A roofing underlayment includes a hydrophobic nonwoven core layer that provides enhanced resistance to water infiltration. In addition to the hydrophobic nonwoven core layer, the roofing underlayment includes a coating layer adhered to a surface of the hydrophobic nonwoven core layer, and an exterior surface layer adhered to the coating layer. A roofing system that includes the roofing underlayment is also provided.

A through-air apparatus for drying or bonding paper, tissue, or nonwoven webs is provided. The apparatus includes a web-carrying structure configured to move and a first component having at least one sealing element adjacent the web-carrying structure, where the sealing element is configured to reduce the infiltration of ambient air into the through-air apparatus. The apparatus also includes at least one channel configured to direct air to the sealing element to reduce the infiltration of ambient air into the through-air apparatus. A method of operating a through-air apparatus for drying or bonding paper, tissue, or nonwoven webs is also provided. The method includes directing air to a sealing element to reduce the infiltration of ambient air into the through-air apparatus.

A nonwoven fabric is disclosed. The nonwoven fabric can include a first surface and a second surface and at least a first visually discernible zone of three-dimensional features on one of the first or second surface. Each of the three-dimensional features can define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions can have a difference in values for an intensive property, and the first visually discernible zone can exhibit a high visual resolution.

A fabric composite for a gypsum underlayment sound control mat includes a first layer including a spunbond polyolefin layer, a second layer including a nonwoven polyolefin layer, and a hot-melt adhesive layer between and bonding the first layer and the second layer. A gypsum underlayment sound control mat may include the fabric composite bonded to an entangled mesh layer. A flooring system may include a gypsum or gypsum-concrete underlayment over the fabric composite or the mat. The fabric composite may be free of halogenated agents.

A structural insulation sheathing (SIS) comprises: a first upper facial member, a second lower facial member and an insulation member in intimate, planar contact with both the first upper member and second lower members. The first and second facial members are made from the same reinforcing fiber material less than about 3/16 inch thick. The insulation member comprises a foam layer, said structural insulation sheathing having at least 10×, preferably 15 to 20 times greater strength than its individual components.

An installation and a method for selectively producing a single-ply or alternatively a multi-ply nonwoven includes an inclined wire former configured to deposit a sheet of wet-laid fibre material on a first circulating belt, a further belt configured to receive the sheet of wet-laid fibre material from the first circulating belt, a roller card arranged downstream in the material transport direction and configured to introduce a roller card web into the installation, a hydroentanglement arranged downstream in the material transport direction and including at least one water beam configured to entangle, bond and/or structure a single sheet of fibres or a plurality of sheets of fibres, and a dryer arranged downstream in the material transport direction

Disclosed is a wearable article comprising a front elastic belt region, a back elastic belt region, each of the front and back elastic belt region comprises a laminate comprising an inner sheet, an outer sheet, and a plurality of elastic members running in the transverse direction, the longitudinal dimension between adjacent elastic members forming an elastic spacing; wherein the laminate is bonded by heat at the side edges to form side seams, the side seams existing no distant than about 20 mm from the side edges, and the remainder of the laminate is substantially free of heat bonds, wherein the article has a Belt Elastic Bonding Percentage of less than about 25%, and an Individual Elastic Bonding Percentage of from about 10% to about 75%, according to the measurements herein.

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 composite material having a molten polymer barrier effect with flame-retardant properties includes a first layer of non-woven fabric having 40% or more by weight of oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers to confer flame-retardant properties. The first layer has a basis weight of 200-600 g/m2 and a thickness of 1.6-5 mm. A barrier layer overlaps the first layer and counteracts passage of molten polymer. The first layers oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers have a count of 1.5-5 dtex and the other first layer synthetic fibers have a count of 0.8-5 dtex. The barrier layer includes a second layer of non-woven fabric of hydro-entangled synthetic and/or artificial fibers. The barrier layer has a basis weight of 70-150 g/m2; a thickness of 0.4-1.5 mm; and a permeability of 200 L/m2s-2000 L/m2s under a pressure drop of 2 mbar. The composite material has a thickness of 2-6.5 mm, and a basis weight of 270-750 g/m2.

The disclosure provides improved vent filters useful in single-use in-line transfusion systems. In a first aspect, the disclosure provides filter comprising (i) a layer comprising a fluoropolymer membrane and (ii) a layer comprising at least two air-permeable thermoplastic polymeric layers, the air-permeable thermoplastic polymeric layers comprised of a first polymeric layer and a second polymeric layer, wherein the first polymeric layer is in bonded contact with the fluoropolymer membrane, possesses a melting point of about 95° C. to about 180° C., and wherein the second polymeric layer is in bonded contact with the first polymeric layer and has a melting point of about 220° C. to about 265° C. These filters exhibit excellent bonding strength between the various layers while preserving a considerable amount of the original fluoropolymer membrane air flux.