TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - TEXTILES AND PAPER - Preferred Fibers: The laid matrix is a wet laid matrix. The staple fibers have an average length of 1/16-3/4 inches and an average diameter of 1-50 mum. The staple fibers are metal fibers or electrical conducting polymer fibers and/or carbon fibers. The staple fibers are pyrolyzed carbon fibers, derived from polyacrylonitrile.Preferred Filler: The particulate filler is a metal or electrical conductive polymer, preferably carbon. The carbon is in the form of carbon microfibers, milled carbon fibers, carbon black and acetylene carbon. The filler has an average diameter of 0.1-10 microns.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Compounds: The hydrophobic polymer is a fluorinated polymer, preferably poly(tetrafluoroethylene).Preferred Composition: The amount of hydrophobic polymer is 1-30.%, preferably 3-10%. The amount of staple fiber is 10-100 weight parts (wt.pts). The amount of particulate filler is 10-70 wt.pts.Preferred Properties: The textile fabric has a weight of 50-150 gms/m2, caliper of 140-400 mum at 5 kPa, density of 0.3-0.48 gms/cm3, cross-plane resistivity of 200-1000 mOhm-cm, and in plane resistivity of 15-65 mOhm-cm. The textile fabric is in the form of rolled goods.Preferred Process: The flocculation is performed by heating, mechanical and/or chemical methods. The formaceous body is a screen of a paper making machine. The matrix is de-watered by a vacuum next to the screen. The softening temperature is preferably 600-700degreesF. The de-watered matrix is passed over cans for drying and passed between nip rollers for fibrillating the hydrophobic polymer. EXAMPLE - Polyvinyl alcohol fibers were dispersed in cold water using Black-Clawson vertical hydrapulper at a consistency of 0.037% and diluted with cold water to a consistency of 0.015%. The slurry was transferred to a surge chest for continuous feed to forming device. 71.2% of carbon powder was dispersed in warm water with the hydrapulper at a consistency of 0.20%, mixed with 20.7% of pyrolyzed carbon fibers and 6.3% of PTFE emulsion to a consistency of 0.64% and heated to 80degreesC. Large flocs of carbon fibers/carbon particles/PTFE were formed. Cold (less than 26degreesC) water was added for cooling and diluting the batch below 49degreesC and 0.31% consistency. Mechanical energy was added for maintaining slurry homogeneity and reducing the floc size but preventing their breakdown. The resultant slurry was transferred to a surge chest and mechanical energy was also added. The polyvinyl alcohol fiber slurry and carbon/PTFE slurry were continuously combined at the rate of 0.488 gals of fibers slurry/gal of carbon/PTFE slurry as well as with cold water to form a slurry with a consistency of 0.06%. The respective slurries were fed to a mixing point. A previously prepared solution of 0.58% polyacrylamide polymer was continuously added to this combined slurry. This was to rebuild flocs to desired size and to ensure retention of carbon particles. The final slurry was fed to a Sandy Hill rotoformer. Additional suction was applied to achieve a moisture content of 77-78%. The formed matrix was washed with water. Additional suction was applied to reduce moisture content to 77-78%. The matrix was run through a felted wet press of steel rolls. Pressed matrix was dried on steam filled cans of 132degreesC and wound into a roll with controlled tension. The wound roll was unrolled, exposed to hot rolls and calendared between two chilled steel rolls. The matrix was found to have basic weight of 119.2 gm/m2, caliper of 285 microns at 5 kPa, density of 0.397 gm/m3 at 5 kPa, void volume of 78.1%, compressive modulus of 5 MPa, mean flow pore size of 5 microns, pressure drop of 448 mm H2O at 320 cc/minute/m2, tensile strength of 4 N/cm, Young's modulus of 79.2 MPa, in-plane resistivity of 56 mOMEGA-cm and through plane resistivity of 333 mOMEGA-cm. The cell performance of fuel cells prepared from the matrix was excellent.