Disclosed is a napped artificial leather napped including: a non-woven fabric that is an entangle body of ultrafine fibers; and an elastic polymer impregnated into the non-woven fabric, the napped artificial leather having, at least on one side thereof, a napped surface formed by napping the ultrafine fibers, wherein the ultrafine fibers contain 0.5 mass % or more of a pigment (A), the elastic polymer contains 0 to 0.01 mass % of a pigment (B), and the ultrafine fibers and the elastic polymer are undyed; the napped surface has a lightness L* value of 25 or less in a color coordinate space (L*a*b* color space); and a ratio of an area occupied by the elastic polymer, observed on the napped surface, to a total area of an area occupied by the ultrafine fibers and the area occupied by the elastic polymer is 0.5% or less.

The invention refers to a process for the preparation of a microfibrous non-woven fabric based on polyester or polyamide microfibers immersed in a polyurethane matrix, and having a thickness equal to or less than 0.65 mm, a flat or slightly mottled appearance and a nap length of less than 350 μm. The non-woven fabric is used for the preparation of coverings for consumer goods, particularly for the preparation of covers and cases for electronic products.

The invention refers to a process for the preparation of a microfibrous non-woven fabric based on polyester or polyamide microfibers immersed in a polyurethane matrix, and having a thickness equal to or less than 0.65 mm, a flat or slightly mottled appearance and a nap length of less than 350 μm. The non-woven fabric is used for the preparation of coverings for consumer goods, particularly for the preparation of covers and cases for electronic products.

An automotive interior material comprises: a polyester needle-punched nonwoven fabric; and a polycarbonate-based polyurethane resin attached to the polyester needle-punched nonwoven fabric, wherein the polycarbonate-based polyurethane resin is obtained by reacting an organic polyisocyanate with a polyol comprising 30 to 99% by mass of a polycarbonate diol represented by the following general formula (1):

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1s each independently represent an alkylene group having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, and n represents an integer with which a molecular weight of the compound represented by the formula (1) is in a range from 1000 to 3500, with a mole ratio between NCO groups of the organic polyisocyanate and OH groups of the polyol (the number of moles of NCO groups/the number of moles of OH groups) being 1.5/1.0 to 1.1/1.0, to obtain a urethane prepolymer having isocyanate groups at terminals, and dispersing the urethane prepolymer in water by emulsification, followed by chain extension with a polyamine having two or more amino groups of at least one type selected from a primary amino group and a secondary amino group, and the amount of the polycarbonate-based polyurethane resin attached is 1 to 15 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the polyester needle-punched nonwoven fabric.

An automotive interior material comprises: a polyester needle-punched nonwoven fabric; and a polycarbonate-based polyurethane resin attached to the polyester needle-punched nonwoven fabric, wherein the polycarbonate-based polyurethane resin is obtained by reacting an organic polyisocyanate with a polyol comprising 30 to 99% by mass of a polycarbonate diol represented by the following general formula (1):

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1s each independently represent an alkylene group having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, and n represents an integer with which a molecular weight of the compound represented by the formula (1) is in a range from 1000 to 3500, with a mole ratio between NCO groups of the organic polyisocyanate and OH groups of the polyol (the number of moles of NCO groups/the number of moles of OH groups) being 1.5/1.0 to 1.1/1.0, to obtain a urethane prepolymer having isocyanate groups at terminals, and dispersing the urethane prepolymer in water by emulsification, followed by chain extension with a polyamine having two or more amino groups of at least one type selected from a primary amino group and a secondary amino group, and the amount of the polycarbonate-based polyurethane resin attached is 1 to 15 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the polyester needle-punched nonwoven fabric.

A nonwoven fabric and a method of making thereof. The nonwoven fabric includes a plurality of randomly-oriented fibers, the plurality of randomly-oriented fibers including: at least 60 wt % of oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers; and from to less than 40 wt % of reinforcing fibers having an outer surface comprised of a (co)polymer with a melting temperature of from 100° C. to 450° C.; and a fluoropolymer binder on the plurality of randomly-oriented fibers; wherein the plurality of randomly-oriented fibers is bonded together to form the nonwoven fabric, optionally wherein the nonwoven fabric has a thickness of one millimeter or less.

A nonwoven fabric and a method of making thereof. The nonwoven fabric includes a plurality of randomly-oriented fibers, the plurality of randomly-oriented fibers including: at least 60 wt % of oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers; and from to less than 40 wt % of reinforcing fibers having an outer surface comprised of a (co)polymer with a melting temperature of from 100° C. to 450° C.; and a fluoropolymer binder on the plurality of randomly-oriented fibers; wherein the plurality of randomly-oriented fibers is bonded together to form the nonwoven fabric, optionally wherein the nonwoven fabric has a thickness of one millimeter or less.

Provided are a space filling material and a space filling structure capable of filling a predetermined space for various purposes, and method for using those. A space filling material (11) includes reinforcing fibers as an expansion material and a resin. The reinforcing fibers form a plurality of intersections and are bonded with the resin at at least one of the intersections. Heating of the space filling material causes an expansion stress in at least a thickness direction (X) such that the space filling material fills a predetermined space (13). For example, the space filling material may contain the resin at a volume ratio of 15 to 95 vol % based on a total volume of the reinforcing fibers and the resin.

Provided are a space filling material and a space filling structure capable of filling a predetermined space for various purposes, and method for using those. A space filling material (11) includes reinforcing fibers as an expansion material and a resin. The reinforcing fibers form a plurality of intersections and are bonded with the resin at at least one of the intersections. Heating of the space filling material causes an expansion stress in at least a thickness direction (X) such that the space filling material fills a predetermined space (13). For example, the space filling material may contain the resin at a volume ratio of 15 to 95 vol % based on a total volume of the reinforcing fibers and the resin.

A polymer filament molded product and a method of making a filament network that includes coating filaments with a latex polymer and shaping the filaments into a molded product; one in which a polymer is shaped and molded into a larger filament network. The molded products can be objects for apparel, home and garden, furnishings, health care, engineering, industrial and consumer goods. The molded filament mesh is “fractal” in nature because it is a filament interconnected network at the molecular scale and at the scale of the molded product. The natural tendency of the long molecule filaments to be an entangled structure is maintained.