The application relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a natural fiber based staple fibers. The application further relates to the staple fibers, staple fiber based raw wool and products comprising such. A method comprises providing a cellulose suspension (101, 310, 510) including water, refined cellulose fibrils and at least one rheology modifier, directing the cellulose suspension through a nozzle (102, 320, 520) onto a surface (300, 400, 500), drying the cellulose suspension onto the surface (103, 300, 400, 500) for forming a fiber (350, 550), and cutting the cellulose suspension on the surface for forming staple fibers (105).

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 smokeless tobacco product includes smokeless tobacco and structural fibers. The structural fibers forming a network in which the smokeless tobacco is entangled. The structural fibers have a composition different from the smokeless tobacco. The tobacco-entangled fabric can have an overall oven volatiles content of at least 10 weight percent. In some embodiments, the structural fibers form a nonwoven network. In some embodiments, fibrous structures of the smokeless tobacco are entangled with the structural fibers.

A smokeless tobacco product includes smokeless tobacco and structural fibers. The structural fibers forming a network in which the smokeless tobacco is entangled. The structural fibers have a composition different from the smokeless tobacco. The tobacco-entangled fabric can have an overall oven volatiles content of at least 10 weight percent. In some embodiments, the structural fibers form a nonwoven network. In some embodiments, fibrous structures of the smokeless tobacco are entangled with the structural fibers.

Provided is a nonwoven fabric for skin care products. The nonwoven fabric includes: a thermoplastic resin fiber having a single fiber diameter of 50 nm or more and 800 nm or less; and a cellulose fiber. A tensile strength of the cellulose fiber measured in accordance with JIS L 1015:2010 8.7.2 is 1.9 cN/dtex or less, a total content of the thermoplastic resin fiber and the cellulose fiber is 85% by mass or more relative to a total mass of the nonwoven fabric for skin care products, a content ratio by mass of the thermoplastic resin fiber and the cellulose fiber (thermoplastic resin fiber/cellulose fiber) is 0.23 to 1.50, and a density of the nonwoven fabric for skin care products is 0.08 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.16 g/cm.sup.3.

A method of making a nonwoven fiber web comprises: providing a melt-blown nonwoven fiber web comprising bonded primary fibers having an average fiber diameter of 2 to 100 microns, wherein the primary fibers comprise a copolymer comprising divalent hydroxyethylene monomer units and divalent dihydroxybutylene monomer units; opening at least a portion of the melt-blown nonwoven fiber web to provide loose primary fibers; combining the loose primary fibers with secondary fibers; and forming a secondary nonwoven fiber web comprising the primary fibers and secondary fibers. A fiber web preparable according to the method and a multicomponent fiber including a first phase comprising a copolymer comprising divalent hydroxyethylene monomer units and divalent dihydroxybutylene monomer units and a second phase comprising a non-biodegradable polymer.

A method of making a nonwoven fiber web comprises: providing a melt-blown nonwoven fiber web comprising bonded primary fibers having an average fiber diameter of 2 to 100 microns, wherein the primary fibers comprise a copolymer comprising divalent hydroxyethylene monomer units and divalent dihydroxybutylene monomer units; opening at least a portion of the melt-blown nonwoven fiber web to provide loose primary fibers; combining the loose primary fibers with secondary fibers; and forming a secondary nonwoven fiber web comprising the primary fibers and secondary fibers. A fiber web preparable according to the method and a multicomponent fiber including a first phase comprising a copolymer comprising divalent hydroxyethylene monomer units and divalent dihydroxybutylene monomer units and a second phase comprising a non-biodegradable polymer.

Disclosed is a wet wipe, for example, a dispersible wet wipe. The wet wipe may include a base sheet comprising short length fibers; a dispersible binding agent reinforcing the base sheet; and a wetting lotion. The dispersible binding agent may be configured to bind the fibers of the base sheet when the dispersible wipe includes liquid at an amount of at most 400 wt % from the weight of the base sheet and to disperse in excess water if the amount of the water exceeds 500 wt %.

A polymer filament molded product and a method of making a filament network that includes coating filaments with a latex polymer and shaping the filaments into a molded product; one in which a polymer is shaped and molded into a larger filament network. The molded products can be objects for apparel, home and garden, furnishings, health care, engineering, industrial and consumer goods. The molded filament mesh is “fractal” in nature because it is a filament interconnected network at the molecular scale and at the scale of the molded product. The natural tendency of the long molecule filaments to be an entangled structure is maintained.

A polymer filament molded product and a method of making a filament network that includes coating filaments with a latex polymer and shaping the filaments into a molded product; one in which a polymer is shaped and molded into a larger filament network. The molded products can be objects for apparel, home and garden, furnishings, health care, engineering, industrial and consumer goods. The molded filament mesh is “fractal” in nature because it is a filament interconnected network at the molecular scale and at the scale of the molded product. The natural tendency of the long molecule filaments to be an entangled structure is maintained.