An exemplary composite filter medium is disclosed which can include a melt-blown nonwoven fabric layer having a weight of 5 gsm to 40 gsm and include a fiber with a fiber diameter of 1 m to 3 m and a wet-laid nonwoven fabric layer located on the melt-blown nonwoven fabric layer, the wet-laid nonwoven fabric layer having a weight of 40 gsm to 100 gsm and including 5 wt % to 30 wt % of a glass fiber with a fiber diameter of 0.1 m to 2 m.

Process of preparing meltblown fibers that are reclaimed from a starting material of a polypropylene component and a sustainable polymer component is provided. In one aspect, the method includes blending starting fibers of a polypropylene component and a sustainable polymer component under heat to form a molten stream, and then vis-breaking the components to obtain a polymeric blend that is suitable for use in meltblowing applications. The molten stream of the vis-broken polymer components are extruded through a meltblowing die to form a stream of meltblown fibers that is then collected on a collection surface to form a coherent meltblown web. The starting material may be bicomponent filaments having a sheath-core configuration in which the polypropylene component is oriented in the sheath and the sustainable polymer component is oriented in the core of the filaments. The invention is also directed to meltblown fibers and webs prepared from the process.

The invention relates to a method for making a nonwoven fabric comprising forming polymer fibers from a melt of the polymer material and using these fibers to obtain a nonwoven fabric during a subsequent nonwoven fabric formation procedure, wherein the melt of the polymer material comprises a melt additive, wherein the method comprises thermal bonding at a temperature higher than 40 C. below the melting point of the polymer material and, additionally, one or both of the following steps: a. improving the mobility of the additive by heat-treating the nonwoven fabric at 100 C. or more for 0.1 seconds or more after the nonwoven fabric formation procedure and/or including a filler having a higher thermal conductivity than the polymer material to the polymer material; b. influencing the polymer crystallinity by including a nucleating agent, branched polymers and/or random co-polymers to the polymer material.

Provided is a nonwoven fabric which is formed from a resin composition and has improved antifouling properties, sound insulation properties, coefficient of friction, and texture. This nonwoven fabric is formed from a resin composition which contains (1) a thermoplastic resin and (2) a fluorine-containing copolymer, and wherein: the thermoplastic resin (1) is a polypropylene; and the fluorine-containing copolymer (2) is a copolymer which has (a) a repeating unit that is formed of a fluorine-containing monomer represented by formula CH.sub.2C(X)C(O)YZRf and (b) a repeating unit that is formed of a non-fluorine monomer having a hydrocarbon group with 14 or more carbon atoms, and which has a weight average molecular weight of 2,500-20,000.

A staple cartridge assembly is used with a surgical stapler. The staple cartridge assembly includes a staple cartridge including a cartridge body, a cartridge deck, and a plurality of staples deployable from the cartridge body through the cartridge deck. The staple cartridge assembly includes a compressible adjunct positionable against the cartridge deck. The compressible adjunct includes a plurality of unaltered fibers and a plurality of altered fibers that are melted and resolidified. The unaltered fibers include a first fiber including a first fiber portion and a second fiber including a second fiber portion extending over the first fiber portion. The compressible adjunct further includes a node which comprises the first fiber portion, the second fiber portion, and at least a portion of the plurality of altered fibers, wherein the at least a portion of the plurality of altered fibers affixes the first fiber portion and the second fiber portion.

A nanofiber nonwoven product is disclosed which comprises a polyamide with a relative viscosity from 2 to 330, spun into nanofibers with an average diameter of less than 1000 nanometers (1 micron). In general, the inventive products are prepared by: (a) providing a polyamide composition, wherein the polyamide has a relative viscosity from 2 to 330; (b) melt spinning the polyamide composition into a plurality of nanofibers having an average fiber diameter of less than 1 micron, followed by (c) forming the nanofibers into the product.

A medical device including a plasma-treated porous substrate that is functionalized to provide a hydrophilic surface, and a process for preparing such a medical device, are disclosed. The method includes plasma treating at least a portion of a surface of a porous substrate with a gas species selected from oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and combination thereof. The gas species is configured to functionalize the surface of the medical device and form a hydrophilic surface.

A melt blowing apparatus and method includes a melt blowing die and at least one louver. The melt blowing die has a nosepiece comprising at least one aperture and at least one air slot adjacent the aperture. The at least one louver is movably positioned adjacent a face of the melt blowing die forming a zone through which can pass air and molten filaments from the air slots and nosepiece of the melt blowing die.

Processes for making fibrous structures and more particularly processes for making fibrous structures comprising filaments are provided.

A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapling instrument is disclosed. The staple cartridge assembly comprises a compressible adjunct and a staple cartridge. The compressible adjunct comprises attachment regions. The staple cartridge comprises a proximal end, a distal end, a deck, a longitudinal row of staple cavities, staples, bonding zones, and barbs. The attachment regions of the compressible adjunct are configured to be secured to bonding areas defined by the bonding zones. The barbs protrude from the deck, and the barbs are configured to maintain an initial alignment between the attachment regions and the bonding zones prior to attachment of the compressible adjunct to the deck.