A nonwoven filtration medium that includes a fibrous base media including synthetic and/or natural fibers and microfibrillated cellulose fibers.

A scouring article include a three-dimensional non-woven web of fibers bonded to one another to form a lofty, non-woven substrate. An abrasive coating is coated on the substrate. The abrasive coating includes a binder; a first plurality of abrasive particles and a second plurality of abrasive particles dispersed in the binder. The first plurality of inorganic abrasive particles has a Mohs' hardness of 7 greater and a median particle size in the range of 20 microns to 100 microns. The second plurality of organic abrasive particles has a Mobs' hardness in the range of 1 to 5 and a median particle size greater than 100 microns. The average surface roughness created by use of the scouring article, according to the surface roughness test, is less than 8 microns.

A process and system are provided for introducing a blend of chopped and dispersed fibers on an automated production line amenable for inclusion in molding compositions as a blended fiber mat for structural applications. The blend of fibers are simultaneously supplied to an automated cutting machine illustratively including a rotary blade chopper disposed above a vortex supporting chamber. The blend of chopped fibers and binder form a chopped mat. The chopped mat has a veil mat placed on either side, and is consolidated with the veil mat using heated rollers maintained at the softening temperature of thermoplastic binder, with consolidated mats being amenable to being stored in rolls or as flat sheets. A charge pattern is made using the consolidated mat, and the charge pattern can be compression molded in a mold maintained at a temperature lower than the melting point of the thermoplastic fibers.

A nonwoven fabric has a volume-giving material, in particular fiber balls, down and/or fine feathers, and has a maximum tensile strength, measured according to DIN EN 29 073 at a mass per unit area of 50 g/m.sup.2 in at least one direction, of at least 0.3 N/5 cm, in particular of 0.3 N/5 cm to 100 N/5 cm.

A method for arranging nanotube elements within nanotube fabric layers and films is disclosed. A directional force is applied over a nanotube fabric layer to render the fabric layer into an ordered network of nanotube elements. That is, a network of nanotube elements drawn together along their sidewalls and substantially oriented in a uniform direction. In some embodiments this directional force is applied by rolling a cylindrical element over the fabric layer. In other embodiments this directional force is applied by passing a rubbing material over the surface of a nanotube fabric layer. In other embodiments this directional force is applied by running a polishing material over the nanotube fabric layer for a predetermined time. Exemplary rolling, rubbing, and polishing apparatuses are also disclosed.

A nonwoven fabric that is fabricated is described, which includes a non-melting fiber A having a high-temperature shrinkage rate of 3% or less and a thermal conductivity conforming to ISO22007-3 (2008) of 0.060 W/m.Math.K or less and a thermoplastic fiber B having a LOI value conforming to JIS K 7201-2 (2007) of 25 or more and having a density of more than 50 kg/m.sup.3 and less than 200 kg/m.sup.3, where the nonwoven fabric exhibits high flame-shielding performance and has a heat insulating property.

Fibrous structures containing a mixture of three or more different fibrous elements (filaments and/or fibers) are provided.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric having an air permeability of 2000 l/m.sup.2/s or less when measured at a pressure difference of 200 Pa according to EN ISO 9237, the method comprising the steps of: providing at least two sets of fibers, wherein a first fiber set comprises a significant level of splittable fibers and a second fiber set comprises a low level of splittable fibers or no splittable fibers; using the first fiber set to form at least one first fibrous web in a first web formation process and using the second fiber set to form at least one second fibrous web in a second web formation process; stacking the first and second webs so obtained to provide a multilayer web including two distinct layers of fibrous webs; and bonding the multilayer web. The invention further relates to a nonwoven fabric obtainable by such process and the use of such nonwoven fabric in acoustic isolation applications.

In order to provide a non-woven fabric with excellent flame retardancy and flame shielding performance, and even also with carding process-passing and durability, there is provided a non-woven fabric including: a non-melting fiber A that has a high-temperature shrinkage ratio of 3% or less; a thermoplastic fiber B that has an LOI value of 25 or more in accordance with JIS K 7201-2 (2007); and a thermoplastic fiber C that has an LOI value of less than 25 in accordance with JIS K 7201-2 (2007) and a crimp number of 8 (crimps/25 mm) or more in accordance with JIS L 1015 (2000).

A nonwoven web comprising a layer of polymeric fibers, wherein, based on the total number of polymeric fibers, at least 10% the polymeric fibers in said layer are coarse fibers having a fiber diameter of 4 m or more, and at least 10% of the polymeric fibers in said layer are fine fibers having a fiber diameter of 2 m or less. Also described herein is a method for making the nonwoven web, comprising melt-blowing a polymer mixture comprising two immiscible or partially miscible polymers.