The invention provides an insulation material that includes exothermic fibers, heat capturing fibers capable of retaining heat, and synthetic fibers. The heat capturing fibers having a density of at least 1.17 g/cm.sup.3or 2.0 Dtex linear density. Also provided are articles comprising, and methods of making the inventive insulation material.

A process for forming a nonwoven composite begins with forming a first nonwoven from a plurality of primary fibers and optionally binder fibers. A second nonwoven layer is formed from a plurality of bulking fibers and binder fibers. A thermoplastic elastomeric film is placed between the two nonwoven layers, the film containing a thermoplastic elastomeric polymer having an elongation at break greater than 300% and a max softening point (thermomechanical analysis end point) between 150 C. and 200 C. as tested according to ASTM E2347-04. The layers are needled together creating a plurality of holes in the thermoplastic elastomeric layer and moving a portion of the primary fibers from the first nonwoven layer into the second nonwoven layer. The needled stacked layers are heated to alter the median size of the holes in the thermoplastic elastomeric film forming the nonwoven composite.

A process for forming a nonwoven composite begins with forming a first nonwoven from a plurality of primary fibers and optionally binder fibers. A second nonwoven layer is formed from a plurality of bulking fibers and binder fibers. A thermoplastic elastomeric film is placed between the two nonwoven layers, the film containing a thermoplastic elastomeric polymer having an elongation at break greater than 300% and a max softening point (thermomechanical analysis end point) between 150 C. and 200 C. as tested according to ASTM E2347-04. The layers are needled together creating a plurality of holes in the thermoplastic elastomeric layer and moving a portion of the primary fibers from the first nonwoven layer into the second nonwoven layer. The needled stacked layers are heated to alter the median size of the holes in the thermoplastic elastomeric film forming the nonwoven composite.

Provided are a fibrous sheet having a stress relaxation rate defined by the following formula of less than or equal to 85%:

stress relaxation rate [%]=(stress S.sub.5 at extension after five minutes/stress S.sub.0 at initial extension)?100

when a stress at extension immediately after extension in an in-plane first direction at 50% elongation is defined as a stress S.sub.0 (N/50 mm) at initial extension, and a stress at extension at a time of extending in the first direction at 50% elongation for five minutes is defined as a stress S.sub.5 (N/50 mm) at extension after five minutes, and a bandage including the fibrous sheet.

A method for laying down a nanoweb of nanofibers from a centrifugal spinning process by a combination of an air flow field and a charging arrangement. Fibrous streams in the form of fibrils of molten polymer or polymer solution are discharged from a rotating member into an air flow field that is essentially parallel to the direction of discharge of fibrils at the point of discharge of the fibrils. The fibrous streams are attentuated and directed by means of the air flow field onto the surface of a collector to form a nanoweb. The fibrous streams are charged along all or at least a portion of their route from the point of discharge to the surface of the collector.

A method for laying down a nanoweb of nanofibers from a centrifugal spinning process by a combination of an air flow field and a charging arrangement. Fibrous streams in the form of fibrils of molten polymer or polymer solution are discharged from a rotating member into an air flow field that is essentially parallel to the direction of discharge of fibrils at the point of discharge of the fibrils. The fibrous streams are attentuated and directed by means of the air flow field onto the surface of a collector to form a nanoweb. The fibrous streams are charged along all or at least a portion of their route from the point of discharge to the surface of the collector.

The present invention provides a conjugated fiber suitable for use as a crimped fiber capable of producing an artificial leather having highly dense texture and good quality. The present invention also provides a base body for an artificial leather and an artificial leather produced by using such conjugated fiber. The conjugated fiber of the present invention includes a conjugated fiber comprising a readily soluble polyester component and a less readily soluble component, and the readily soluble polyester component comprises a copolymerized polyester having 5 to 10% by mole of 5-sodium sulfoisophthalate copolymerized therewith and the readily soluble polyester component contains a polyalkylene glycol. The polyalkylene glycol is in the form of streaks extending in longitudinal direction of the fiber in the longitudinal cross section of the conjugated fiber.

The present invention provides a conjugated fiber suitable for use as a crimped fiber capable of producing an artificial leather having highly dense texture and good quality. The present invention also provides a base body for an artificial leather and an artificial leather produced by using such conjugated fiber. The conjugated fiber of the present invention includes a conjugated fiber comprising a readily soluble polyester component and a less readily soluble component, and the readily soluble polyester component comprises a copolymerized polyester having 5 to 10% by mole of 5-sodium sulfoisophthalate copolymerized therewith and the readily soluble polyester component contains a polyalkylene glycol. The polyalkylene glycol is in the form of streaks extending in longitudinal direction of the fiber in the longitudinal cross section of the conjugated fiber.

An extensible nonwoven fabric, and method for its manufacture, on which the source, medicinal component, pattern and/or other pieces of information are recognizable at the beginning of and during fabric use. It is made mainly of highly crimped fibers, with a compressed region where no fibers are melted and bonded together, with a tensile strength of 25 N/5-cm-width or more in both the machine direction and the cross direction. It may be manufactured by causing a water jet having a pressure of 5 MPa or more to act onto a web made mainly of a latent crimpable fiber, forming an entangled fiber web, causing heat to act on it, crimping the fiber converting it to a highly crimped fiber while contracting the web's area by 30% or more forming a contracted fiber web, and embossing it such that the fibers are not melted and bonded together.

Articles, such as sanitary tissue products, including fibrous structures, and more particularly articles including fibrous structures having a plurality of fibrous elements wherein the article exhibits differential cellulose content throughout the thickness of the article and methods for making same are provided.