Abstract: A fabric comprising at least two layers wherein at least one layer is an extensible, bonded non-woven composed of a fiber comprising multiple different polymers such as a fiber comprising isotactic polypropylene, polyethylene and a block or grafted polyolefin copolymer or terpolymer which is at least partially miscible with said polypropylene and polyethylene.

Abstract: A flexible nonwoven fabric comprising conjugate long fibers of sheath-core type comprising a core of a resin having a high melting point and a polyethylene sheath is provided. The fiber has a weight ratio of the resin of the high melting point to the polyethylene of from 5/95 to 20/80 and a fineness of up to 3.0 denier, and the nonwoven fabric has a sum of bending resistance in machine and transverse directions as measured by Clark method (method C in JIS L1096) of up to 80 mm. The flexible nonwoven fabric has excellent texture and frictional resistance. A laminate comprising such flexible nonwoven fabric and a gas-permeable film is also provided.

Abstract: A bulky and highly strong filament nonwoven fabric and method of manufacturing the filament nonwoven fabric which is made of conjugated filaments, whose intersections are melted and adhered, and which has a 15-35 cc/g specific volume and satisfies the following Formula (1) between strength and specific volume;Y.gtoreq.-1.25X+125 (1)wherein Y is a geometrical mean of vertical and horizontal strength per 5 cm wide and 1 g/cm.sup.2 nonwoven fabric ?unit: g/(g/m.sup.2 .multidot.5 cm!; Y=(MD.times.CD).sup.1/2 where MD is vertical strength ?unit: g/(g/m.sup.2 .multidot.5 cm! and CD is horizontal strength ?unit: g/(g/m.sup.2 .multidot.5 cm!; and X=specific volume of a nonwoven fabric ?unit: cc/g!; and wherein the conjugated filament is made of a low melting point polymer and a high melting point polymer with a difference in melting points of at least 15.degree. C., and has the low melting point polymer on at least one section of a filament surface and has crimps.

Abstract: A non-woven fabric having a high strength, a good bulkiness and a soft feeling, and hot-melt-adhesive conjugate fibers affording the non-woven fabric are provided, the above hot-melt-adhesive conjugate fibers being composed of conjugate fibers, of side-by-side type or sheath-and-core type, composed of a high melting component of a polypropylene or a polyester and a low melting component of a polyethylene, the polyethylene continuously forming at least one portion of the fiber surface in the direction of the fibers; hot-melt-adhesive conjugate fibers characterized in that the polyethylene has 0 to 1.5 methyl branch/1000 C in the molecular chain, a density of 0.950 to 0.965 g/cm 3 and a Q value (weight average molecular weight (Mw)/number average molecular weight (Mn)) of 4.5 or less, and the above hot-melt-adhered non-woven fabric being characterized by containing 20% by weight or more of the above hot-melt-adhesive conjugate fibers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nonwoven fabric including a fine denier filament having a plexifilamentary structure in which the disadvantages of polyolefins and of polyesters are offset each other while advantages of them are well utilized with a fine fibrillated structure comprising said filament. The filament comprises a mixture which is at least composed of polyolefin and polyester which are immiscible with each other and has a plexifilamentary structure. The filament is so highly fibrillated that the fibril has not been available yet and, in addition, the filament is with high strength and modulus and exhibits a good dyeing ability. The above-mentioned nonwoven fabric contains the filaments having a plexifilamentary structure in which a mixture of polyolefin and polyester which are immiscible with each other in a mixing ratio within a range of from 5/95 to 95/5 by weight and said filaments are entirely or partially bonded.

Abstract: There is provided a web which has been spun from a mixture of thermoplastic polymer and a softening additive in an amount up to about 3 weight percent, and which has been mechanically treated to increase softness. The web has a final cup crush value which is less than 50 percent of the starting cup crush value and the drop in cup crush value is greater than the sum of the treatments individually. The web may be a single layer or may be a laminate of spunbond and other materials such as meltblown and coform fabrics.

Abstract: Hydrophobic polyolefin fibers are provided with an internal hydrophobic polysiloxane of the formula X--?Si(R.sup.1)(R.sup.2)--O--!.sub.z --Y, in which X, Y, R.sup.1, and R.sup.2, which may be the same or different, or substituted or unsubstituted independently of each other, are aliphatic groups having not more than about sixteen carbon atoms, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 also being selected from among aryl groups, and z being a positive number sufficiently high that the polysiloxane is hydrophobic (z is generally at least 10). The invention also provides a novel polymer melt for spinning these hydrophobic fibers. The fibers can be cut into staple lengths and carded and bonded to form hydrophobic woven and nonwoven products suitable for use in hygiene devices such as diapers.

Abstract: An extruded monofilament is formed from a compatibilized blend of polyphenylene sulfide and a polyamide resin. The blend is compatibilized by the addition of a compatibilizing resin selected from the group consisting of chemically modified and functionalized polyolefins. Preferably, from about 25 to about 99 parts by weight of a polyphenylene sulfide resin and from about 75 to 1 parts by weight of at least one polyamide resin, together with from about 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a compatibilizer are blended and extruded to form the monofilament. The resultant monofilament exhibits improved physical properties as compared to unblended polyphenylene sulfide resins (PPS), as well as uncompatibilized blends of PPS with other materials. The monofilaments prepared from these compatibilized blends are useful as components of industrial fabrics, particularly fabrics such as are used as belts on paper forming machines. The polymer blend and a process for the manufacture of the monofilaments are also provided.

Abstract: Undrawn, tough, durably melt-bondable, macrodenier, thermoplastic, multicomponent filaments, such as sheath-core and side-by-side filaments, comprising a first plastic component and a second lower-melting component defining all or at least part of the material-air boundary of the filaments. The filaments can be made by melt-extruding thermoplastics to form hot filaments, cooling and solidifying the hot filaments, and recovering the solidified filaments without any substantial tension being placed thereon. Aggregations of the filaments can be made in the form of floor matting and abrasive articles.

Abstract: The present invention provides a barrier laminate having a barrier layer and a lofty crimped-fiber nonwoven web layer, which laminate provides a foam-like resiliency, cloth-like texture and liquid barrier property. The barrier layer of the laminate is selected from films, microfiber nonwoven webs and laminates thereof, and the crimped-fiber web layer, which contains a structural fiber component and an heat-activatable adhesive component, has substantially uniformly distributed interfiber bonds. Additionally provided are thermoformed articles from the laminate and a thermoforming process for producing the articles.

Abstract: Absorbent laminates include an oriented, fluid-pervious plastic substrate bonded to a nonwoven absorbent member. The nonwoven absorbent member includes bi-component fibers having a heat-softenable outer skin, said heat-softenable outer skin being heat-softenable at a temperature lower than the melting point and shrinking point of the oriented plastic substrate to provide a binder component for the laminate. A fluid-pervious plastic substrate can be adhered to one or both surfaces of the nonwoven absorbent member through bi-component fibers of the nonwoven absorbent member. In absorbent laminates including opposed fluid-pervious outer plastic substrates marginal edges of the laminate can be compression sealed through the bi-component fibers in the intermediate nonwoven absorbent member to seal the edges against the escape of fibers from the laminate. Methods of forming absorbent laminates of this invention also form a part of the present invention.

Abstract: The preparation of water-insoluble, bactericidal, peroxide-containing products, by reaction of magnesium acetate with hydrogen peroxide, and products obtained are disclosed. Processes for application and deposition of these reaction products on natural, synthetic and blend fibrous substrates are also disclosed. The modified fibrous substrates thus produced inhibit the growth and spread of odor- and disease-causing gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and the antibacterial activity of the modified fibrous substrates is durable to repeated launderings.

Abstract: Improvement in a hydrophilic function and in the strength of a cloth article obtained from a durable hydrophilic fibers is attained by the employment a durable hydrophilic fiber consisting of a fiber made of a thermoplastic resin to which 0.2 to 1.0% by weight of a mixture formed of the following surfactant (A),(B), (C), (D) and (E) is adhered:(A) 10 to 30% by weight of one or more compounds selected out of polyoxyalkylene additive of higher alcohol or higher alkylamine of carbon number 28 to 50, or amide formed of fatty acid of carbon number 30 to 50 and polyamine,(B) 10 to 30% by weight of a polyoxyalkylene additive of amide formed of fatty acid of carbon number 20 to 28 and polyamine,(C) 30 to 50% by weight of an amide formed of higher fatty acid of carbon number 16 to 28, and alkanolamine,(D) 10 to 30% by weight of polyoxyalkylene additive of alkylphosphate salt of carbon number 10 to 22, and(E) 2 to 10% by weight of alkylsulfonate salt of carbon number 12 to 16.

Abstract: Thermobondable fiber of at least one first component of polypropylene having a melt flow rate of 0.5-30, and at least one second component of polypropylene having a melt flow rate of 60-1000.

Abstract: A hydrophilic melt-extruded multicomponent polymeric strand including a first melt-extrudable polymeric component and a second melt-extrudable, hydrophilic polymeric component, the first and second components being arranged in substantially distinct zones across the cross-section of the multicomponent strand and extending continuously along the length of the multicomponent strand, the second component constituting at least a portion of the peripheral surface of the multicomponent strand continuously along the length of the multicomponent strand. The second component renders the strand hydrophilic and preferably has a critical surface tension at 20.degree. C. greater than about 55 dyne/cc, and more preferably greater than about 65 dyne/cc. A suitable hydrophilic second component comprises a block copolymer of nylon 6 and polyethylene oxide diamine. Suitable polymers for the first component include linear polycondensates and crystalline polyolefins such as polypropylene.

Abstract: A high-strength ultra-fine fiber construction including a high-strength multi-filament yarn including ultra-fine filaments of a fineness of a single filament less than 0.8 denier, a tenacity of 6.5 g/d or more, and the elongation at break of the multi-filament yarn being 15% or more. In order to obtain such a fiber construction, islands-in-sea-type or divisional type conjugate spinning is initially carried out to obtain conjugate multi-filament yarns, which is subjected to weaving to produce a fabric, and a island component removing or dividing treatment is finally done in order to obtain the high-strength ultra-fine fiber in the fiber structure.Ultra-fine fibers of the desired strength together with a particular range of a cover factor provides all the advantages of the ultra-fine fibers. A reduced air permeability, when it is necessary, can be easily obtained. Namely, a desired mechanical property as well as a desired softness are both obtained, while the number of naps and filament breakages are reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a natural fiber knit-like multi-layer composite containing at least one layer of a nonwoven fiber web and at least one layer of an elastomeric material, wherein the nonwoven web layer is joined to the elastic layer at spaced-apart locations and is gathered between said spaced-apart locations. The nonwoven fiber web is fabricated from multicomponent conjugate fibers or filaments that contain at least one polyolefin, and is a spunbond fiber web, staple fiber web or hydroentangled web. The composite exhibits soft, cloth-like texture of natural fiber knits as well as highly useful elastic properties.

Abstract: Disclosed is a drawn, polyolefin fiber useful for nonwoven fabrics, the thermobonding index of said fiber being 4.5-9 Newtons, and the flexibility index thereof being 1020-1500. The fiber is composed of a blend of specified polymers. Also disclosed is a process for making the fiber by spinning the blend from a die hole having at the output end a diameter less than 0.5 mm, and drawing the resulting fiber at a draw ratio of 1.1 to 1.8.

Abstract: An absorbent material suitable for use as a medical or hygienic absorbent and comprises a non-woven fibre sheet having dense surface layers 10 and between these layers a less dense region where most of the fibres extend in the plane of the sheet. Transversely extending fibres 16 help to bind the material, the fibres also being bonded to some extent by a hot melt bonding material, e.g. core/sheath-type bi-component fibres. The material is made by forming a blend of fibres, including a minor weight of hot melt fibres, by cross-lapping a plurality of layers 14 to form a web, subjecting the web to needling at low punch density with penetration through the web, thereafter subjecting surface regions 10 of the web to higher punch density needling to form the dense surface layer 10 at each face from the web. The web is then heated, e.g.

Abstract: Thermobondable fiber of at least one first component of polypropylene having a melt flow rate of 0.5-30, and at least one second component of polypropylene having a melt flow rate of 60-1000.