Disclosed are methods for making shock absorbing pads utilizing reclaimed artificial turf and reclaimed carpet materials. It is demonstrated that the artificial turf systems comprising inventive pads exhibit improved Head Impact Criteria (HIC) and cradle-to-cradle score.

A rigid nylon porous material sheet is produced by the adhesive bonding of kinked nylon fibers having lengths of 1 to 5 inches. These fibers are cut from melt spun nylon or harvested from clean carpet fibers by shearing. The adhesive used is glycol, which attacks nylon at 180 C. forming a gel on the surface of the kinked fibers, but does not attack the nylon fibers when the kinked fiber assembly is cooled to 150 C. to precipitate ultrafine nylon within the gel. The fiber assembly is heated to 160 C. to bond the nylon fibers. It is then washed in hot water to remove unused glycol. The other adhesive is polyurethane, which is applied to the kinked fibers using coupling agents of aqueous resorcinol and vinyl pyrrolidone.

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 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.

A fabric made by the method of providing a non-woven batt having flame retardant fibers, stitch bonding the non-woven batt with an elastic yarn, and heat treatment the stitch bonded, non-woven batt. The stitch bonded non-woven batt is exposed to a temperature in a range of 65 C. to 200 C. for a period in a range of 30 seconds to 120 seconds, and contracts in the machine direction in a range of 5% to 65% and in the cross-direction in a range of 20% to 70%. In an embodiment, the fabric is adapted for use as a mattress core cover.

A fabric made by the method of providing a non-woven batt having flame retardant fibers, stitch bonding the non-woven batt with an elastic yarn, and heat treatment the stitch bonded, non-woven batt. The stitch bonded non-woven batt is exposed to a temperature in a range of 65 C. to 200 C. for a period in a range of 30 seconds to 120 seconds, and contracts in the machine direction in a range of 5% to 65% and in the cross-direction in a range of 20% to 70%. In an embodiment, the fabric is adapted for use as a mattress core cover.

The present disclosure relates to a nonwoven polyamide structure having antimicrobial properties comprising: nonwoven polyamide fibers comprising less than 4000 ppm zinc dispersed within the nonwoven polyamide fibers; and less than 2000 ppm phosphorus. The fibers have an average fiber diameter of less than 25 microns; and the polyamide structure demonstrates a Staphylococcus Aureus reduction of at least 90%, as measured by ISO 20743-13.

The invention provides an article of manufacture useful for simultaneously maintaining, cleaning and polishing hard surfaces comprising independently a driver element composite pad comprised of a top non-woven layer and one or more non woven bottom layers laminated together with an adhesive interlayer, said composite pad having a central opening extending through all the layers and one or more equidistant or non-equidistant openings on the top nonwoven layer therein and polishing inserts elements disposed in said equidistant or non-equidistant openings. The invention also provides a kit for polishing hard surfaces comprising: (a) a driver element having a central opening and one or more equidistant or non-equidistant openings; (b) polishing inserts elements for said driver element having equidistant or non-equidistant openings; and wherein said kit provides a hard surface with a consistent and improved surface smoothness and reflected image quality.

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.