Fiber-containing particles with dual-tapered shape

A bulk product comprising a plurality of fiber-containing particles, the plurality of fiber-containing particles comprising:

• from 90 weight percent to 99.5 weight percent reinforcing fibers;
• from 0.5 weight percent to 10 weight percent binder, holding the reinforcing fibers in a particle structure;
• each said fiber-containing particle comprising:
• a particle length dimension, being a maximum separation distance in a longitudinal direction between first and second longitudinal ends of the particle;
• a maximum particle width dimension transverse to the longitudinal direction at a longitudinal location between the first and second longitudinal ends;
• an aspect ratio equal to the particle length dimension divided by the maximum particle width dimension;
• and
• a dual-tapered shape comprising a first tapered portion tapering in the longitudinal direction away from the longitudinal location toward the first longitudinal end and a second tapered portion tapering in the longitudinal direction away from the longitudinal location toward the second longitudinal end;
• and
• the plurality of fiber-containing particles further comprising:
• a weight average particle length dimension of the fiber-containing particles is in a range of from 3 millimeters to 40 millimeters, wherein the weight average particle length dimension is an average on a weight basis of the particle length dimensions of the fiber-containing particles;
• and
• a weight average aspect ratio of the fiber-containing particles of at least 1.5, wherein the weight average aspect ratio is an average on a weight basis of the aspect ratios of the fiber-containing particles;
• and
• wherein the particle length dimensions of at least 2 weight percent of the fiber-containing particles are outside of a range of from 0.8 times the weight average particle length dimension to 1.2 times the weight average particle length dimension.