Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.

Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Joy Francine Jordan

Renette E Richard

Christian Lee Sanders

Rajen M Patel

Ann Louise McCormack

Antonios K Doufas

Andy Cheng Chang

Edward N Knickerbocker

Hong Peng

Varunesh Sharma

Jozef J I Van Dun

Stephen M Englebert

Randy E Pepper

John Anthony Rotella

Palani Raj Ramaswami Wallajapet

William Bela Haffner

Bryon Paul Day

Michael P Mathis

John Joseph Lassig

Vicky S Polashock

Steve Wayne Fitting

Vasily Aramovich Topolkaraev

Ali Yahiaoui

Duane Girard Uitenbroek

Frank Paul Abuto

Wing-Chak Ng

Mark G Reichmann

Peter Michailovich Kobylivker

Mark John Beitz

Steven R Stopper

Eric Scott Kepner

Maya Aroch

Jared Lockwood Martin

Dennis Y Lee

Lizhi Liu

Thomas William Brock

Lindsay C Shelley

Hong Y Lin

Byron P Day

Rowland Jaynes McClellan, Jr

Bryon P Day

Josef J I Van Dun

Josef JI Van Dun

Thomas Brock

A protective garment, such as a surgical gown, includes a garment body defining sleeves. A cuff may be secured at respective ends of the sleeves. An elastic fiber layer is disposed on the sleeves beginning at the sleeve or cuff. The elastic fiber layer has a high friction surface such that an end of a glove pulled over the elastic fiber layer is inhibited from rolling or sliding back over the elastic fiber and down the sleeve. The elastic fiber may be formed of a polyolefin or other polymers according to known processes and may include a dye or colorant that may be used to indicate the fluid protection level of, for example, a surgical gown.

Surgical gown with elastomeric fibrous sleeves

The present invention provides a nonwoven web prepared from an aliphatic polyester polymer which has sufficient tear strength and is biodegradable. Biodegradable nonwoven webs of the present are prepared from a polymer blend having from about 65% by weight to about 99% by weight of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer and from about 1% by weight to about 35% by weight of a second polymer selected from the group consisting of a polymer having a lower melting point than the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer, a polymer having a lower molecular weight than the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer and mixtures thereof. Surprisingly, the nonwoven webs of the present invention have a tear strength greater than the tear strength of a nonwoven web prepared from the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer alone. In addition, other properties of the resulting nonwoven web, such as the tensile strength and energy to break, are not adversely affected, by the addition of the second polymer, in ways that make the resulting nonwoven web unusable for its intended purpose.

High strength nonwoven web from a biodegradable aliphatic polyester

A method of producing a laminate material includes the steps of providing a first flexible sheet material; providing a second flexible sheet material having a first surface and a second surface, and also having a first width of 1&#xd7;; stretching the second flexible sheet material in a cross-machine direction to a second width of between about 1.2&#xd7; and 3&#xd7; when in a flattened state; necking the second flexible sheet material to produce an accordion shape, thereby reducing the second width of the sheet material to a third width, less than the width of the first width, such that the third width is between 0.65&#xd7; to 0.975&#xd7; when in an accordion shape; applying adhesive to the first surface of the second flexible sheet material with a slot coat adhesive process; and joining the first flexible sheet material to the first surface of the second flexible sheet material.

Extensible and stretch laminates with comparably low cross-machine direction tension and methods of making same

The present invention relates to a biodegradable substrate having a durable hydrophilic surface prepared from a biodegradable polymeric substrate having a surface, wherein the biodegradable polymeric substrate has been rendered hydrophilic by subjecting the substrate to a corona glow discharge and/or coating the substrate with a hydrophilic polymeric material in an amount of from about 0.01 to about 2.0 percent by weight, based on the dry weight of the substrate. The biodegradable substrate can be used in absorbent personal care product, biomedical devices and food packaging.

Durable hydrophilic treatment for a biodegradable polymeric substrate

Extensible bicomponent fibers and webs particularly adapted for disposable personal care product component applications. Sheath/core configurations providing desirable feel properties for elastic embodiments when compared with conventional elastic fibers and webs are obtained with specific olefin polymer combinations and sheath configurations.

Extensible and elastic conjugate fibers and webs having a nontacky feel

Fibers that exhibit good elasticity or extensibility and tenacity, and low modulus are prepared from propylene-based copolymers. The propylene-based copolymers comprise at least about 50 weight percent (wt %) of units derived from propylene and at least about 8 wt % of units derived from one or more comonomers other than propylene, e.g., ethylene. Particularly preferred propylene copolymers are characterized as havingC NMR peaks corresponding to a regio-error at about 14.6 and about 15.7 ppm, the peaks of about equal intensity. In one aspect of the invention, fibers are subjected to stress-induced crystallization by subjecting the fiber to tensile elongation during draw.

Propylene-based copolymers, a method of making the fibers and articles made from the fibers

Pattern embossed low gauge films are disclosed having multiple microporous film layers with distinct coloration, such as a dark colored layer and a light colored layer, wherein the color of the underlying film causes a visible color contrast only at the embossed regions and yet does not discolor the outer most layer. Also disclosed are film laminates and personal care articles incorporating such multilayer films.

Pattern embossed multilayer microporous films

An elastic liquid impermeable laminate is disclosed having an extensible barrier film; an 8 g/m.sup.2 to 100 g/m.sup.2 elastomeric nonwoven web comprising fibers of low density polyethylene having a density less than 0.89 g/cm.sup.3 ; and an extensible cloth-like outer layer, such as a nonwoven web of spunbonded fibers. The barrier laminate can be laminated by thermal point bonding to create patterns having improved loft, excellent hand and while achieving peel strengths in excess of 500 grams.

Elastic film laminates

Growing community of inventors

Marietta, GA, United States of America

Joy Francine Jordan