Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Robert Leslie Hudson

Mary Lucille DeLucia

Mary Lou DeLucia

John Joseph Sayovitz

Peter Michailovich Kobylivker

Simon Kwame Ofosu

Laura Elizabeth Keck

James Page Brown

Trina Buce Brown

Extruded fibers and nonwoven webs made from the fibers are disclosed having improved cloth-like properties and an improved aesthetic appearance. The fibers used to form the webs are made from a thermoplastic polymer containing titanium dioxide and at least one mineral filler such as kaolin or calcium carbonate. In particular, the fillers are added in the amount so that the fillers become encapsulated within the polymeric material.

Cloth-like nonwoven webs made from thermoplastic polymers

A personal care absorbent article comprising a nonwoven material comprising at least one time release additive. Time release of additives is addressed by encapsulating the additive in a large cavity or cage molecule such as cyclodextrin or zeolite.

Nonwoven materials with time release additives

High strength spunbond fabric from high melt flow rate polymers

An outdoor protective fabric is disclosed having (i) a UV stable outer nonwoven web of multicomponent sheath/core fibers having a polyethylene polymer sheath component and a polypropylene polymer core component; (ii) a breathable barrier layer such as a meltblown web or microporous film; and (iii) an interior nonwoven web of multicomponent fibers comprising a polyethyfene polymer component and a nylon component.

Outdoor fabric

A stabilizer formulation particularly well suited for improving the properties of thermoplastic polymers is disclosed. The stabilizer formulation contains a combination of stabilizers that improves the process stability of a polymer, prevents the polymer from yellowing, increases the thermal aging stability of the polymer and inhibits the polymer from generating smoke during melt processing. Of particular advantage, the stabilizer formulation improves the stability of a polymer without significantly adversely affecting any other properties of the polymer. In one embodiment, the stabilizer formulation includes a hindered amine, a hydroxyl amine, and one or more hydrolytically resistant phosphites. In one embodiment, the formulation can further contain an acid scavenger for preventing an acid contained within the polymer or produced during processing from harming the polymer.

Stabilizer formulation for thermoplastic polymers

A stabilizing additive package for nonwoven fabrics is provided. The package has a bismuth vanadate based pigment and a hindered amine light stabilizer. The bismuth vanadate is added to a nonwoven fiber polymer prior to extrusion in an amount between about 0.1 and 3 weight percent based on the weight of the fabric and the hindered amine in an amount between about 0.25 and 2.5 weight percent based on the weight of the fabric. The nonwoven fabric also provided by this invention may be used as protective covers for, for example, boats and cars, and as an outdoor fabric for, for example, canopies and tents.

Photostabilization package usable in nonwoven fabrics and nonwoven

There is provided a laminate of nonwoven fabrics for outdoor applications which has good resistance to ultraviolet light. The laminate has two meltblown layers sandwiched between spunbond layers to produce an SMMS laminate. The layers have a large amount of a UV stabilizer and metal oxide pigments. Such laminates are useful for car covers, awnings and canopies, etc. When the laminate is used as a car cover, it is preferred to skew the basis weights of the outer layers so that the layer against the car is significantly lighter than the other outer layer and to reduce the denier of the fibers in the layer against the car.

Nonwoven fabric laminate

A method of improving the effectiveness of a photostabilizer in reducing the deleterious effects of actinic radiation on a polypropylene composition, which method involves compounding a melt-extrudable thermoplastic polypropylene composition having a melt flow rate in a range of from about 18 to about 100 g/10 minutes at a temperature of 230.degree. C. and a load of 2.16 kg. The polypropylene composition includes a first thermoplastic polypropylene having a melt flow rate lower than 18 g/10 minutes at a temperature of 230.degree. C. and a load of 2.16 kg, a polydispersity greater than about 2.6, and a Z-average molecular weight greater than about 300,000; a second thermoplastic polypropylene having a melt flow rate higher than 18 g/10 minutes at a temperature of 230.degree. C. and a load of 2.16 kg, a polydispersity equal to or less than 2.6, and a Z-average molecular weight equal to or less than 300,000 as determined by gel permeation chromatography; and a photostabilizer. The weight ratio of the first polypropylene to the second polypropylene is in a range of from about 95:5 to about 10:90.

Method of improving the photostability of polypropylene compositions

There is provided a method of producing a nonwoven fabric with a wide bonding window by forming a nonwoven web from a thermoplastic polymer blend including from about 0.5 weight percent to about 25 weight percent of syndiotactic polypropylene and then thermally bonding the nonwoven web by a method such as thermal point bonding, through-air-bonding and ultrasonic bonding. Such a web has a bonding window at least 10.degree. F. wider than that of a similar web without syndiotactic polypropylene. Ideally, the bonding window will extend at least 10.degree. F. below that of a similar web without syndiotactic polypropylene.

Method of providing a nonwoven fabric with a wide bonding window

A spunbond nonwoven fabric is provided which has superior strength characteristics to conventional fabrics yet is comparably soft. The fabric is a laminate having a web made from a high melt flow rate polyolefin polymer and a low melt flow rate polymer. The spunbond laminate fabric of this invention may have therebetween a layer of meltblown nonwoven fabric or film. The laminate produced according to this invention has a strength which is at least 10% greater than a comparable fabric made without the high melt flow rate polymer web. The nonwoven fabric of this invention may be used in products such as, for example, garments, personal care products, medical products, protective covers and outdoor fabrics.

Shelf stable nonwoven fabrics and films are made from polyolefin compositions which comprise a polyolefin which contains no more than a minor amount of a phenolic antioxidant, a water-sensitive stabilizer, a transition metal organic salt and an oxidizable unsaturated compound.

Shelf stable nonwoven fabrics and films

There is disclosed a radiation stabilized fabric of propylene polymer or copolymer of propylene which has improved odor characteristics. Radiation stabilization results from adding by weight 0.25 to 2.0 percent of an acetylated hindered amine light stabilizer known in the art as Cyasorb UV-3668 or by adding by weight 0.25 to 2.0 percent of an oligomeric, hindered amine substituted siloxane such as polymethyl propyl 3-oxy [4- (2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethyl) piperdinyl] siloxane.

Radiation stabilized fabric having improved odor characteristics

There is disclosed a radiation stabilized fabric of polypropylene polymer or copolymer of polypropylene. Radiation stabilization results from adding by weight 0.5%-1.0% of a long-chain aliphatic ester, particularly hexadecyl 3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxybenzoate.

Growing community of inventors

Roswell, GA, United States of America

Robert Leslie Hudson