Particle-filled fiber and articles formed from the same

Abstract

A non-woven fiber article for use in a food, medical, or pharmaceutical production environment including a melt-spun polymer fiber is provided having a cross-section and a length and a detectable particulate present in an amount of 20 to 80 weight percent loadings of metal or 10 to 80 weight percent loadings of radiopaque particles to render the polymer fiber detectable by magnetic or X-ray detection, alone or in combination with a secondary functional particulate distributed with the polymer fiber to render the polymer fiber chemically responsive to a chemical reactant, change in pH or temperature. The detectable particulate and the secondary functional particulate are each independently present in a core, a sheath, or both portions of polymer matrix. A process of detecting a fabric made from such a fiber. The fabric article passes through detector. A signal is collected from the detector indicative of the presence of the fabric article.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.