A spunbond nonwoven laminate has a stack of at least two and at most four spunbond nonwoven layers each formed by or consisting of crimped continuous filaments. A degree of crimping of the filaments in each of the spunbond nonwoven layers is different from a degree of crimping in each of the other spunbond nonwoven layers and each of the crimped filaments of the spunbond nonwoven layers has a crimp with at least two loops per centimeter of length. The crimped filaments of the spunbond nonwoven layers are multicomponent filaments each having at least one first plastic component and at least one second plastic component with each of the plastic components being present in the respective filament in a proportion of at least 10 wt %.

Nonwoven materials having at least one layer comprising high core bicomponent fibers are provided. The nonwoven materials can have multiple layers and are suitable for use in a variety of applications, including in absorbent products. Such nonwoven materials can be patterned to create a three-dimensional topography including indentations formed of valleys and ridges. The nonwoven materials can have improved resiliency and strength and can retain their structure under wetted conditions and after tension and compression. The nonwoven materials can further facilitate the transfer of the liquid through the nonwoven material for improved liquid distribution and can also have improved liquid retention properties.

A nonwoven fabric having polylactic acid-containing fibers forming a nonwoven web is provided. The web has a side having an alternating pattern of individualized bonded areas which bonded areas define rods arranged in the cross direction of the web. The rods are arranged so that in the machine direction of the web no uninterrupted regions exist along the web while in the cross direction the arrangement of rods defines uninterrupted regions that extend continuously along the web, the alternating pattern of individualized bonded areas defines a non-bonded area. The web has a basis weight from 5-50 g/m.sup.2, the surface of the bonded areas is from 5-20% of the total surface of the side, and the surface of the non-bonded area is from 80-95% of the total surface of the side. Processes for forming the nonwoven fabric and an absorbent article including the nonwoven fabric are also provided.

Multi-component fibers or filaments that are ribbon shaped are provided having polymer components positioned in a side-by-side fashion. For example, the multi-component fibers may be bicomponent fibers having ribbon shape. The polymer components of the fibers are selected to have differential shrinkage behavior. Nonwovens are also provided that are manufactured from such ribbon shaped multi-component fibers or filaments.

Provided are a nonwoven fabric, wherein in a broken end part formed by a tensile test in accordance with JIS L 1913 of stretching in one direction to lead breakage, letting an innermost point in the one direction be P.sub.in and an outermost point be P.sub.out, distance D along the one direction between point P.sub.in and point P.sub.out is less than or equal to 50 mm, and a bandage using the same.

The invention provides migration resistant batting that includes a nonwoven web comprising a first surface parallel to a second surface, and a fiber mixture that includes: 35 to 65 wt % synthetic polymeric fibers having a denier of less than or equal to 1.0, wherein 50 to 100 wt % of said synthetic polymeric fibers are siliconized fibers; 10 to 30 wt % spiral-crimped synthetic polymeric fibers having a length of greater than or equal to 60 mm, wherein 50 to 100 wt % of said spiral-crimped synthetic polymeric fibers are siliconized fibers; 20 to 50 wt % elastomeric fibers having a denier between 2.0 and 7.0; and 5 to 25 wt % synthetic binder fibers having a denier of 1.5 to 4.0, said binder fibers have a bonding temperature lower than the softening temperature of the synthetic polymeric fibers, wherein said first and second surfaces comprise a cross-linked resin. Also provided are articles comprising the batting and methods of making the batting.

A spunbond nonwoven laminate has a plurality of stacked spunbond nonwoven layers, namely at least two and at most four spunbond nonwoven layers that have crimped continuous filaments or consist of crimped continuous filaments. The degree of crimping of the filaments is different in each of these spunbond nonwoven layers, and each of the crimped filaments of the spunbond nonwoven layers has a crimp with at least two, preferably at least three, and more preferably with at least four loops per centimeter of length. The crimped filaments of the spunbond nonwoven layers are multicomponent filaments, particularly bicomponent filaments, with a first plastic component and a second plastic component present in the respective filament in a proportion of at least 10 wt %.

Nonwoven materials having at least one layer comprising cellulose fibers are provided. The nonwoven materials comprise bonded natural cellulosic fibers having high capillary action. The nonwoven materials are suitable for use in a variety of applications, including absorbent products and pre-moistened cleaning materials with metered release of liquid.

A method for producing a foam-formed multilayered substrate that includes producing an aqueous-based foam including at least 3% by weight non-straight synthetic binder fibers, wherein the non-straight synthetic binder fibers have an average length greater than 2 mm; forming together a wet sheet layer from the aqueous-based foam and a cellulosic fiber layer, wherein the cellulosic fiber layer includes at least 60 percent by weight cellulosic fibers; and drying the combined layers to obtain the foam-formed multilayer substrate. A multilayered substrate includes a first layer including at least 60 percent by weight non-straight synthetic binder fibers having an average length greater than 2 mm; and a second layer including at least 60 percent by weight cellulosic fiber, wherein the first layer is in a facing relationship with the second layer, and wherein the multilayered substrate has a wet/dry tensile ratio of at least 60%.

Provided is a hook-and-loop fastener female member including an engaging layer adopting a non-woven fabric, the hook-and-loop fastener female member being excellent in engaging force with a hook-and-loop fastener male member. The hook-and-loop fastener female member of the present invention includes an engaging layer engageable with a male member, in which the engaging layer includes a non-woven fabric of fiber, in which the non-woven fabric in the engaging layer has a density of from 5 kg/m.sup.3 to 110 kg/m.sup.3, and in which the fiber has a diameter of from 15 μm to 60 μm.