Bba Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc.

Ahlstrom-munksjo Nonwovens LLC

Rahul K Dharmadhikary

Eric S Gardiner

W Andrew Coslett

Gordon D Meikle

Alexander M Kronfeld

Patrick Z Chen

The specification discloses polymeric articles such as fibers and fibrous webs which exhibit improved hydrophobicity and methods for making the articles. The articles comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefins and polyesters and an additive of the structure R.sup.1 --A--Si(R.sup.2 R.sup.3)--O--(Si(R.sup.4 R.sup.5)--O)n--Si--(R.sup.6 R.sup.7)--A--R.sup.8, wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.8 are selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl groups and acyl and arylacyl derivatives of an aliphatic or aliphatic/aromatic mono-acid with a molecular weight of from about 250 to about 600 daltons, A is selected from the group consisting of --O--, --NH--C(O)--NH--(CH.sub.2).sub.3 --, and --C(O)--NH--(CH.sub.2).sub.3 --, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are selected from the group consisting of CH.sub.3, C.sub.2 H.sub.5, C.sub.3 H.sub.7, and C.sub.4 H.sub.9, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are selected from the group consisting of CH.sub.3, C.sub.2 H.sub.5, C.sub.3 H.sub.7, and (CH.sub.2).sub.I --C.sub.j F.sub.2j+1, wherein I is from 0 to 3 and j is an integer from I to 3, and n is an integer from 7 to 70.

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Taunton, MA, United States of America

Rahul K Dharmadhikary