The present invention relates to a mounting mat for mounting a pollution control device in a catalytic converter, the mounting mat comprising a non-woven mat of inorganic fibers having distributed therein inorganic particles having an average diameter of 1 nm to 100 nm and wherein the mounting mat is free of organic binder or contains organic binder in an amount of not more than 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the mounting mat. The invention further relates to a pollution control device including the mounting mat and to a method of making the mounting mat.

The present invention is directed to a nonwoven fabric made from a composite of nonwoven and pulp where the nonwoven has a high loft derived from a heat set three-dimensional relief structure and/or hydroengorged fiber structure. A nonwoven web is hydraulically treated to create a hydroengorged material having an increased loft. Alternatively a nonwoven web is treated to have a heat set three-dimensional relief structure. The treated web is then hydroentangled with pulp to form a cotendered nonwoven/pulp composite fabric.

The present invention provides polyurethanes including a reaction product of components including: (a) an isocyanate functional urethane prepolymer comprising a reaction product of components including: (i) about 1 equivalent of at least one polyisocyanate; and (ii) about 0.1 to about 0.5 equivalents of at least one diol having 2 to 18 carbon atoms; and (b) about 0.05 to about 0.9 equivalents of at least one branched polyol having 4 to 18 carbon atoms and at least 3 hydroxyl groups; and (c) up to about 0.9 equivalents of at least one polyol different from branched polyol (b) and having 2 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein the reaction product components are essentially free of polyester polyol and polyether polyol; compositions, coatings and articles made therefrom and methods of making the same.

A primer-less coating composition for facestock comprises: a binder being a water-dispersible polymer; an ethylenically unsaturated compound which is aqueous-dispersible and miscible with or bonded to said water-dispersible polymer, wherein said ethylenically unsaturated compound is able to form a covalent bond with an ink; and a crosslinker, wherein said crosslinker is suitable for binding the coating to the facestock. The coating composition may be applied to a substrate to form a printable film. A printed film in accordance with the invention may be used in a label, for example for use on a container such as a bottle.

A liquid-retaining sheet contains a liquid-retaining layer that is able to absorb a liquid component, and the liquid-retaining layer is formed from a nonwoven structural member containing a transparent fiber. In the liquid-retaining sheet, the transparency shown below is adjusted to not more than 0.27.
Transparency=Whiteness (%) of a sheet impregnated with 700% by mass of water relative to the sheet mass/Basis weight (g/m.sup.2) The transparent fiber may contain a cellulose-series fiber substantially free from a carboxyl group (in particular, a regenerated cellulose fiber such as a solvent-spinning cellulose-series fiber). The proportion of the solvent-spinning cellulose-series fiber may be not less than 30% by mass in the transparent fiber. The liquid-retaining sheet may be a skin care sheet (in particular, a facial mask) that is impregnated with a liquid component containing a cosmetic preparation. The liquid-retaining sheet has an improved transparency in a wet state in spite of a nonwoven structural member contained in the sheet and shows a suitable strength in a wet state.

Disclosed are composite building boards and associated manufacturing methods. The composite boards may include, for example, one or more slurry layers with embedded fibrous mats. An exterior plastic coating is mechanically adhered to the underlying slurry layer. The plastic layer chemically bonds and cross-links with polymer additives within the slurry layer. The result is an integrated polymer matrix with greatly improved durability and surface strength.

A pre-treated wipe is disclosed. The pre-treated wipe includes an absorbent substrate impregnated with a solution. The solution includes a colorant capable of imparting a change in color to a wood surface. The solution further includes a finishing composition. The solution further includes a thickening agent. The solution has a finished viscosity that is greater than an original viscosity of the solution when prepared without the thickening agent. The absorbent substrate is impregnated with the solution before being disposed in a package.

Provided is a prepreg composed of a fibrous substrate impregnated with a reactive or highly reactive polymer composition as a matrix material. The reactive or highly reactive polymer composition contains a (meth)acrylate-based resin comprising at least one of a hydroxyl group, an amine group, a thiol group, an initiator and/or accelerator, and a di- or polyisocyanate which has been internally capped, capped with a capping agent, or a combination thereof. The (meth)acrylate-based resin contains from 20% by weight to 70% by weight of at least one (meth)acrylate monomer and from 1% by weight to 50% by weight of at least one prepolymer.

A nonwoven wipe having a reversible sanitizer indicator for multiple uses and recharges is provided. The nonwoven wipe includes a cloth-like nonwoven fabric coated with a reversible color-changing ink formulation. During use, the nonwoven wipe is impregnated with a quaternary ammonium compound-based sanitizer. When the level of free quaternary ammonium compound falls below a threshold level, the color-changing ink formulation changes from a first color to a second color, indicating the need to recharge the wipe. When the nonwoven wipe is recharged with sanitizer solution, the color-changing ink formulation changes back to the first color.

Described herein are modified sulfonated block copolymers which comprise at least two polymer end blocks A and at least one polymer interior block B, wherein each A block contains essentially no sulfonic acid or sulfonate functional groups and each B block comprises sulfonation susceptible monomer units and, based on the number of the sulfonation susceptible monomer units, from about 10 to about 100 mol % of a functional group of formula (I)
SO.sub.2NR.sup.1R.sup.2(I)
or of a salt thereof, methods of making them as well as methods of using them, e.g., as membrane materials for electrically or osmotically driven applications.