Nonwoven fabrics suitable for a wide variety of applications (e.g., healthcare, filtration, industrial, packaging, etc.) are provided. In one aspect, the nonwoven fabric includes a plurality of segmented fibers. Each of the plurality of segmented fibers may comprise a fiber axis and a plurality of alternating larger diameter and smaller diameter segments along the fiber axis. The plurality of segmented fibers may be substantially aligned in a first direction.

Dimensionally stable nonwoven fibrous webs include a plurality of fibers formed from one or more thermoplastic polyesters and an antishrink additive, preferably in an amount greater than 0% and no more than 10% by weight of the web. The webs have at least one dimension which decreases by no greater than 12% in the plane of the web when heated to a temperature above a glass transition temperature of the fibers. The webs may be used as wipes.

It is an object of the present invention to obtain crimped conjugated fibers having excellent crimp properties. The present invention provides a crimped conjugated fiber having a crimpable cross-sectional configuration, wherein a cross section of the fiber includes at least two portions: a portion (a) and a portion (b); the portion (a) includes an olefin polymer (A) and the portion (b) includes an olefin polymer (B); the olefin polymer (A) differs from the olefin polymer (B) in at least any one of Mz/Mw, melting point and MFR; and a specific fatty acid amide is added to the olefin polymer (A) and/or the olefin polymer (B). The present invention also provides a non-woven fabric including said crimped conjugated fiber.

A fiber cushion body, which is formed from cross-linked fiber material and which is resiliently deformable when load is applied along a main load direction, is treated using ultrasonic energy. A portion of the fiber cushion body is displaced, for example using a sonotrode, and ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the fiber cushion body to re-shape the fiber cushion body from a first shape to a second shape different from the first shape.

Provided are a method for producing a drawn conjugated fiber, capable of producing a conjugated fiber having a high strength and a thin fineness, and a drawn conjugated fiber. A drawn conjugated fiber is produced by performing a spinning step of obtaining an undrawn fiber having a core-sheath structure in which a core material is a resin containing, as a main component, a crystalline propylene polymer and a sheath material is a resin containing, as a main component, an olefin polymer having a melting point lower than that of the core material, by means of melt-spinning (step S1); and a drawing step of drawing the undrawn fiber (step S2).

Provided is a thermal molding method for producing a thermally molded article having excellent abrasion resistance at its melt-fused part. Polyamide 6 and a copolyester are prepared separately. The copolyester contains terephthalic acid, ethylene glycol, and 1,4-butanediol as copolymerization units. The copolyester may further contain -caprolactone and/or diethylene glycol as a copolymerization unit. A multifilament yarn in which core-sheath type composite filaments each containing a core component and a sheath component at a ratio of 1 to 4:1 by mass are bundled is produced by a composite melt-spinning method using the polyamide 6 as the core component and the copolyester as the sheath component. Using the multifilament yarn, a product of filaments is produced by weaving, knitting, knitting and braiding, or braiding. The product of filaments is heated to melt the copolyester and fuse the core-sheath type composite filaments to each other while retaining the initial filament form of the polyamide 6, thus thermally molding the product of filaments.

Methods and apparatuses for producing a zoned and/or layered substrate are described. A method can include providing a first supply of fibers, providing a second supply of fibers, and providing a headbox. The headbox can include a machine direction, a cross-direction, and a first cross-directional divider that separates a first zone of the headbox from a second zone of the headbox in a cross-directional manner. The method can further include transferring the first supply of fibers and the second supply of fibers to the headbox. The method can also include transferring the first supply of fibers and the second supply of fibers through the headbox to provide the substrate.

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.

The invention relates to an extensible non-woven, in particular, cover sheet material for a multi-layer laminate comprising hydroentangled staple fibers, where the non-woven contains 5 to 25 wt % of binder fibers made of thermoplastic material, in particular 10-15 wt % of binder fibers, and is in addition to hydroentanglement thermally bonded. Furthermore, the invention relates to an elastic multi-layer laminate for use in an elastic component for personal hygiene products composed of elastic base material covered on one or both sides by cover material, where the cover material is formed from extensible non-woven fabric.

A multi-component fiber including at least first and second components. In some cases, at least a portion of the first component is opaque and microporous, and the second component is different from the first component. In some cases, at least a portion of the second component can be seen through at least a portion of the first component. A fiber having an opaque, microporous region and a see-through region of lower porosity is also disclosed. Fibrous webs including such fibers are also disclosed. In some cases, the fibrous web has at least one first region where first portions of the multiple fibers are opaque and microporous and at least one second region where second portions of the multiple fibers form a see-through region of lower porosity. Articles and laminates including the fibrous webs are disclosed. Methods of making the fibers, fibrous webs, and articles are also disclosed.