A non-woven electret fibrous web for electrostatic adsorption and odor elimination and the preparation process thereof. In certain exemplary embodiments, the non-woven electret fibrous web includes a multiplicity of electret fibers, at least one of a plurality of photo-catalytic fibers or a plurality of multi-component fibers; and optionally, at least one of a plurality of chemically-active particulates, a plurality of carbon-based fibers, or a plurality of mono-component thermoplastic fibers. In other exemplary embodiments, carding and cross-lapping or air-laying processes are disclosed for making nonwoven fibrous webs including electret fibers and one or more of photocatalytic fibers, chemically-active particulates, multi-component fibers, mono-component thermoplastic fibers, or carbon-based fibers. In some exemplary embodiments, exemplary non-woven electret fibrous webs of the disclosure exhibit superior gas permeation characteristics, high adsorption characteristics for airborne contaminants, as well as an odor elimination function.

Microscale and nanoscale tubular structures are provided including rheological fluids in their interior volume and including at least one electroactive component. Multiple tubular structures are provided, including simple hollow tube structures; core/shell structures, wherein the tube includes a tubular outer shell with a core extending axially therein; concentric tube or coaxial tube structures, wherein the tube includes a tubular outer shell and one or more concentric tubes extending axially therein; and core/concentric tube structures, wherein concentric tubes further include a core extending axially therein, thus having a core and two or more tubes surrounding the core. The tubular structures are formed by electrospinning and special spinnerets are provided. The tubular structures form fabrics for beneficial uses.

Provided is a nonwoven fabric structure containing an odd-shaped fiber. The odd-shaped fiber has bubbles inside and has a cross-sectional shape that is an irregular, non-circular cross-section. Further, it is preferable that the cross-sectional shape of the odd-shaped fiber changes in the fiber length direction, the odd-shaped fiber has a crystallinity of 40% or less, and the odd-shaped fiber is made of at least two kinds of thermoplastic resins. It is also preferable that that the nonwoven fabric structure contains a heat fusible fiber, the odd-shaped fiber is present in the form of a net-like fiber sheet, and the odd-shaped fiber is in the form of short fibers. In addition, a method for producing such a nonwoven fabric structure is a method in which a thermoplastic resin containing a foaming agent is extruded through a slit die to give an odd-shaped fiber having bubbles inside, followed by three-dimensional shaping.

Method for the preparation of a non-woven mat or paper made of carbon fibers, the method comprising carbonizing a non-woven mat or paper preform (precursor) comprised of a plurality of bonded sulfonated polyolefin fibers to produce said non-woven mat or paper made of carbon fibers. The preforms and resulting non-woven mat or paper made of carbon fiber, as well as articles and devices containing them, and methods for their use, are also described.

There is provided a continuous-fiber nonwoven fabric excellent in terms of bulkiness, flexibility, and shape stability. The continuous-fiber nonwoven fabric comprises eccentric hollow conjugated continuous fiber containing a part (A), a part containing a higher melting-point thermoplastic resin (A), and a part (B), a part containing a lower melting-point thermoplastic resin (B), the parts (A) and (B) having been bonded to each other in a side by side arrangement, wherein the difference in melting point between the higher melting-point thermoplastic resin (A) and the lower melting-point thermoplastic resin (B) is 5 C. or greater, the eccentric hollow conjugated continuous fiber has a part (A):part (B) proportion in the range of 5 to 30 weight %:95 to 70 weight %, the eccentric hollow conjugated continuous fiber has a cross-section in which the thickness (a) of the part (A) is smaller than the thickness (b) of the part (B), and the eccentric hollow conjugated continuous fiber has been crimped.

A continuous filament spun-laid web includes a plurality of polymer fibers within the web, the web having a first thickness and the web being free of any thermal or mechanical bonding treatment. Activation of the web results in at least one of an increase from the first thickness prior to activation to a second thickness post activation in which the second thickness is at least about two times greater than the first thickness, a decrease in density of the web post activation in relation to a density of the web prior to activation, the web being configured to withstand an elastic elongation from about 10% to about 350% in at least one of a machine direction (MD) of the web and a cross-direction (CD) of the web, and the web having a tensile strength from about 50 gram-force/cm.sup.2 to about 5000 gram-force/cm.sup.2.

A continuous filament spun-laid web includes a plurality of polymer fibers within the web, the web having a first thickness and the web being free of any thermal or mechanical bonding treatment. Activation of the web results in at least one of an increase from the first thickness prior to activation to a second thickness post activation in which the second thickness is at least about two times greater than the first thickness, a decrease in density of the web post activation in relation to a density of the web prior to activation, the web being configured to withstand an elastic elongation from about 10% to about 350% in at least one of a machine direction (MD) of the web and a cross-direction (CD) of the web, and the web having a tensile strength from about 50 gram-force/cm.sup.2 to about 5000 gram-force/cm.sup.2.

A melt spinnable fiber is provided that comprises a first component comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and a second component comprising thermoplastic starch where the second component is not encompassed by another component or components or if encompassed by another component or components then the second component encompasses a hollow core. A particular use of such a fiber is for removal of the second component in the presence of a solvent in order to produce fibers with desired properties. An agent may be present in the second component for controlling the rate of removal of the second component thereby allowing for physical manipulation of the fiber prior to complete removal of the component. The invention is also directed to nonwoven webs and disposable articles comprising the fibers.

An object of the invention is to obtain spunbonded nonwoven fabrics including thin hollow fibers which have excellent lightweight properties and uniformity as well as exhibit high strength and flexibility. An aspect of the invention is directed to a spunbonded nonwoven fabric including hollow fibers of a propylene polymer, the hollow fibers satisfying the following requirements (a) to (c): (a) the C-axis orientation is at least 0.85, (b) the average fiber diameter is 5 to 20 m, and (c) the hollowness is 5 to 30%.

A thermoresponsive facial mask has a non-woven fabric structure with multiple layers, wherein at last one of the layers of the non-woven fabric structure has far-infrared hollow fibers. The far-infrared hollow fibers content far-infrared powers that emit a far-infrared radiation. A formula for the thermoresponsive facial mask has a polyalcohol and a germanium element, which promotes the thermoresponsive facial mask to generate an advantage of forming the warming effect automatically.