The prepreg sheet, which is an intermediate of molded articles, has a nonwoven fabric having carbon fibers and thermoplastic resin fibers, wherein the prepreg sheet has a thickness expansion rate of 250% or less after being heated for 90 seconds at a temperature of the melting point of the thermoplastic resin fiber to the melting point+100 C.

The present invention aims to provide a porous polyvinyl acetal object and a nonwoven polyvinyl acetal fabric each capable of exhibiting significantly high shock absorption. Provided is a porous polyvinyl acetal object having a large number of cells, including: a polyvinyl acetal; and a plasticizer, the porous object having an open cell ratio of 10% or higher, the porous object in the form of a sample with a size of 10 cm in length, 10 cm in width, and 4 mm in thickness having a coefficient of rebound (rebounding height/drop height) of 0.1 or lower in measurement of a rebounding height of a -inch SUS ball in conformity with JIS B 1501 dropped from a given drop height to the center of the sample placed on an iron plate with a size of 10 cm or more in length, 10 cm or more in width, and 1 cm in thickness.

A masterbatch is disclosed, along with associated methods, and biodegradable filaments, fibers, yarns and fabrics. The masterbatch includes 0.2 to 5 mass % CaCO.sub.3, an aliphatic polyester with a repeat unit having from two to six carbons in the chain between ester groups, with the proviso that the 2 to 6 carbons in the chain do not include side chain carbons, and a carrier polymer selected from the group consisting of PET, nylon, other thermoplastic polymers, and combinations thereof.

A masterbatch is disclosed, along with associated methods, and biodegradable filaments, fibers, yarns and fabrics. The masterbatch includes 0.2 to 5 mass % CaCO.sub.3, an aliphatic polyester with a repeat unit having from two to six carbons in the chain between ester groups, with the proviso that the 2 to 6 carbons in the chain do not include side chain carbons, and a carrier polymer selected from the group consisting of PET, nylon, other thermoplastic polymers, and combinations thereof.

A conformable noise control article useful reducing noise in a motor vehicle is provided. The article includes a nonwoven fiber web that is impregnated with a polymeric matrix composition having low (Tg) and high (Tg) polymers, additives and inorganic fillers. The density of the noise control article is at least ten times more than the density of the nonwoven fiber web. The article has an air flow resistivity that is at least ninety times greater than the air flow resistivity of a bare nonwoven web and exhibits a sound transmission loss in the frequency spectrum of 125 Hz to 5000 Hz.

A method of creating a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web is provided. The method includes providing two molten polymer components having different melting temperatures to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices, and flowing a fluid intermediate the spinneret and a moving porous member. The moving porous member is positioned below the spinneret. The method includes using the fluid to draw or push the two molten polymer components, in a direction that is toward the moving porous member, through at least some of the plurality of orifices to form a plurality of individual bi-component continuous fiber strands. The method includes depositing the continuous fiber strands on the moving porous member at a first location to create an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web, and removing and/or diverting some of the fluid proximate to the first location to maintain loft and softness in the deposited intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web.

A method of creating a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web is provided. The method includes providing two molten polymer components having different melting temperatures to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices, and flowing a fluid intermediate the spinneret and a moving porous member. The moving porous member is positioned below the spinneret. The method includes using the fluid to draw or push the two molten polymer components, in a direction that is toward the moving porous member, through at least some of the plurality of orifices to form a plurality of individual bi-component continuous fiber strands. The method includes depositing the continuous fiber strands on the moving porous member at a first location to create an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web, and removing and/or diverting some of the fluid proximate to the first location to maintain loft and softness in the deposited intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web.

A nonwoven extending in a machine direction and a perpendicular cross-machine direction and having fibers bonded by a pattern of thermal bonds. The thermal bonds comprise larger bonds having an individual area of at least 1.0 mm.sup.2, in particular at least 1.5 mm.sup.2; and smaller bonds having an individual area of less than 1.0 mm.sup.2, in particular from about 0.10 mm.sup.2 to about 1.0 mm.sup.2. There are at least as many smaller bonds as larger bonds, the ratio of the number of smaller bonds may be in particular about two.

A nonwoven extending in a machine direction and a perpendicular cross-machine direction and having fibers bonded by a pattern of thermal bonds. The thermal bonds comprise larger bonds having an individual area of at least 1.0 mm.sup.2, in particular at least 1.5 mm.sup.2; and smaller bonds having an individual area of less than 1.0 mm.sup.2, in particular from about 0.10 mm.sup.2 to about 1.0 mm.sup.2. There are at least as many smaller bonds as larger bonds, the ratio of the number of smaller bonds may be in particular about two.

The invention relates to a method for producing a tempered melt-blown nonwoven, comprising the following steps: a) producing a melt-blown nonwoven preferably by applying flowing air to the outside of polymer melt extruded through a nozzle and stretching said polymer melt before the filaments thereby formed are laid and cooled on a carrier, which is preferably a double suction drum, and b) tempering at least one section of the melt-blown nonwoven produced in step a) at a temperature that lies between the glass transition temperature and 0.1 C. below the melt temperature of the filaments of the melt-blown nonwoven, the melt-blown nonwoven having a weight per unit area of 100 to 600 g/m.sup.2, a density of 5 to 50 kg/m.sup.3 and a compression hardness at 60% compression, measured according to DIN EN ISO 3386, of at least 2 kPa. The invention further relates to a tempered melt-blown nonwoven produced by means of said method, preferably a tempered voluminous melt-blown nonwoven. Said tempered melt-blown nonwoven is characterized by a significantly increased compression hardness in comparison with an untempered melt-blown nonwoven.