Methods of making an artificial leather substrate from leather waste (e.g., shavings, such as wet blue, and/or pulverized trim scrap) and products formed using the artificial leather substrate are disclosed. In one example, the artificial leather substrate comprises a composite web comprising leather waste mixed with a lightweight web, a lightweight web atop the composite web, and another lightweight web atop the first lightweight web. A method of making the artificial leather substrate includes the steps of mixing one or more fiber components, leather shavings, and/or pulverized leather trim scrap to form the composite web; needle punching the composite web; and bonding the composite web.

Methods of making an artificial leather substrate from leather waste (e.g., shavings, such as wet blue, and/or pulverized trim scrap) and products formed using the artificial leather substrate are disclosed. In one example, the artificial leather substrate comprises a composite web comprising leather waste mixed with a lightweight web, a lightweight web atop the composite web, and another lightweight web atop the first lightweight web. A method of making the artificial leather substrate includes the steps of mixing one or more fiber components, leather shavings, and/or pulverized leather trim scrap to form the composite web; needle punching the composite web; and bonding the composite web.

According to one embodiment, a method of forming a facer includes forming a first layer of nonwoven glass fibers and positioning a second layer of reinforcement fibers atop the first layer of nonwoven glass fibers. The method also includes coating the first layer of nonwoven glass fibers and/or the second layer of reinforcement fibers with a binder composition and pressing the first layer of nonwoven glass fibers and the second layer of reinforcement fibers together between a pair of rollers. The binder composition is then dried to couple the first layer of nonwoven glass fibers and the second layer of reinforcement fibers to form the facer. The first layer of nonwoven glass fibers and/or the second layer of reinforcement fibers are free of a material coating prior to coating of the binder composition.

A binder that is used for forming fiber-based items and that binds fibers contains a polyester and an aggregation inhibitor. The polyester contains a structural unit derived from polyethylene terephthalate, a structural unit derived from at least one polyvalent carboxylic acid, and a structural unit derived from at least one polyhydric alcohol including trimethylolpropane. The binder exhibits a viscosity coefficient higher than 3500 P at 150° C. in dynamic viscoelasticity measurement.

A reinforcing fiber mat includes reinforcing fiber bundles having an average fiber length of 5 mm to 100 mm, wherein reinforcing fiber bundles consisting of 86 or more fibers per bundle are contained at a weight content of more than 99 wt % to 100 wt % and the reinforcing fiber bundles contain single yarns by 500 fibers/mm-width or more and 1,600 fibers/mm-width or less and have a drape level of 120 mm or more and 240 mm or less.

A reinforcing fiber mat includes reinforcing fiber bundles having an average fiber length of 5 mm to 100 mm, wherein reinforcing fiber bundles consisting of 86 or more fibers per bundle are contained at a weight content of more than 99 wt % to 100 wt % and the reinforcing fiber bundles contain single yarns by 500 fibers/mm-width or more and 1,600 fibers/mm-width or less and have a drape level of 120 mm or more and 240 mm or less.

A wet-laid fibrous product is provided that comprises recycled cellulosic fibers, cellulose ester staple fibers, and residual recycled ink, where the fibrous product has less ink content compared to the ink content for a 100% cellulose comparative fiber wet-laid product, when processed under similar conditions. The wet-laid fibrous product can be formed from a deinked recycled paper pulp slurry, the pulp slurry comprising recycled cellulosic fibers, cellulose ester staple fibers, and ink. A deinking process for the slurry is also provided.

A reinforcing fiber mat includes reinforcing fiber bundles having an average fiber length of 5 mm to 100 mm, wherein reinforcing fiber bundles consisting of 86 or more fibers per bundle are contained at a weight content of more than 99 wt % to 100 wt % and the reinforcing fiber bundles contain single yarns by 500 fibers/mm-width or more and 1,600 fibers/mm-width or less and have a drape level of 120 mm or more and 240 mm or less.

A reinforcing fiber mat includes reinforcing fiber bundles having an average fiber length of 5 mm to 100 mm, wherein reinforcing fiber bundles consisting of 86 or more fibers per bundle are contained at a weight content of more than 99 wt % to 100 wt % and the reinforcing fiber bundles contain single yarns by 500 fibers/mm-width or more and 1,600 fibers/mm-width or less and have a drape level of 120 mm or more and 240 mm or less.

A wet-laid fibrous product is provided that comprises recycled cellulosic fibers, cellulose ester staple fibers, and residual recycled ink, where the fibrous product has less ink content compared to the ink content for a 100% cellulose comparative fiber wet-laid product, when processed under similar conditions. The wet-laid fibrous product can be formed from a deinked recycled paper pulp slurry, the pulp slurry comprising recycled cellulosic fibers, cellulose ester staple fibers, and ink. A deinking process for the slurry is also provided.