Kimberly-clark Corporation

Lin-Sun Woon

Peter Michailovich Kobylivker

Terry K Timmons

Robert J Phelan

Ralph V Braun

Jon R Butt, Sr

Eugenio Go Varona

Dan D Endres

Hannong Rhim

Henry L Griesbach

Laura Elizabeth Keck

John C Wilson

Jerald T Jascomb

Edward Herman Ruscher

There is disclosed a nonwoven web for use as a barrier layer in an SMS fabric laminate. The web is formed at commercially acceptable polymer melt throughputs (greater than 3 PIH) by using a reactor granule polyolefin, preferably polypropylene, that has been modified by the addition of peroxide in amounts ranging from up to 3000 ppm to reduce the molecular weight distribution from an initial molecular weight distribution of from 4.0 to 4.5 Mw/Mn to a range of from 2.2 to 3.5 Mw/Mn. Also the addition of peroxide increases the melt flow rate (lowers viscosity) to a range between 800 up to 5000 gms/10 min at 230.degree. C. The resulting web has an average fiber size of from 1 to 3 microns and pore sizes distributed predominantly in the range from 7 to 12 microns, with a lesser amount of pores from 12 to 25 microns, with virtually no pores greater than 25 microns, and with the peak of the pore size distribution less than 10 microns.

Nonwoven web laminates with improved barrier properties

A porous, nonwoven liquid-activated barrier which includes a fibrous nonwoven web in which at least about 50 percent by weight of the fibers constituting the fibrous nonwoven web are prepared from a liquid-swellable polymer which is not significantly soluble in the liquid. In addition, the fibers of the fibrous nonwoven web have diameters in a range of from about 0.1 to about 100 micrometers. The pores of the fibrous nonwoven web have a longest dimension in a range of from about 0.3 to about 300 micrometers. In the presence of liquid, the fibers swell to an extent sufficient to substantially block the passage of liquid through the fibrous nonwoven web. In many instances, the liquid will be water.

Porous, nonwoven liquid-activated barrier

Method of making nonwoven web with improved barrier properties

Nonwoven web with improved barrier properties

A multilayer nonwoven fabric is disclosed which comprises at least two layers of nonwoven web. Each nonwoven web comprises a plurality of monofilaments of a thermoplastic material. In at least one of the webs the monofilaments have a bilobal cross-section. Preferably, the fabric includes two layers of nonwoven web with the monofilaments of the first web having the bilobal cross-section and the monofilaments of the second web having a trilobal or branched cross-section.

Multilayer nonwoven fabric

Nonwoven webs are disclosed which comprise monofilaments or fibers of a thermoplastic material. Basically, the improvement comprises the use of monofilaments or fibers which have a bilobal shaped cross-section. Nonwoven webs made according to this invention are particularly suited to be used for liners for disposable diapers as well as wraps for catamenial devices. Methods are also disclosed for producing such nonwoven webs.

Nonwoven web with improved softness

A tampon having a pledget consisting of two rectangular layers of absorbent material which have been overlaid along an edge of each of the layers and then folded along a line bisecting the angle formed by the juncture between the layers. The pledget thus produced has both inner and outer absorptive layers and a containment pocket formed of absorptive material in the fold area.

Folded tampon pledget

In disposable diapers which are equipped with tape closure means and have an impermeable thin film backing, the improvement in which selected areas of the thin film, which areas serve as tape securement zones when the diapers are in use, have uniformly adhered to that side of the film facing the diaper interior a layer of hot melt adhesive to provide a composite structure in the selected areas having a high resistance to tearing when tensile loads are applied. The hot melt adhesive layer has a lower modulus of elasticity than the film and is applied in heat-softened condition to obtain strong, uniform adherence to the film. In a method for applying the adhesive layer, a wide band of adhesive of predetermined thickness is extruded in heat-softened condition into direct contact with selected areas of a moving web of the film. The adhesive is one which has a Ring & Ball softening point lower than the heat distortion temperature of the film and during application will not thermally degrade or distort the film.

Refastenable pressure-sensitive tape closure system for disposable

A disposable, single-use, generally elongate diaper having substantially planar sections at each end and intermediate these planar ends a substantially non-planar section comprising the crotch section. The crotch section is narrower than at least one of the ends and is longitudinally constricted by elastically extendible means secured to each of the edges of the crotch section in a manner which produces a plurality of gross transverse rugosities across the width of the crotch section of the diaper when the elastic means is in non-extended condition. The width dimension of the crotch is preferably within a predetermined percentage range of the combined width of the planar waist sections. The length dimension of the narrower crotch section is preferably a specified percentage of the full unconstricted length of the diaper. A further improvement is obtained if the geometry of the side edges between the wide waist section and the narrower crotch section is defined by a concave arc.

Growing community of inventors

Appleton, WI, United States of America

Lin-Sun Woon