Abstract: An apparatus and process for disinfecting, and, optionally, sterilizing, fibers and non-woven materials produced from the fibers is disclosed, as well as processes for converting fibers into disinfected and/or sterilized non-woven materials. The process involves contacting the fibers and/or non-woven materials with high temperature steam, and then with UV light, which is preferably UV-C light, or another disinfectant process, such as ozone treatment. The process can also involve process steps such as blending fibers, applying fibers to an air card, subjecting the fibers to one or more carding steps, subjecting the carded fibers to non-woven process steps, and chemically treating the fibers and/or non-woven materials. The resulting non-woven materials can be used, for example, in personal care, baby care (including baby wipes), cosmetic applications, household cleaning, automotive, industrial cleaning applications, industrial uses, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for quality deconstruction of textile waste materials which comprises an initial feedbox or hopper, a feedbox conveyor, one or more than one serially-connected treatment/deconstruction groups, an outlet conveyor, and a centralized computer controller. The apparatus described herein can produce fibers with one or more enhanced qualities relative to those fibers produced by tearing drums.

Abstract: A process for converting post-industrial or post-consumer waste leather materials to leather fibers is disclosed. The process involves obtaining post-industrial or post-consumer waste leather materials with a surface finish, removing the surface finish, reduced the size of the materials to a size between about 0.5 and about 3 inches in length and in width, and adding a surfactant. After the surfactant has been added, the waste leather materials are again reduced in size to between 3 mm and 9 mm in length to form leather fibers, and a humectant and/or lubricant is added to the fibers, optionally after first opening up with steam. FTIR or other analytical chemistry can be used to identify the surface finishes before they are removed, which allows for selection of the most appropriate treatment to remove the finish.

Abstract: A support pillow comprises a cushion body having a medial region and two opposing arms that define a generally open well, with the cushion body having an outer periphery and an inner periphery adjacent the well. A shell encompasses the cushion body. A fabric cover is removably disposed over the shell such that the fabric cover generally conforms to the shell. The fabric cover defines an opening to permit the cover to be placed over the shell, and the fabric covering includes at least one fastener to close the opening once the cover has been placed over the shell.