Kuraray Co., Ltd.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Shingo Nakanishi

Tsuneo Genba

Junichi Yoshinaka

Hiroyuki Kawai

Hideo Hayashi

Junichi Asaoka

Yuji Mototani

Tomoyasu Sonetaka

A separator for alkaline batteries comprising as at least part of the main fibers a fibrilated product of cellulose fiber obtained by dissolving cellulose in a solvent and depositing cellulose directly. As another main fiber, preferably an extra fine synthetic fiber, particularly preferably a polyvinyl alcohol synthetic fiber is used. The binder is preferably polyvinyl alcohol. Also provided is an alkaline battery wherein such a separator is used. Preferably, the above cellulose fiber is cellulose fiber whose wet Young's modulus is 20 g/d or more and orientation degree .DELTA.n is 42.times.10.sup.-3 or more.

Separator for alkaline batteries

Rapidly shrinking fibers hardly soluble in water and capable of shrinking in water at 20.degree. C. by not less than 30% in not longer than 10 seconds are obtained, for example, by spinning, drawing and heat-treating a carboxy-modified polyvinyl alcohol under specific conditions. Yarns made from a fiber of this kind in conjunction with a fiber slowing shrinking in water as well as nonwoven fabrics made by incorporating yarns containing said rapidly shrinking fibers in nonwoven fabric shrinkable upon absorption of water are suited as means of tightly fitting edge portions of disposable diapers to the thigh.

Rapidly shrinking fiber and water-absorbing shrinkable yarn and other

Water-absorbing shrinkable yarn

Growing community of inventors

Okayama, Japan

Shingo Nakanishi