radiation in a terahertz (THz) range includes: providing a first metal alloy adapted to shield electromagnetic radiation; providing a polymer material; providing a second metal alloy which differs from the first metal alloy; producing polymer fibers with filled fiber cores by evaporating the first metal alloy and mixing the first metal alloy molecules with the polymer material; coating at least a part of a surface of the polymer fibers with the second metal alloy; producing the nonwoven by randomly and irregularly arranging the coated polymer fibers with filled fiber cores in a three spatial dimensional directions, or producing the nonwoven by randomly and irregularly arranging the polymer fibers with filled fiber cores in the three spatial dimensional directions and coating at least a part of a surface of the nonwoven with the second metal alloy.

A non-woven fabric is provided which includes a three-dimensional array of fibers. The three-dimensional array of fibers includes an array of standing fibers extending perpendicular to a plane of the non-woven fabric and attached to a base substrate, where the base substrate is one or more of an expendable film substrate, a metal base substrate, or a mandrel substrate. Further, the three-dimensional array of fibers includes multiple layers of non-woven parallel fibers running parallel to the plane of the non-woven fiber in between the array of standing fibers in a defined pattern of fiber layer orientations. In implementation, the array of standing fibers are grown to extend from the base substrate using laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition (LCVD).

A non-woven fabric is provided which includes a three-dimensional array of fibers. The three-dimensional array of fibers includes an array of standing fibers extending perpendicular to a plane of the non-woven fabric and attached to a base substrate, where the base substrate is one or more of an expendable film substrate, a metal base substrate, or a mandrel substrate. Further, the three-dimensional array of fibers includes multiple layers of non-woven parallel fibers running parallel to the plane of the non-woven fiber in between the array of standing fibers in a defined pattern of fiber layer orientations. In implementation, the array of standing fibers are grown to extend from the base substrate using laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition (LCVD).

A non-woven fiber article for use in a food, medical, or pharmaceutical production environment including a melt-spun polymer fiber is provided having a cross-section and a length and a detectable particulate present in an amount of 20 to 80 weight percent loadings of metal or 10 to 80 weight percent loadings of radiopaque particles to render the polymer fiber detectable by magnetic or X-ray detection, alone or in combination with a secondary functional particulate distributed with the polymer fiber to render the polymer fiber chemically responsive to a chemical reactant, change in pH or temperature. The detectable particulate and the secondary functional particulate are each independently present in a core, a sheath, or both portions of polymer matrix. A process of detecting a fabric made from such a fiber. The fabric article passes through detector. A signal is collected from the detector indicative of the presence of the fabric article.

A non-woven fiber article for use in a food, medical, or pharmaceutical production environment including a melt-spun polymer fiber is provided having a cross-section and a length and a detectable particulate present in an amount of 20 to 80 weight percent loadings of metal or 10 to 80 weight percent loadings of radiopaque particles to render the polymer fiber detectable by magnetic or X-ray detection, alone or in combination with a secondary functional particulate distributed with the polymer fiber to render the polymer fiber chemically responsive to a chemical reactant, change in pH or temperature. The detectable particulate and the secondary functional particulate are each independently present in a core, a sheath, or both portions of polymer matrix. A process of detecting a fabric made from such a fiber. The fabric article passes through detector. A signal is collected from the detector indicative of the presence of the fabric article.

A holding material for a pollution control element which can sufficiently suppress scattering of inorganic fibers when the pollution control element is assembled in a casing, and which has a sufficiently high coefficient of friction. The holding material includes: a sheet-like main body made of first inorganic fibers having a minor axis in the range of from about 3 to 10 m; and a surface layer which is provided on at least one surface of the main body and contains second inorganic fibers having a minor axis in the range of from about 1 to 15 nm.

A holding material for a pollution control element which can sufficiently suppress scattering of inorganic fibers when the pollution control element is assembled in a casing, and which has a sufficiently high coefficient of friction. The holding material includes: a sheet-like main body made of first inorganic fibers having a minor axis in the range of from about 3 to 10 m; and a surface layer which is provided on at least one surface of the main body and contains second inorganic fibers having a minor axis in the range of from about 1 to 15 nm.

A melt-spun polymer fiber is provided having a cross-section and a length. A detectable particulate has a size of less than 31 microns and present in an amount of 2.0 to 50.0 weight percent loadings of metal or 10 to 80 weight percent loadings of radiopaque particles to render the polymer fiber detectable by metal (magnetic) or X-ray detection, alone or in combination with a secondary functional particulate distributed in or on the polymer fiber to render the polymer fiber chemically responsive to a chemical reactant, change in pH or temperature. The detectable particulate and the secondary functional particulate are each independently present in a core, a sheath, or both portions of polymer matrix. A process of detecting a fabric made from such a fiber. The fabric article passes through detector. A signal is collected from the detector indicative of the presence of the fabric article.

A melt-spun polymer fiber is provided having a cross-section and a length. A detectable particulate has a size of less than 31 microns and present in an amount of 2.0 to 50.0 weight percent loadings of metal or 10 to 80 weight percent loadings of radiopaque particles to render the polymer fiber detectable by metal (magnetic) or X-ray detection, alone or in combination with a secondary functional particulate distributed in or on the polymer fiber to render the polymer fiber chemically responsive to a chemical reactant, change in pH or temperature. The detectable particulate and the secondary functional particulate are each independently present in a core, a sheath, or both portions of polymer matrix. A process of detecting a fabric made from such a fiber. The fabric article passes through detector. A signal is collected from the detector indicative of the presence of the fabric article.

An electrically conductive filler comprises particles having a base substrate and a conductive coating. In some embodiments, the base substrate is a metal, plastic, glass, natural or synthetic graphite, carbon, ceramics, fiber or fabric. In some embodiments, the coating provides improved electrical conductivity, and the coated particle has lower electrical resistance than the uncoated base particle. Other embodiments and methods of making and using the electrically conductive filler are also disclosed.