Abstract: The invention teaches the treatment of a porous substrate such as a textile material by treating the substrate with a foam, the substrate prior to treatment having a moisture content of up to 130% of the transit water content, forcing the foam into the porous substrate to enable foam transit through said substrate, causing or allowing foam collapse both at the surface interface and at the interior interface and terminating the treatment by removing or deactivating the reagent.

Abstract: This invention relates to the application of a treatment agent to an air permeable substrate by forming a foam of a liquid containing or constituting the treatment agent and applying the foam to the substrate and causing or allowing the foam to transit the substrate and to be removed from the other side thereof in which process the foam is applied in an excess defined as a ratio of the foam transit liquid content of the material in which case the amount of treatment agent taken up by the substrate will be dependent solely on the concentration of the agent within the foam and not by the volume of the foam applied and further the amount of agent taken up by the substrate is substantially independent of the initial water or liquid content of the substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of applying polymeric materials to the surface of a substrate by providing a layer of polymeric material on a release sheet and then subsequently transferring the polymeric material from the release sheet by the application of heat and pressure sufficient to effect adhesion of the polymeric material to the substrate and thereafter peeling the release sheet from the polymeric material. The invention is particularly concerned with the application of polymeric materials being capable of a secondary reaction at the time of application to the substrate or subsequent thereto.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of applying polymeric materials to the surface of a substrate by providing a layer of polymeric material on a release sheet and then subsequently transferring the polymeric material from the release sheet by the application of heat and pressure sufficient to effect adhesion of the polymeric material to the substrate and thereafter peeling the release sheet from the polymeric material. The invention is particularly concerned with the application of polymeric materials being capable of a secondary reaction at the time of application to the substrate or subsequent thereto.

Abstract: This invention relates to a heat activatable adhesive formed from at least two components each in the form of discrete, flowable particles which are capable of adhering in abutment of one particle with another to provide an open structured, porous matrix. The adhesive may be in the form of a sheet formed by blending the particles of each component, applying the mechanical mixture to a supporting sheet, heating the mixture and supporting sheet to the temperature at which the material with the lowest tackifying temperature becomes tacky, applying pressure sufficient to partially flatten the largest particles to a degree such that their minimum dimension is substantially equivalent to the thickness of the layer formed on said support sheet and during or after said pressure application.

Abstract: Use of an application of foam to air permeable sheet material by a variety of mechanical or pressure applied means in order to cause or allow the foam to enter the interstices of the material. The foam contains as an essential integer an agent capable of lowering the surface tension of the foaming liquid thereby effecting a dewatering/drying action on the material greater than that than would otherwise be applied.

Abstract: A method for the incorporation of an active agent into a porous structural substrate which comprises forming a pseudoplastic gel comprising:an active agentat least one solvent thereforand at least one gel forming agent and thereafter applying the gel to the structure to be treated. The penetration of the gel into the porous structure may be regulated by decreasing the viscosity of the gel by increasing the shear on the gel during its application to the porous structure. A predetermined gel penetration of the structure is achieved before 75% of the solvent has evaporated.

Abstract: The invention relates to the formation of a semi-solid article by providing a mixture of monomeric aliphalic or aliphatic polyhydroxy compound and the polymeric polyhydroxy compound which is insoluble in the polyhydroxy compound at room temperature, but is soluble therein at elevated temperatures, forming shaped article from said mixture, heating the shaped article so formed so that the polymeric polyhydroxy compound dissolves in a monomeric polyhydroxy compound and cooling the shaped article while maintaining the shape thereof. This produces a semi-solid material which behaves like a solid in the sense that it retains its shape in the absence of chemical stress and resists deformation if mechanical stress is applied and exhibits elasticity if deformed and is restored in a substantial degree to its original shape if mechanical stress causing the deformation is released.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of treating a surface with reagents. The method comprises:(i) establishing a reagent in a liquid phase;(ii) forming a foam of said liquid phase;(iii) applying said foam to said surface to be treated;(iv) causing or allowing the foam to collapse at the interface of said surface being treated to deposit the reagent thereon and thereafter removing or deactivating the reagent on said surface when the treatment is complete, whereby the rate of foam collapse is controlled to control the rate of application of the reagent to the said surface.

Abstract: This invention is concerned with the tack spinning of materials and has particular reference to the formation of tack spun materials by applying a theromplastic polymer to a backing or carrier sheet to form a pattern or layer thereon and then heating the layer and contacting the layer with a second surface whereby separation of the carrier from the second surface results in separation of the thermoplastic polymer within its plane to draw fibres therefrom on progressive separation. The preferred embodiment of the invention involves two backing sheets prepared between a pair of nip rollers to form a sandwich structure with a layer of thermoplastic tack spinnable material and separating the same on the downstream side of the nip to provide the fibres disposed substantially transverse to the plane of the carrier sheet. The invention also describes novel apparatus for performing this operation.

Abstract: This invention is concerned with the tack spinning of materials and has particular reference to the formation of tack spun materials by applying a thermoplastic polymer to a backing or carrier sheet to form a pattern or layer thereon and then heating the layer and contacting the layer with a second surface whereby separation of the carrier from the second surface results in separation of the thermoplastic polymer within its plane to draw fibres therefrom on progressive separation. The preferred embodiment of the invention involves two backing sheets prepared between a pair of nip rollers to form a sandwich structure with a layer of thermoplastic tack spinnable material and separating the same on the downstream side of the nip to provide the fibres disposed substantially transverse to the plane of the carrier sheet. The invention also describes novel apparatus for performing this operation.

Abstract: Filaments having a substantially increased inner surface, in particular porous filaments of filaments having a cracked, notched or nicked surface of thermoplsatic material are produced by subjecting filaments of thermoplastic material, preferably containing a pore-forming agent, to a heating medium at a temperature at least 100.degree., preferably 150.degree.C.