A nonwoven fabric, including fibers, in which the fibers have an elongational viscosity, as measured under conditions at an elongational strain rate of 2.5×10.sup.2 (1/s) and a temperature of 160° C., of from 430 Pa.Math.s to 1200 Pa.Math.s, and a ratio of the elongational viscosity (Pa.Math.s) to a shear viscosity (Pa.Math.s) of the fiber, as measured under conditions at a shear strain rate of 2.5×10.sup.2 (1/s) and a temperature of 160° C., is from 35 to 65.

Charged polymeric webs, such as electret webs, include a thermoplastic resin and a charge-enhancing additive. The additives are substituted heterocyclic thiolate salts. The heterocyclic thiolate salt has 2 nitrogen groups and a third group that may be an NH, N—NH.sub.2, O, or S group. The substituent group is an aromatic or heterocyclic aromatic group. The electret webs may be a non-woven fibrous web or a film. The electret webs are suitable for use as filter media.

Provided are a sub-micron fibrous membrane in which sub-micron fibers aligned along one axis and sub-micron fibers in a random pattern form a network, and a method for producing the sub-micron fibrous membrane.

A filter may remove PM.sub.2.5 and/or other airborne pollutants, which filter has fibers of an average diameter of no more than 500 nm, the fibers of at least 90 wt. % polyacrylonitrile, relative to all fibers in the filter; and a catalyst of at least 90 wt. % TiO.sub.2, relative to all catalytic metals in the filter, dispersed onto the fibers. The fibers need not be charged. The TiO.sub.2 may be condensed or precipitated onto the fibers out of a liquid containing the TiO.sub.2 and the fibers by simple methods. The catalyst may be activated by UV irradiation to decompose particulate matter having an average particle size of 2.5 μm or less, i.e., PM.sub.2.5, and/or other airborne pollutants from air. Such filters may be implemented around areas of vehicle traffic, e.g., as elements of traffic lights, and may be used to controllably purify polluted air.

A pool strainer basket insert system and method are contemplated in which a high porosity, coarse fibrous mass is inserted in a pool skimmer basket. Via optimization of the material properties of the fibrous mass and configuration such that approximately 50% of the fibrous mass is located above the waterline and 50% below the water line the problems of the prior art may be solved via the retaining properties of the fibrous mass, enabling insects and small organic matter to be retained and preventing their migration back to the main body of the pool.

A gas filtering medium is composed of hydrophobic polyester fiber as from 20-80% by total weight of textile fibers and 80-20% by total weight of hydrophilic textile fibers and a microfibrillated cellulose fiber in a weight/weight ratio of 1.5-8.5/100 parts by weight of total textile fiber.

A filter material for use in fuel-water separation has a particle filtration layer and a coalescing layer downstream of, and coupled to, the particle filtration layer. The particle filtration layer is substantially constructed of binder fibers and media fibers. The coalescing layer has at least 70% glass fibers by weight. As another example, a filter material for liquid fuels has a particle filtration layer and a coalescing layer downstream of the particle filtration layer. The particle filtration layer has binder fibers and media fibers and is substantially free of meltblown materials. The ratio of air permeability of the particle filtration layer to air permeability of the coalescing layer ranges from about 3:1 to about 15:1.

Articles and methods involving filter media are generally provided. In certain embodiments, the filter media includes at least a first layer, a second layer, and an adhesive resin positioned between the first layer and the second layer. In some embodiments, the first layer may be a pre-filter layer or a support layer. The second layer may, for example, comprise fibers formed by a solution spinning process and/or may comprise fine fibers. In some embodiments, the adhesive resin may be present in a relatively low amount and/or may have a low glass transition temperature. The filter media as a whole may have one or more advantageous properties, including one or more of a high stiffness, a high bond strength between the first layer and the second layer, a high gamma, and/or a low increase in air resistance after being subjected to an IPA vapor discharge. The filter media may be, for example, a HEPA filter and/or an ULPA filter.

A filter media construct includes a plurality of flexible laminas joined in a stack, each lamina including an array of nanofibers extending from a surface thereof. Each lamina is configured to be permeable to a fluid such that the fluid can flow through each lamina normal to the surface thereof and in any direction along at least a portion of said surface when the fluid is flowed through the construct. The laminas can include a plurality of perforations extending therethrough such that the fluid flows through at least some of the perforations of the laminas when the fluid is flowed through the construct. A contaminant contained in the fluid is at least partially filtered from the fluid by the nanofibers when the fluid is flowed along the surface of any lamina or into or through the perforations.

The present disclosure provides a filter for removing contaminants from a liquid or gaseous medium including a woven or nonwoven sheet of entangled carbon nanotubes. The present disclosure also provides a method for reducing the concentration of contaminants in a liquid or gaseous medium by contacting the liquid or gaseous medium with the filter.