Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

O&m Halyard, Inc.

Other

Jeffrey Lawrence McManus

Bryan David Haynes

Darryl Franklin Clark

Kevin Edward Smith

Justin Max Duellman

Ty Jackson Stokes

Jark Chong Lau

Prasad Shrikishna Potnis

Roger Bradshaw Quincy, Iii

Francis Joseph Kronzer

Debra Jean McDowall

David Lewis Myers

Christopher Cosgrove Creagan

Samuel Edward Marmon

Matthew Boyd Lake

Xin Ning

Charles Allen Smith

Leonard Eugene Zelazoski

Ali Yahiaoui

Ann Louise McCormack

Michael Donald Sperl

Lamar Heath Gipson

Charles John Morell

Gordon Allen Shaw

Thomas Allan Eby

David Grant Midkiff

Alan Francis Schleinz

David W Heyn

Gabriel Hamman Adam

Gregory Todd Sudduth

Thomas Gregory Triebes

Allen Todd Leak

Billy Dean Arnold

Rebecca Willey Griffin

Dale Arthur Peterson

Paula Kay Zoromski

Ryan Clinton Frank

Jean Feyen Niemeyer

Rick Leon Busby

Kenneth Randall Suggs

Caroline L Miller

Julia Carter

Steven Walter Moster

Paul Allan Giles

A nonwoven web material is formed from fibers including a first polymer, a second polymer and a filler. The first polymer and second polymer may be olefin homopolymers and the filler may be calcium carbonate. The second polymer may have a lower melt flow rate than the first polymer. The fibers are formed in a monocomponent, i.e., monofilament, or multicomponent, e.g., sheath-core bicomponent, arrangement. The nonwoven web material may be used to form an article such as a medical product, a surgical product, a personal protective product, and/or an industrial garment.

Higher strength calcium carbonate filled fiber spunbond and SMS nonwoven material

A spunbond non-woven fabric includes a plurality of fibers. The fibers are formed from a polymer blend that includes at least one first polymer and at least one second polymer. A melt flow rate of the at least one first polymer is greater than a melt flow rate of the at least one second polymer, and the melt flow rate of the at least one second polymer is about 9 g/10 min to less than 18 g/10 min. The blend may include a percentage by weight of the second polymer that is greater than a percentage by weight of the first polymer.

Fibers for non-woven fabrics having blends of polymers with high and low melt flow rates

A composite polymeric material is provided that may be used to construct an abrasion resistant layer or sheet such as an abrasion resistant meltblown layer. Desirably, the composite polymeric material comprises blends of syndiotactic and isotactic polypropylene with ferroelectric materials. The composite polymeric material is particularly useful for constructing a filter media comprising an abrasion resistant fine fiber layer such as a nonwoven layer. The composite polymeric material of the present invention also allows for electret treatment to improve its filtration characteristics.

Abrasion resistant material for use in various media

A method is provided for producing fine denier multicomponent thermoplastic polymer filaments incorporating high melt-flow rate polymers. Multicomponent filaments are extruded such that the high melt-flow rate polymer component is substantially surrounded by one or more low melt-flow rate polymer components. The extruded multicomponent filament is then melt-attenuated with a significant drawing force to reduce the filament diameter and form continuous, fine denier filaments.

Fine denier multicomponent fibers

The present invention provides multicomponent fine fiber webs and multilayer laminates thereof having an average fiber diameter less than about 7 micrometers and comprising a first olefin polymer component and a second distinct polymer component such as an amorphous polyolefin or polyamide. Multilayer laminates incorporating the fine multicomponent fiber webs are also provided such as, for example, spunbond/meltblown/spunbond laminates or spunbond/meltblown/meltblown/spunbond laminates. The fine multicomponent fiber webs and laminates thereof provide laminates having excellent softness, peel strength and/or controlled permeability.

Fine multicomponent fiber webs and laminates thereof

A printable material which includes a flexible first layer having first and second surfaces and a second layer. The first layer may be a film or a cellulosic nonwoven web. The second layer overlays and is bonded to the first surface of the first layer and includes a nonwoven web. The first layer has a basis weight of from about 20 to about 140 grams per square meter. The thermoplastic polymer has a melting point of from about 90&deg; C. to about 250&deg; C. and the second layer has a basis weight of at least about 10 grams per square meter. The first layer may be a cellulosic nonwoven web, such as a latex-impregnated paper. The second layer may be thermally bonded to the first layer or bonded by an adhesive. A release layer may be present between the first layer and the heat-activated adhesive. The second layer may contain from about 0.1 to about 20 percent by weight, based on the weight of the second layer, of a material which increases the viscosity of an ink jet ink when printed on the second layer. The second layer also may contain from about 0.1 to about 5 percent by weight, based on the weight of the second layer, of a cationic polymer. When the second layer is prepared from a thermoplastic polymer, the ink jet printable material may be used as a heat transfer material. Methods of preparing the printable material also are described.

Printable material

An improved nonwoven web composite is formed by combining splittable bicomponent thermoplastic filaments with a component selected from other fibers and particles. The bicomponent filaments include distinct regions of first and second incompatible polymers extending the length of the filaments. After the bicomponent filaments are combined with the other fibers and/or particles, the bicomponent filaments are caused to split lengthwise along boundaries between the regions of different polymers, resulting in a web or matrix of finer filaments which entrap, ensnare and contain the other fibers and/or particles within the web or matrix. The nonwoven web composite is particularly useful for making absorbent articles, which require durability and optimum levels of absorbent fibers and/or particles.

Bicomponent nonwoven webs containing splittable thermoplastic filaments and a third component

A personal care absorbent article made of a nonwoven material having a plurality of polymeric fibers having a fiber interior comprising at least one of a liquid fluid and a gaseous fluid. The nonwoven materials are produced by heating at least one polymer to a melting point, forming a molten polymer; extruding the molten polymer through a plurality of capillaries, injecting a liquid fluid and/or a gaseous fluid into the molten polymer prior to, during and/or after the extruding step, forming a plurality of fluid-filled polymeric fibers, wherein the liquid fluid and/or gaseous fluid is dispersed within the interior of the polymeric fibers, and depositing the fluid-filled polymeric fibers onto a web forming surface, forming a nonwoven material.

Personal care articles with reduced polymer fibers

A method for producing super fine meltblown fibers increases the length of the meltblown jet thermal core to increase the dwell time of the extruded thermoplastic polymer within the jet thermal core. Through use of the method it is practical to use low viscosity resins and further to provide meltblown nonwovens with superior barrier properties to the passage of fluids and particularly gases. The method further provides a useful means for blooming internal additives to the surface of the fibers.

Method of increasing the meltblown jet thermal core length via hot air entrainment

An improved nonwoven web composite is formed by combining bicomponent thermoplastic filaments having adhesive properties with a component selected from other fibers and particles. The bicomponent filaments include distinct regions of first and second incompatible polymers across a cross-section of individual filaments. After the bicomponent filaments are combined with the other fibers and/or particles, the adhesive properties of the bicomponent filaments result in a web or matrix of filaments having improved ability to entrap, ensnare and contain the other fibers and/or particles within the web or matrix. The nonwoven web composite is particularly useful for making absorbent articles, which require stability and optimum levels of absorbent fibers and/or particles.

Bicomponent nonwoven webs containing adhesive and a third component

Nonwoven webs prepared from a blend of polymer and a migrating internal additive are heat treated only in selected regions to cause surface migration of the additive in those regions. The nonwoven webs have a desired property attributed to the additive in the selective regions. Regions surrounding the selected regions are not heat treated, and are either devoid of the desired property, or manifest the property to a lesser extent than in the heat treated regions.

Nonwoven webs having zoned migration of internal additives

An absorbent article, such as the shown diaper (10), has a front waistband portion (14), a back waistband portion (12) and an intermediate portion (16) interconnecting said front and back waistband portions. The article includes a backsheet member (30), a liquid permeable topsheet layer (28), and an absorbent body (32) sandwiched between the topsheet layer (28) and backsheet member (30). The backsheet member includes an air permeable, polymer sheet layer (96), and a first, outward nonwoven fibrous web (94) attached to or otherwise operatively joined with a major facing surface (78) of the polymer sheet layer (96) at a plurality of individual, spaced apart thermal bonds (98). The outward nonwoven web (94) includes a plurality of fibers having substantially unbonded lengths which extend substantially continuously between at least an adjacent pair of the bonds, and the substantially unbonded fiber lengths are arched away from an outward surface of the thermal bonds by arch heights (60) which provides a distinctive embossing element depth value. In addition, the fibers of the outward nonwoven web can have a selected denier, and the outward nonwoven web (94) can have a selected basis weight.

Absorbent article with visually and tactilely distinctive outer cover

An apparatus and process for producing meltblown fibers employs a coflowing primary cold air flow and secondary hot air flow in a meltblowing nozzle. The primary cold air flow provides the majority of the force used to attenuate the polymer stream into fibers, while a secondary hot air flow shrouds the die tip and prevents premature quenching.

Process of making fibers

Growing community of inventors

Canton, GA, United States of America

Jeffrey Lawrence McManus