Abstract: An open, lofty nonwoven scouring material comprising natural fibers and a method of making the scouring material is disclosed. The scouring material comprises a three dimensional nonwoven web of entangled fibers comprising natural vegetable fibers and synthetic fibers. Natural vegetable fibers comprise 20 to 80% wt. of the fibers of the web. The synthetic fibers comprise at least first synthetic fibers having a first melting point and second synthetic fibers having a second melting point that is higher than the first melting point. The first synthetic fibers entirely melt and coalesce at mutual contact point of the natural fibers and second synthetic fibers to bond the fibers together and to create voids. The bonded web has a maximum density of 60 kg/m3.

Abstract: A filtering face-piece respirator 10 that includes a reusable harness 19, a reusable frame 16, and a replaceable filtering structure 18. The reuseable frame 16 has the reusable harness 14 secured to it and has first and second opposing panels 28a, 28b that define a slot 38 into which the replaceable filtering structure 18 can be manually inserted to be joined to the reusable frame 16 in a removable fashion. The replaceable filtering structure 18 also is able to be separated from the reusable frame 16 by being manually withdrawn from the slot 38. The respirator provides a convenient method for reusing all respirator ports but the filtering structure while protecting the reusable parts from exposure to contaminants.

Abstract: An open, lofty nonwoven scouring material comprising natural fibers and a method of making the scouring material is disclosed. The scouring material comprises a three dimensional nonwoven web of entangled fibers comprising natural vegetable fibers and synthetic fibers. Natural vegetable fibers comprise 20 to 80% wt. of the fibers of the web. The synthetic fibers comprise at least first synthetic fibers having a first melting point and second synthetic fibers having a second melting point that is higher than the first melting point. The first synthetic fibers entirely melt and coalesce at mutual contact point of the natural fibers and second synthetic fibers to bond the fibers together and to create voids. The bonded web has a maximum density of 60 kg/m3.