Fiberweb Inc.

3m Innovative Properties Company

Edward Keith Willis

Gregory Wagner Farell

Michael R Berrigan

Zhiqun Zhang

Bryan L Gerhardt

Daniel E Johnson

Jacob J Thelen

A relofted, spunbonded nonwoven web exhibiting a solidity of from less than 8.0%, to at least 3.0%, and exhibiting a Quality Factor of at least 0.30. Methods of making a relofted web; and, methods of using a relofted web as an air-filtration web, e.g. as a filter media or a layer thereof.

Air-filter media comprising a relofted spunbonded web, and methods of making and using

Disclosed herein are bicomponent fibers comprising first and second polymer components present in distinct portions of the cross section of the filament, wherein the first polymer component of the filaments is partially crystalline and serves as the matrix component of the filaments and the second polymer component of the filament is amorphous and serves as the binder component of the filaments, and wherein the fibers exhibit a single melting peak as evidenced by a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) trace. Also disclosed herein are methods of making bicomponent fibers and nonwoven fabrics.

Area bonded nonwoven fabric from single polymer system

A nonwoven fabric is provided having a plurality of semi-crystalline filaments that are thermally bonded to each other and are formed of the same polymer and exhibit substantially the same melting temperature. The fabric is produced by melt spinning an amorphous crystallizable polymer to form two components having different levels of crystallinity. During spinning, a first component of the polymer is exposed to conditions that result in stress-induced crystallization such that the first polymer component is in a semi-crystalline state and serves as the matrix or strength component of the fabric. The second polymer component is not subjected to stress induced crystallization and thus remains in a substantially amorphous state which bonds well at relatively low temperatures. In a bonding step, the fabric is heated to soften and fuse the binder component. Under these conditions, the binder component undergoes thermal crystallization so that in the final product, both polymer components are semi-crystalline.

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Goodlettsville, TN, United States of America

Edward Keith Willis