Abstract: A process of producing a uniform fiber dispersion involves the use of an in-line dispersing chamber to provide an average fiber dwell time of only about ten minutes and less. The chamber is provided with a plurality of weedless, nonthrusting impellers that generate regions of reduced pressure and flow disruptive turbulence of high intensity, the turbulence being of sufficient intensity to rapidly open fiber bundles and disperse the individual long fibers during said dwell time within said chamber. The process produces a machine-made light weight glass fiber web material of exceptionally uniform fiber distribution. The web is comprised of micron diameter glass fibers having a fiber length of about 1/4 inch or more and a basis weight of about 5-30 grams/square meter. The web material exhibits an isolated multi-fiber defect count of less than 10 per 100 square feet and a visually perceptible overall uniform fiber distribution essentially devoid of "cloud effect" fiber density variations.

Abstract: A continuous, essentially closed recirculating papermaking process is provided by using a dispersing medium of adjustable viscosity. The process permits the continuous reuse of the medium under preferred operating conditions. It includes the steps of forming a dispersion of fibers within the adjustable medium containing a pH sensitive viscosity producing agent, reducing the fiber consistency and the viscosity within the dispersion while maintaining the concentration of the agent substantially unchanged, subsequently forming a fibrous web material on a papermaking screen from said dispersion of reduced fiber consistency while separating the dispersing media from the fibers forming the web and continuously collecting the separated media and recirculating it within the system to effect a subsequent fiber dispersion as well as a fiber consistency reduction and viscosity reduction without substantially changing the concentration of the viscosity producing agent.

Abstract: A tufted nonwoven web material exhibiting high loft, bulk and absorbency is made by a papermaking technique using an apertured, plate-like, fiber collecting element having a structure appropriate to preventing entanglement between adjacent tufts prior to removal from the element. The tufted nonwoven fibrous web exhibits inwardly turned, spirally consolidated and entangled individual tuft head portions and substantially aligned and untwisted root portions interconnecting the head portion to the undisturbed planar main body of the web material.

Abstract: A tufted nonwoven web material exhibiting high loft, bulk and absorbency is made by a papermaking technique using an apertured, plate-like, fiber-collecting element having a structure appropriate to preventing entanglement between adjacent tufts prior to removal from the element. The apertured element is adapted not only to form the tufted nonwoven fibrous web but also to permit consolidation of individual tufts and facilitate the formation of tufted webs from 100 percent wood pulp. Additionally, webs having tufts on both planar surfaces also can be formed by this technique.