A hollow fiber that extending along at least a portion of the fiber along a longitudinal axis thereof and is defined by an interior wall is provided. Through selective control over the manner in which it is formed, the present inventors have discovered that the hollow fiber can exhibit a unique combination of a high void fraction and small fiber size that makes it particularly suitable for use in certain applications, such as in nonwoven webs for absorbent articles.

A disposable absorbent article is described. The disposable absorbent article has a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. A carded staple fiber nonwoven having a basis weight of between about 50 grams per square meter (gsm) and about 100 gsm, includes a blend of absorbing fibers, stiffening fibers and filler fibers. The carded staple fiber nonwoven has a pore volume radius mode of between about 60 μm and about 120 μm.

A nonwoven having a high affinity for an active ingredient is proved, the nonwoven having at least one high surface area fiber in addition to the active ingredient.

A nonwoven having a high affinity for an active ingredient is proved, the nonwoven having at least one high surface area fiber in addition to the active ingredient.

Disclosed are, inter alia, a sound absorption and insulation material including a polyester hollow fiber, a polyester low-melting-point composite fiber and a polyester base fiber, a sound absorption and insulation pad for a floor including the same, and a manufacturing method thereof for improving the elasticity and sound absorption and insulation performance of the sound absorption and insulation material. The sound absorption and insulation material is an environmentally friendly material that can reduce discomfort due to the generation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the emission of toxic gases during combustion. Also, the sound absorption and insulation pad including the sound absorption and insulation material can exhibit superior sound absorption performance, sound insulation performance and actual vehicle performance compared to a conventional sound absorption and insulation pad of the same thickness.

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.

The present invention relates to a thermal insulating structure including at least one baffle, to an article of wear and a sleeping bag including such a thermal insulating structure, and to a method for manufacturing such a thermal insulating structure. In some embodiments, the baffle includes a plurality of natural and/or synthetic down fibers and a plurality of low-melt fibers, wherein the low-melt fibers have been melted to the natural and/or synthetic down fibers by heating inside the baffle.

The invention provides a thermal insulation filling material, a preparation method thereof, and a thermal insulation article, and belongs to the technical field of thermal insulation filling material. The present invention can at least partially resolve the problems of poor durability in thermal insulation filling materials, such as wash durability, compression resilience, and the like in the prior art. The thermal insulation filling material of the present invention comprises: spherical fiber assemblies composed of elastic fibers preferably having an elastic elongation of from 80 to 300% and an elastic recovery of from 85 to 99%.

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.

Self-crimped multi-component fibers (SMF) are provided that include (i) a first component comprising a first polymeric material, in which the first polymeric material comprises a first melt flow rate (MFR) that is less than 50 g/10 min; and (ii) a second component comprising a second polymeric material, in which the second component is different than the first component. The SMF includes one or more three-dimensional crimped portions. Also provided are nonwoven fabrics comprising a plurality of SMFs. Methods of manufacturing SMFs and nonwoven fabrics including SMFs are also provided.