Abstract: Disclosed is a process for manufacturing a fiber having at least a surface comprised mainly of a thermoplastic resin and carrying solid particles affixed to the surface, comprising the steps of:

Abstract: A cleaning sheet for a fuser member, comprising an ultrafine fibers-containing portion including (a) first ultrafine fibers formed from a resin having a softening point of higher than 230° C., having a non-circular cross-sectional shape, and having a fiber diameter of not more than 10 &mgr;m, and (b) second ultrafine fibers formed from a resin having a softening point of 150 to 230° C., and having a fiber diameter of not more than 10 &mgr;m, wherein at least one surface of the cleaning sheet is contained in the ultrafine fibers-containing portion, and the second ultrafine fibers in a surface portion containing the surface are deformed by press-attaching is disclosed.

Abstract: A nonwoven fabric prepared from fibers which are not substantially fibrillated and have a diameter of less than 20 &mgr;m, by fusing a fiber web comprising fine fibers having a diameter of 4 &mgr;m or less, and adhesive fibers having a diameter ranging from 8 &mgr;m to less than 20 &mgr;m, wherein a maximum pore size in the nonwoven fabric is not more than twice a mean flow pore size of the nonwoven fabric is disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a powders-affixed nonwoven fabric prepared from a fiber web comprising fine short fibers having a fiber diameter of 4 &mgr;m or less and a fiber length of 3 mm or less in a dispersed state in the fiber web, and powder materials affixed to the fiber web formed by a method other than a wet-laid method. Further, a process for manufacturing the powders-affixed nonwoven fabric, and a sheet material comprising the powders-affixed nonwoven fabric are also disclosed.

Abstract: An alkaline battery separator comprising a gas-permeable sheet which contains a hydrophilic portion carrying a methacrylic/ethylene copolymer component having a crystallinity of 25% or more on at least a part of a surface of said hydrophilic portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for a discharge treatment, comprising a pair of electrodes located opposite to each other; an element for applying an alternating current-high voltage between the electrodes; and an element for passing a gas mainly composed of air at a rate of 10 m/sec or more through a space formed between the electrodes is disclosed. Further, a process for a discharge treatment of an article, comprising applying an alternating current-high voltage between a pair of electrodes located opposite to each other, to the article placed between the electrodes, while a gas mainly composed of air is passed at a rate of 10 m/sec or more through a space formed between the electrodes, to thereby expose the article to an electric discharge induced between the electrodes, is also disclosed.

Abstract: An alkaline battery separator comprising a nonwoven fabric containing one or more mixture layers of entangled short fibers and entangled long fibers, wherein a fiber length of the short fibers is from 1 mm to less than 25 mm, a fiber length of the long fibers is 25 mm or more, and a total thickness of all of the mixture layers accounts for not less than one-third of a whole thickness of the nonwoven fabric is disclosed. The alkaline battery separator according to the present invention exhibits an excellent electrolyte-holding capacity, tensile strength, tear strength and bending resistance, and can be used to stably prepare a battery. Electrode flash rarely penetrate the separator, to thereby cause a short circuit between electrodes.

Abstract: A nonwoven fabric prepared from fibers which are not substantially fibrillated and have a diameter of less than 20 &mgr;m, by fusing a fiber web comprising fine fibers having a diameter of 4 &mgr;m or less, and adhesive fibers having a diameter ranging from 8 &mgr;m to less than 20 &mgr;m, wherein a maximum pore size in the nonwoven fabric is not more than twice a mean flow pore size of the nonwoven fabric is disclosed.

Abstract: A nonwoven fabric prepared from fibers which are not substantially fibrillated and have a diameter of less than 20 &mgr;m, by fusing a fiber web comprising fine fibers having a diameter of 4 &mgr;m or less, and adhesive fibers having a diameter ranging from 8 &mgr;m to less than 20 &mgr;m, wherein a maximum pore size in the nonwoven fabric is not more than twice the mean flow pore size of the nonwoven fabric is disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for a discharge treatment, comprising

Abstract: A simple and less expensive nonwoven female component for a mechanical refastenable fastening device (“touch and close fastener”) can be conveniently used in mostly disposable applications such as disposable diapers, disposable operating gowns, disposable underwear and other clothing. The nonwoven fabric female component includes projecting loops formed on one of the superficial sides of the nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric comprises a hydroentangled web, and the loops are projectingly formed by needle punching on or at one of the superficial sides of the hydroentangled web.

Abstract: An alkaline battery separator comprising a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric obtainable by heat-fusing and hydro-entangling (1) polyolefin dividable composite fibers having an average fiber length of 20 to 60 mm, (2) high-strength fibers having an average fiber length of 30 to 60 mm and a fiber strength of 5 g/denier or more, and (3) polyolefin heat-sensitive-adhesive fibers having an average fiber length of 30 to 60 mm, to obtain a heat-fused and hydro-entangled nonwoven fabric by a dry-laid method, and imparting a hydrophilic property to the resulting heat-fused and hydro-entangled nonwoven fabric; these high-strength fibers accounting for 20 to 45 mass % with respect to a total mass of the polyolefin dividable composite fibers, the high-strength fibers and the polyolefin heat-sensitive-adhesive fibers. The alkaline battery separator exhibits an excellent breaking strength, and has practical and sufficient tensile strength and electrolyte-holding capacity properties.

Abstract: A laminated deodorant filter medium is constituted by a plurality of laminate units laminated together; each of which includes a fiber web constituted by a connecting portion and a resin-aggregating portion, both of which are made of a hotmelt resin, and a deodorant particle firmly attached to one surface of the fiber web by way of the resin-aggregating portion. Employable as the deodorant particle is at least two kinds of deodorant particles including an acidic odor deodorant particle, an alkaline odor deodorant particle, and a physically adsorbing particle. As the resin-aggregating portion is formed at a part where a hotmelt nonwoven fabric and the deodorant particle are in contact with each other, the deodorant particle can be firmly attached to the fiber web as a single layer without using a binder, whereby a deodorant filter medium having a low pressure loss and high efficiency can be obtained.

Abstract: A porous article wherein a sulfur containing atomic group is introduced onto at least a part of outer-inner surfaces of the article, a ratio (S/C) of the number of sulfur atoms (S) to the number of carbon atoms (C) on the surface onto which the sulfur containing atomic group is introduced is 7×10−4 or more, a ratio (O/C) of the number of oxygen atoms (O) to the number of carbon atoms (C) on the surface onto which the sulfur containing atomic group is introduced is 0.2 or more, and the ratio (S/C) and the ratio (O/C) are determined by means of an X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer is disclosed.

Abstract: In a method of correcting a cutting pattern according to a characteristic of a fabric, a shrinkage ratio of the sponged fabric is measured, and the cutting pattern is corrected according to thus obtained shrinkage ratio data. Since the fabric is sponged, the amount of moisture contained in the fabric is controlled, and the tension applied to the fabric is relaxed, whereby the fabric is restrained from changing its size in the subsequent steps. Also, when shrinkage ratio data taking account of the subsequent fabric processing steps are used for the correction, the cutting pattern can be corrected more accurately.

Abstract: A floor mat having an upper face layer and a base layer, which comprises a plane section and a marginal peripheral section surrounding the plane section, wherein at least a part of the marginal peripheral section contains a belt-like portion which is raised at the side of the upper face layer and extends continuously and substantially in parallel to a marginal peripheral edge thereof; the belt-like portion contains a channel extending longitudinally thereof at the side of the base layer; and the belt-like portion carries at least one convex-concave structure on a wall surface of the channel, with the proviso that, when the convex-concave structure extends transversely of the channel, the convex-concave structure is discontinued on at least a bottom surface of the channel, is disclosed. The floor mat according to the present invention has a sufficient peeling strength obtained by a compression process used for only a short period of time.

Abstract: An alkaline battery separator comprising a nonwoven fabric containing one or more mixture layers of entangled short fibers and entangled long fibers, wherein a fiber length of the short fibers is from 1 mm to less than 25 mm, a fiber length of the long fibers is 25 mm or more, and a total thickness of all of the mixture layers accounts for not less than one-third of a whole thickness of the nonwoven fabric is disclosed. The alkaline battery separator according to the present invention exhibits an excellent electrolyte-holding capacity, tensile strength, tear strength and bending resistance, and can be used to stably prepare a battery. Electrode flash rarely penetrate the separator, to thereby cause a short circuit between electrodes.

Abstract: An alkaline battery separator comprising a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric obtainable from a fiber web prepared by a wet-laid method from (1) dividable composite fibers capable of producing polyolefin fine fibers, (2) high-strength fibers having a single-fiber strength of 5 g/denier or more, and (3) fusible fibers containing at least on a surface thereof a resin component having a melting point lower than a melting point of the dividable composite fibers and lower than a melting point of the high-strength fibers: by dividing the dividable composite fibers, entangling the fibers, and fusing the fusible fibers, to obtain a heat-fused and entangled nonwoven fabric, and imparting a hydrophilic property to the resulting heat-fused and entangled nonwoven fabric; wherein an average fiber length of the constituent fibers of the hydrophilic nonwoven fabric is 10 mm or more, is disclosed.

Abstract: A process for electret treatment is described, involving(1) placing the dielectric article between a combination of a first ion-repulsive electrode and a first ion-attractive electrode and between a combination of a second ion-repulsive electrode and a second ion-attractive electrode, under a specified arrangement;(2) supplying a first positive ion and a first negative ion from a first ion generating means between the dielectric article and the first ion-repulsive electrode, the first ion generating means being selected from an alternating current surface discharge element and an alternating current corona-type ion generating element;(3) applying a direct current voltage between the first ion-repulsive electrode and the first ion-attractive electrode to produce a first potential difference therebetween, whereby only one of the first positive and negative ions is moved in a specified direction, and is transferred on the dielectric article;(4) supplying a second positive ion and a second negative ion from a sec

Abstract: A modified porous non-conductor is provided wherein its outer and inner, surfaces have been treated by placing the porous non-conductor between a pair of electrodes which are located opposite to each other and carry a dielectric layer on a surface facing the other electrode, respectively, so that the porous non-conductor is brought into contact with both dielectric layers without coming into contact with the electrodes; and then, applying an alternating current voltage having a frequency of about 0.1 Khz to about 100 Khz between the electrodes to thereby induce an electric discharge in voids contained in the porous non-conductor and sandwiched between a pair of the electrodes.