Both particles (especially nano-particles) and nanofibers have been in the interest of various industries due to the high surface area to volume ratio offered by these materials. By incorporating nano-particles (or other sized particles) in a nanofiber non-woven matrix, one can add additional functionalities that can be useful in many applications such as catalysis, microelectronic, medicine, antimicrobial, sensing, magnetics, electrochemistry, and optics. By designing the appropriate particle size to fiber size, interesting flow or filtration properties can also achieved.
The market applications for nanofibers are rapidly growing and promise to be diverse. Applications include filtration, barrier fabrics, insulation, absorbable pads and wipes, personal care, biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, whiteners (such as TiO2 substitution) or enhanced web opacity, nucleators, reinforcing agents, acoustic substrates, apparel, energy storage, etc. Due to their limited mechanical properties that preclude the use of conventional web handing, loosely interlaced nanofibers are often applied to a supporting substrate such as a non-woven or fabric material. The bonding of the nanofiber cross over points may be able to increase the mechanical strength of the nanofiber non-wovens which potentially help with their mechanical handling and offer superior physical performance. Thus there is a need for a bonded non-woven containing particles.