Disclosed are a highly absorbent composite fiber, a highly absorbent non-woven fabric, and an article including the non-woven fabric. The disclosed highly absorbent composite fiber includes: a core including a polyolefin-based resin; and a sheath including ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) resin.

A process for forming multi-layer fibrous web with good absorbent capacity and absorbent rate is disclosed. The multi-layer fibrous web can be used as absorbent articles, including wiping products, such as industrial wipers, food service wipers, and the like. The multi-layer fibrous web includes a first layer and a second layer, as well as a crossover zone, that has a capillary pressure between the capillary pressure of the first layer and the capillary pressure of the second layer.

The present invention provides an anisotropic, thermal conductive, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composite including a plurality of aligned polymer nanofibers to form a polymer mat or scaffold having a first and second planes of orientation of the polymer nanofibers. The first plane of orientation of the polymer nanofibers has a thermal conductivity substantially the same as or similar to that of the second plane, and the thermal conductivity of the first or second plane of orientation of the polymer nanofibers is at least 2-fold of that of a third plane of orientation of the polymer nanofibers which is about 90 degrees out of the first and second planes of orientation of the polymer nanofibers, respectively, while the electrical resistance of each of the first and second planes is at least 3 orders lower than that of the third plane. A method for preparing the present composite is also provided.

The present invention relates to an elastic nonwoven fabric comprising a nonwoven web that is made of a plurality of fibers, which fibers are bicomponent fibers which each comprise a first component and a second component, wherein the first component is present in an amount in the range of from 80-95% by weight and the second component is present in an amount in the range of from 5-20% by weight, both weights based on the total weight of each fiber; wherein the first component comprises an ethylene/α-olefin copolymer and the second component comprises a low density polyethylene having a density in the range of from 0.90-0.95 g/cm.sup.3 (as determined with ASTM D792); wherein the first component and the second component both have a melt flow rate in the range of from 10-40 g/10 min (as determined by ASTM D1238 (190° C., 2.16 kg)); and wherein the nonwoven web comprises a side which is provided with a pattern of individualized bonded areas, wherein the surface of the bonded areas is in the range of 8-25%, based on the total surface of the side. The present invention further relates to a process for preparing the nonwoven fabric, and an article comprising the nonwoven fabric.

A nonwoven fabric layered body includes a first nonwoven fabric layer including a crimped fiber (A), which is a fiber made of a thermoplastic polymer and which has an average crimp diameter of 800 μm or less; and a hydrophilic agent.

[Problem] To provide a process for producing a needle-punched nonwoven fabric with which, when finished by embossing, it is possible to obtain a hardly fluffing and distinct rugged pattern. [Solution] Sheath-core composite fibers are accumulated and a fibrous web is formed. The core component of the sheath-core composite fiber is formed from a copolymer of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. The sheath component is formed from a copolymer of ethylene glycol, adipic acid, terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid and diethylene glycol. The sheath-core composite fibers are three dimensionally interlaced with each other by needle-punching the web, to obtain the needle-punched nonwoven fabric. The needle-punched nonwoven fabric is passed through heated embossed roll to provide a rugged pattern on a surface. During the process, the sheath component are softening melted and melt bonded between the sheath-core composite fibers to obtain an embossed nonwoven fabric having a distinct rugged pattern.

The present invention provides compositions comprising aligned fibers of electrospun PNIPAAm and poly (ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL) (denoted PNIPAAm/PCL fibers). The PNIPAAm/PCL compositions enable enhanced growth and detachment of intact anisotropic cell sheets. The compositions do not require chemical modification or resource-intensive techniques, thus saving time and expense, and have the potential to generate tissue-specific, aligned cell sheets for transplant studies.

A multilayer nanofiber sheet (10) includes: a nanofiber layer (11) including nanofibers which comprise a water-soluble polymer compound; a substrate layer (12) arranged on one surface side of the nanofiber layer (11); and a water-insoluble porous layer (13) arranged on the other surface side of the nanofiber layer (11). The three layers are layered, and the multilayer nanofiber sheet is used in a state in which a surface thereof on the porous layer side is arranged so as to face a surface of an object. Preferably, the three layers are layered in a fixed state. Preferably, the porous layer (13) has a thickness of from 3 to 1000 μm.

Embodiments relate to a drawn composite fiber having a low thermal shrinkage, and a high single yarn strength, a non-woven fabric using the same, and a method of producing the same. The drawn composite fiber has a fineness of 0.6 dtex or less, a ratio between the cross-sectional areas of a sheath material and a core material (sheath material/core material) of 50/50 to 10/90, and a single yarn elastic modulus of 70 cN/dtex or more. The drawn composite is obtained by melt-spinning and a drawing treatment of an undrawn fiber having a sheath-core structure, in which the core material includes a resin containing a crystalline propylene-based polymer and having a melt flow rate of 10 to 30 g/10 min at a load of 21.18 N at 230° C., and the sheath material includes a resin containing an olefinic polymer where the melting point is lower than that of the core material.

A sheet is produced by (i) producing a sheet by entangling woven or knitted material including a thread composed of a composite fiber such that two kinds or more of polyethylene terephthalate polymers different in intrinsic viscosity are stuck together in a side-by-side type along the fiber length direction and/or of a core-in-sheath type composite fiber such that two kinds or more of polyethylene terephthalate polymers different in intrinsic viscosity form an eccentric core-in-sheath structure, with a fiber capable of converting into ultra fine fibers composed of two kinds or more of polymeric substances different in solubility in solvent, (ii) developing an ultra fine fiber with an average single fiber fineness of 0.001 dtex or more and 0.5 dtex or less by treating the sheet with a solvent to thereafter provide elastomer having polyurethane as a main component by impregnating and solidifying solvent solution of elastomer having polyurethane as a main component into the sheet, or of providing elastomer having polyurethane as a main component by impregnating and solidifying solvent solution of elastomer having polyurethane as a main component into the sheet to thereafter develop an ultra fine fiber with an average single fiber fineness of 0.001 dtex or more and 0.5 dtex or less by treating the sheet with a solvent, and (iii) rubbing and shrinking the woven or knitted material under the condition of 110° C. or more.