A fine fiber production method and a fine fiber production apparatus are provided. The fine fiber production method includes: discharging a flowable polymer compound from a discharge port provided at an extruder; forming fibers having a fiber diameter of from 50 nm to 15 μm by spraying, in a direction intersecting with a discharge direction of the flowable polymer compound, a pressurized gas from an air nozzle to the discharged flowable polymer compound, the air nozzle including a temperature control member and a spindle-shaped nozzle or a De Laval nozzle; and collecting the fibers using a collection member provided downstream in a gas spraying direction.

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.

Provided is a fiber structure in which an extra-fine fiber layer and a substrate layer are integrated deeply. The fiber structure includes an extra-fine fiber layer 10 spreading in a plane direction, and a substrate layer 20 adjoining the extra-fine fiber layer, wherein the extra-fine fiber layer 10 includes extra-fine fibers having a number average single fiber diameter of 5 μm or less; the substrate layer 20 includes non-extra-fine fibers having a number average single fiber diameter of 7 μm or more; and in a cross section along a thickness direction of the fiber structure, the substrate layer 20 contains mixture portions 12 in each of which some of the extra-fine fibers pushed between the non-extra-fine fibers are widened in a crosswise direction.

A respirator or mask includes a filtration medium including a fabric which is a non-woven or knit fabric having a mixture of natural and synthetic fibres.

A thermally bonded filtration media that can be used in high temperature conditions in the absence of any loss of fiber through thermal effects or mechanical impact on the fiber components is disclosed. The filter media can be manufactured and used in a filter unit or structure, can be placed in a stream of removable fluid, and can remove a particulate load from the mobile stream at an increased temperature range. The combination of bi-component fiber, other filter media fiber, and other filtration additives provides an improved filtration media having unique properties in high temperature, high performance applications.

A polyester with ultra-high flowability and good stability over time is provided. The polyester can be polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or another aliphatic polyester, whose intrinsic viscosity (IV) is less than 0.6 dL/g and a carboxylic end group (CEG) content is 15 meq/kg or less, and characterized by having a melt volume rate (MVR) of greater than 400 cm.sup.3/10 min at 250° C. A resin composition of this polyester is provided, which can be meltblown into microfibers of a uniform diameter and a concentrated diameter distribution, forming a fabric with a uniform small pore size.

A polyester with ultra-high flowability and good stability over time is provided. The polyester can be polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or another aliphatic polyester, whose intrinsic viscosity (IV) is less than 0.6 dL/g and a carboxylic end group (CEG) content is 15 meq/kg or less, and characterized by having a melt volume rate (MVR) of greater than 400 cm.sup.3/10 min at 250° C. A resin composition of this polyester is provided, which can be meltblown into microfibers of a uniform diameter and a concentrated diameter distribution, forming a fabric with a uniform small pore size.

The invention relates to a polymer fibre with improved dispersibility, a method for producing said fibre and the use of said fibre. The polymer fibre according to the invention comprises at least one synthetic polymer and 0.1 and 20 wt. % of a silicone. The polymer forming the fibre forms a solid dispersion medium at room temperature (25° C.) for the silicone present in solid form also at room temperature (25° C.) which forms the more disperse phase. The polymer fibre according to the invention possesses an improved dispersibility and is therefore suitable for producing aqueous suspensions which are used, for example, in the formation of textile fabrics, e.g. nonwovens.

The invention relates to a polymer fibre with improved dispersibility, a method for producing said fibre and the use of said fibre. The polymer fibre according to the invention comprises at least one synthetic polymer and 0.1 and 20 wt. % of a silicone. The polymer forming the fibre forms a solid dispersion medium at room temperature (25° C.) for the silicone present in solid form also at room temperature (25° C.) which forms the more disperse phase. The polymer fibre according to the invention possesses an improved dispersibility and is therefore suitable for producing aqueous suspensions which are used, for example, in the formation of textile fabrics, e.g. nonwovens.