Patent ID: 8501644

Claim:
A protective fibrous material comprising: an interceptor layer, the interceptor layer including polymeric fibers in a fibrous web formation, the interceptor layer having a basis weight of less than about 50 grams per square meter; and an upstream active layer positioned immediately adjacent to the interceptor layer, the active layer being a woven or nonwoven web comprising polymeric fibers, wherein the polymeric fibers include fibers defining a non-circular cross section that are open capillary channeled fibers defined by diverging opposed interior surfaces of a pair of opposed walls of said fibers, wherein particulate matter is within the channels of the capillary channeled fibers, and having a basis weight of between about 5 and about 100 grams per square meter, the active layer having a porosity that is greater than the porosity of the interceptor layer; wherein the protective fibrous material has a Frazier Air Permeability of at least about 1 cubic foot per square foot per minute.