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.

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.

Provided are a fibrous sheet having a stress relaxation rate defined by the following formula of less than or equal to 85%:

stress relaxation rate [%]=(stress S.sub.5 at extension after five minutes/stress S.sub.0 at initial extension)100

when a stress at extension immediately after extension in an in-plane first direction at 50% elongation is defined as a stress S.sub.0 (N/50 mm) at initial extension, and a stress at extension at a time of extending in the first direction at 50% elongation for five minutes is defined as a stress S.sub.5 (N/50 mm) at extension after five minutes, and a bandage including the fibrous sheet.

A nanofiber for a filter medium is provided that includes fiber-forming ingredients including polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and an emulsifying agent for improving the miscibility of the fiber-forming ingredients. The nanofiber has excellent mechanical strength and chemical resistance and, at the same time, significantly increased hydrophilicity without a separate surface modification/treatment to/on the nanofiber. A filter medium comprising said nanofiber can exhibit improved flux and filtration efficiency and excellent physical properties in a water treatment process in which a pressure equal to or more than a predetermined level is applied and which requires the filter medium to have high mechanical strength and in a water treatment process which requires chemical resistance as the liquid being filtered is strongly acidic or alkaline. Further, since the nanofiber has significantly superior spinnability, the mass productivity of the filter medium is significantly improved, and the unit costs of production can be reduced.

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.

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 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.

Disclosed are technical fibers and yarns made with partially aromatic polyamides and non-halogenated flame retardant additives. Fabrics made from such fibers and yarns demonstrate superior flame retardancy over traditional flame retardant nylon 6,6 fabrics. Further, the disclosed fibers and yarns, when blended with other flame retardant fibers, do not demonstrate the dangerous scaffolding effect common with flame retardant nylon 6,6 blended fabrics.

A hybrid non-woven web is disclosed which is a matrix of a stream of fibers of a first material joined to streams of first and second spun-blown fibers. Each of the first and second spun-blown fibers are formed from a thermoplastic composition that contains at least one polymer having a melt flow rate of from between about 5 grams/10 minutes to about 6,000 grams/10 minutes at 230 C. Each of the first and second spun-blown fibers also have an average diameter of between about 1 microns to 10 microns and a standard deviation of from between about 0.9 microns to about 5 microns. In addition, the hybrid non-woven web has a tensile strength of at least about 5 gf/gsm/cm width, measured in a machine direction. An apparatus and a method of forming the hybrid non-woven web 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.