The present invention relates to a separation system and a separation material for easily and rapidly separating a red blood cell-rich fraction, a white blood cell-rich fraction, and/or a platelet-rich fraction from a biological fluid containing these blood cell components without the necessity of performing centrifugation. The separation of a red blood cell-rich fraction, a white blood cell-rich fraction, and/or a platelet-rich fraction from a biological fluid can be accomplished by capturing white blood cells and platelets on a blood cell separation material by contacting the biological fluid with the blood cell separation material, thereby providing a red blood cell-rich fraction; and recovering a white blood cell-rich fraction by separating white blood cells captured from the resulting blood cell separation material using a separation solution.

A nonwoven substrate comprising a polyolefin and an engineering thermoplastic polymer. The engineering thermoplastic polymer may be present in the nonwoven substrate at a level of between about 1% and about 20% by weight of the nonwoven substrate. The layer of fibers is free of a compatibilizer.

A flexible all-solid state supercapacitor is provided that includes a first electrode and a second electrode, and a flexible nanofiber web, where the flexible nanofiber web connects the first electrode to the second electrode, where the flexible nanofiber web includes a plurality of flexible nanofibers, where the flexible nanofiber includes a hierarchal structure of macropores, mesopores and micropores through a cross section of the flexible nanofiber, where the mesopores and the micropores form a graded pore structure, where the macropores are periodically distributed along the flexible nanaofiber and within the graded pore structure.

Provided herein are high performance reinforcing nanostructure additives, high throughput processes for using such additives, and composites comprising such additives. Such nanostructure additives include nanofibers, including nanofiber fragments, of various matrix materials, including metal(s) (e.g., elemental metal(s), metal alloy(s), etc.), metal oxide(s), ceramic(s), metal carbide(s), carbon (e.g., carbon nanocomposites comprising carbon matrix with metal component embedded therein), and/or combinations thereof.

A lithium-ion secondary battery separator resolves defects of a non-woven fabric separator which is not suitable for use in such a battery. The separator is thin and does not short-circuit and has excellent electrolyte retainability and rate characteristics. The separator includes a composite of a non-woven fabric having a basis weight of 2 to 20 g/m.sup.2 formed from fibers of a thermoplastic material having an average fiber diameter of 5 to 40 m and ultra-microfibers having an average fiber diameter of 1 m or less in an amount of to 3 times the mass of the non-woven fabric. The composite has a thickness of 10 to 40 m after heat-pressing treatment under conditions that the non-woven fabric has a glossiness (JIS Z 8741) measured at 60 in the range of 3 to 30 and a thickness of 10 to 40.

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 composite nonwoven sheet material includes pulp fibers, a reinforcement material and microfibers. The sheet material has one pulp-enriched first outer layer and one microfiber-enriched second outer layer, the reinforcement material is thereby interposed between the pulp-enriched first outer layer and the microfiber-enriched second outer layer and the pulp fibers and the microfibers penetrate the reinforcement material. Also disclosed is a process of producing such composite nonwoven sheet material and the use of such composite nonwoven sheet material.

Backsheets having a combination of desirable liquid barrier properties and air permeability are provided. The backsheets include outermost spunbond layers and two or more fine-fiber containing nonwoven layers.

A smokeless tobacco product includes smokeless tobacco and structural fibers. The structural fibers forming a network in which the smokeless tobacco is entangled. The structural fibers have a composition different from the smokeless tobacco. The tobacco-entangled fabric can have an overall oven volatiles content of at least 10 weight percent. In some embodiments, the structural fibers form a nonwoven network. In some embodiments, fibrous structures of the smokeless tobacco are entangled with the structural fibers.

A nonwoven substrate comprising a polyolefin and an engineering thermoplastic polymer. The engineering thermoplastic polymer may be present in the nonwoven substrate at a level of between about 1% and about 20% by weight of the nonwoven substrate. The layer of fibers is free of a compatibilizer.