A system having a first polymer source and a spin beam in fluid communication with the first polymer source is provided. The spin beam includes a spinneret assembly having filament nozzles configured and arranged to extrude a plurality of filaments of a first polymer. A gas distribution plate is disposed downstream of the spinneret assembly, and includes a plurality of gas distribution slots that are configured and arranged to receive two or more corresponding filament nozzles of the spinneret assembly therein. A stream of gas is introduced into the plurality of slots to draw and attenuate the filaments extruded by the plurality of filament nozzles. The drawn and attenuated filaments are collected on a collection surface disposed downstream of the gas distribution plate to form a nonwoven fabric. A solid additive, such as pulp fibers may be blended with the filaments prior to collecting the filaments on the collection surface.

The provided articles and methods use a non-woven fibrous web containing 60-100 wt % of oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers; and 0-40 wt % of reinforcing fibers having outer surfaces comprised of a polymer with a melting temperature of from 100° C. to 300° C. The non-woven fibrous web has an average bulk density of from 15 kg/m.sup.3 to 50 kg/m.sup.3, with the plurality of fibers substantially entangled along directions perpendicular to a major surface of the non-woven fibrous web. Optionally, the oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers can have a crimped configuration. Advantageously, these articles can display a combination of low thermal conductivity, high tensile strength, and flame resistance.

A nonwoven paper and method of manufacturing the same, where the nonwoven paper includes a thermally treated, wet-laid fiber mixture that includes a plurality of cellulosic fibers or pulp comprising about 60% to about 90% of the fiber mixture and a plurality of bicomponent binder fibers comprising about 10% to about 40% of the fiber mixture.

A masterbatch is disclosed, along with associated methods, and biodegradable filaments, fibers, yarns and fabrics. The masterbatch includes 0.2 to 5 mass % CaCO.sub.3, an aliphatic polyester with a repeat unit having from two to six carbons in the chain between ester groups, with the proviso that the 2 to 6 carbons in the chain do not include side chain carbons, and a carrier polymer selected from the group consisting of PET, nylon, other thermoplastic polymers, and combinations thereof.

The present invention relates to a flame-retardant nonwoven fabric for a mattress, and a flame-retardant nonwoven fabric for mattresses comprising flame-retardant rayon (FR-Rayon) staple fibers of 20 to 50% by weight; modacrylic staple fibers of 30 to 60% by weight; polyimide (PI) staple fibers of 10 to 30% by weight; and low melting polyester (LM PET) staple fibers of 5 to 20% by weight provides enhanced flame retarding and mechanical properties.

Wetlaid web, selected from the group consisting of wet-laid non-woven fabrics and paper, comprising a cellulosic fibre material in the form of viscose fibre at an amount of at least 5% w/w, characterized in that the wetlaid web comprises microfibrillated cellulose at an amount of 0.5% w/w to 5% w/w, wherein the microfibrillated cellulose has a particle size distribution (x.sub.10) of 5 μm to 30 μm, and a wet-strength agent.

A recycled cellulose pulp composition is provided which comprises recycled cellulosic fibers and cellulose ester staple fibers. The recycled cellulose pulp containing co-refined re-cycled cellulose fibers and cellulose ester staple fibers can be added to a hydropulper and fed back through a refiner to make wet laid products.

After cellulose fibers and cellulose ester fibers are co-refined, they are fed to a blend tank continuously feeds a wet laid process. The composition in the blend tank includes co-refined cellulose fibers and cellulose ester fibers and one or more additives, and the cellulose ester fibers have a denier per filament (DPF) of less than 3, a cut length of less than 6 mm, crimped, or non-round with a DPF of less than 3.

Provided are a sub-micron fibrous membrane in which sub-micron fibers aligned along one axis and sub-micron fibers in a random pattern form a network, and a method for producing the sub-micron fibrous membrane.

The invention relates to methods for providing crimped bast fibers which may include providing an input of bast fibers, adjusting the moisture content of the bast fibers to be in the range of about 10% to about 40% by weight to form a fiber mat, and contacting the fiber mat with a pair of heated crimping rolls to provide crimped bast fibers having a crimp of about 1 to about 10 crimps per centimeter. The invention further provides for a nonwoven fabric comprising at least 5% of the crimped bast fibers. The crimping of the bast fibers in these nonwoven fabrics is beneficial to forming a drylaid, airlaid or wetlaid nonwoven fabric that has desirable properties related to performance in a variety of nonwoven product applications.