Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Christopher Laslie

Oomman Painummoottil Thomas

Howard Martin Welch

Bryan David Haynes

James Russell Fitts, Jr

Wing-Chak Ng

Eric Edward Lennon

Gabriel Hamman Adam

Jose Siqueira

James Austin

Stephen C Meyer

Jerome Joseph Schwalen

Leon Eugene Chambers, Jr

Lisa Sanabria

Iris V Schumacher

H Edmund Clark

Jose A Siqueira

An elastic composite formed from a lightweight nonwoven facing that has a low degree of strength in the cross-machine direction ('CD') is provided. Through selective control over certain parameters of the materials employed in the composite and the formation process, the present inventors have discovered that such low strength and lightweight facings may be readily laminated to an elastic film without significantly damaging their integrity. For example, in one embodiment, the elastic film may possess a multi-layered construction that includes an elastomeric elastic layer positioned adjacent to a strength-enhancing thermoplastic layer. The polymer content and thickness of the thermoplastic layer are generally selected to impart additional strength and integrity to the film. Likewise, the polymer content of the elastic layer may also be selected so that the film possesses a sufficient tack for adhering to the facing. In certain cases, it may be desirable to position the layer between two elastic layers so that the strength-enhancing layer does not substantially contact the nonwoven facing. In this manner, the strength-enhancing layer may avoid substantial damage during the lamination process.

Elastic composite containing a low strength and lightweight nonwoven facing

An apparatus for making an elastic laminate including a crosslinked elastic layer formed of an elastic copolymer includes a die for extruding a layer of crosslinkable elastic copolymer, at least one roll for conveying the elastic layer, a supply source for providing at least one nonwoven web, a lamination nip for laminating at least one nonwoven web to the elastic layer, a processing unit for crosslinking the elastic layer and a winder for collecting the elastic laminate. The crosslinkable elastic copolymer may be a crosslinkable elastic styrenic block copolymer, a crosslinkable semi-crystalline polyolefin plastomer, or a crosslinkable propylene-ethylene copolymer. The crosslinkable elastic layer may be extruded in the form of a plurality of parallel filaments such as by a filament die. The processing unit may be positioned between the at least one roll and the lamination nip or may be positioned between the lamination nip and the winder. The processing unit may have an open or a closed configuration and may be an electron beam processing unit.

Apparatus and methods for making crosslinked elastic laminates

A nonwoven web contains an even distribution of its composite materials by the separate application of particulate material such as superabsorbent particles into a forming head outside the air stream for deposition of thermoplastic fibers in the forming head. The thermoplastic fibers are distributed by air entertainment through tubular forming screens having rotary distribution members therein. The particulate absorbents are generally placed in the forming box by distribution units which may have metering devices and outlet chutes extending into the forming head.

Particulate addition method and apparatus

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Cumming, GA, United States of America

Christopher Laslie