Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Other

Samuel Edward Marmon

Christopher Cosgrove Creagan

Debra Jean McDowall

Darryl Franklin Clark

Xin Ning

Bryan David Haynes

Stephen Harding Primm

Mark Michael Mleziva

Lawrence Howell Sawyer

David Lewis Myers

Jeffrey Lawrence McManus

Kurtis Lee Brown

Linda A Connor

Thomas Gregory Triebes

Charles Allen Smith

Kevin Edward Smith

Billy Dean Arnold

Justin Max Duellman

Ann Louise McCormack

Jark Chong Lau

Richard Daniel Pike

Charles John Morell

Charles Wilson Colman

Ty Jackson Stokes

Michael David Powers

David Grant Midkiff

Michael Charles Cook

Philip A Sasse

Mary Lucille DeLucia

Lawrence James Romano, Iii

Ryan Clinton Frank

Kevin James Kastner

Dana Elizabeth Stano

Brett Peter Samuels

Elisha Seidah Wazeerud-Din

There is provided a surge material for personal care products with a first creased layer and at least a second layer, where the layers are in face-to-face relation to one another and bonded together. The first has creases with a depth of between 0.25 and 2 mm and a frequency of between 5 and 100 per centimeter in the cross-machine and the second layer may have densities of between 0.01 and 0.05 g/cc and a basis weight between 25 and 250 gsm.

Fibrous creased fabrics

Spunbond multicomponent filaments and nonwoven webs made from the filaments are disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, the multicomponent filaments contain a crimp enhancement additive. Specifically, the crimp enhancement additive is added to the polymeric component that has the slower solidification rate. The additive enhances crimp, allows for highly crimped filaments to be made at low fiber linear densities, improves the integrity of unbonded webs made from the filaments, and produces webs with improved stretch and cloth-like properties. The additive incorporated into the filaments is a random copolymer of butylene and propylene.

Crimped multicomponent filaments and spunbond webs made therefrom

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

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

Spunbond multicomponent filaments and nonwoven webs made from the filaments are disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, the multicomponent filaments contain a crimp enhancement additive. Specifically, the crimp enhancement additive-is added to the polymeric component that has the slower solidification rate. The additive enhances crimp, allows for highly crimped filaments to be made at low fiber linear densities, improves the integrity of unbonded webs made from the filaments, and produces webs with improved stretch and cloth-like properties. The additive incorporated into the filaments is a random copolymer of butylene and propylene.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of forming a treated fiber. A molten polymer is delivered to a fiber spinning assembly adapted to form and distribute polymer streams. At least one treatment is applied in a liquid state to at least one region on the surface of at least one molten polymer stream within the fiber spinning assembly. A substantial portion of the treatment remains on the surface of the resulting fiber within the treated region. One or more regions on the surface of the molten polymer may be treated with one or multiple treatments. The degree of coverage may vary from little coverage to complete coverage of the fiber surface. The treated regions may be in contact with one another or may be separate and distinct. A nonwoven web may be produced with selectively treated fiber regions by designing one or more fiber spinning assemblies to treat selected fibers or to apply multiple treatments. The regions of the nonwoven web may vary in treatment type, amount, or degree of coverage.

Method of forming a treated fiber and a treated fiber formed therefrom

Nonwoven webs are fabricated by forming unitary multicomponent fibers comprising a plurality of individual segments partially exposed at the surface of the fiber; bonding the multicomponent fibers, such as by thermal point bonding, and then hydroentangling the bonded multicomponent fibers with a water pressure from about 400 to 3000 psi wherein the entangling process separates the individual segments of the unitary multicomponent fibers into microfibers and also entangles the fibers to form an integrated nonwoven web. The nonwoven webs include entangled webs of thermoplastic multicomponent fibers and microfibers having partially degraded bond areas comprising from about 5% to about 50% at the surface area of the web.

Entangled nonwoven fabrics and methods for forming the same

A zoned hot air knife assembly and process include a plurality of discrete, spaced apart air knives is useful for the inter-filament bonding of nonwoven webs, for the thermal bonding of laminates including nonwoven webs, and other applications. The zoned hot air knife assembly and process facilitate the manufacture of low bond area, low density nonwoven webs and laminates having high structural integrity. The zoned hot air knife also reduces the amount of heated air and, thus, energy required for the production of thermally bonded nonwoven webs and laminates.

Method of using zoned hot air knife

A nonwoven web material of polymeric fibers having at least one internal surfactant and at least one topical surfactant. The internal surfactant is an organosilicon compound. The topical surfactant is at least one of an ethoxylated hydrogenated fatty oil, a monosaccharide, a monosaccharide derivative, a polysaccharide, and a polysaccharide derivative. The nonwoven web material treated with internal and external surfactants has improved durability and processability over conventional materials treated with only internal or topical surfactants.

Internal and topical treatment system for nonwoven materials

The present invention provides a lofty nonwoven web containing pneumatically drawn filaments, wherein the web has a density from about 0.01 g/cc to about 0.075 g/cc and the microfilaments have a weight-per-unit length between about 0.1 dtex and about 1.5 dtex. The invention also provides a process for producing the lofty nonwoven web.

Method of making low density microfiber nonwoven fabric

There is disclosed an nonwoven fabric suitable for use as, for example, an intake/distribution material for personal care products, made from nonwoven fabric where the fabric is made from directly formed, mixed size fibers. The fibers may be conjugate fibers. The fabric may have zones having larger fibers and zones having smaller fibers providing a means to vary the web properties, such as permeability, or the mixed size fibers may be uniformly distributed. The fibers may also be crimped. The process for making such a material is also disclosed. A zoned fiber fabric can provide rapid intake of an insult because of the placement of the high permeability zone in the insult target area and can also provide good distribution through the lower permeability but higher capillarity end zones.

Direct formed, mixed fiber size nonwoven fabrics

Improved equipment and method for spinning filaments for nonwovens using an integral spinbank including one or more spinplates producing filament bundles separated by one or more central conduits for quench air. Embodiments include high velocity quench air driven into the central conduit or quench air blown or drawn in from outside the filaments into the central conduit. Means may also be provided for removal of undesired waxes and/or other condensates through a central exhaust removal using the central conduit. As quench air velocity is increased through the central conduit, the streams tend to improve total quench flow by deflecting opposing flows into a uniform stream. Other variations include division of quench air into flow zones that may be independently controlled and varying the angle of quench air flow and/or the spinplates to maintain separation distance between quench air and filament bundles.

Nonwoven process and apparatus

Spunbond multicomponent filaments and nonwoven webs made from the filaments are disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, the multicomponent filaments contain a crimp enhancement additive. Specifically, the crimp enhancement additive is added to one of the polymeric components in order to accelerate its solidification rate. The additive enhances crimp, allows for highly crimped filaments to be made at smaller deniers, and produces low density webs with improved stretch and cloth-like properties. Specifically, the additive incorporated into the filaments is a nonionic surfactant such as an alkyl ether alkoxylate, a siloxane alkoxylate, an ester of a polyalkylene glycol, a polysaccharide derivative, a glycerol ester, or mixtures thereof.

Crimp enhancement additive for multicomponent filaments

A method of producing a fiber is provided where a liquefied polymer is divided into at least two streams. The streams are directed separately to a point of recombination, and extruded through, for example, a spinneret, and fiberized to form a single fiber having portions of each stream. The divided polymer streams are treated substantially identically from the point of division to the point of recombination.

Process of making fibers

There is provided a process which comprises the step of subjecting a just produced spunbond web to a high flow rate, heated stream of air across substantially the width of the web to very lightly bond the fibers of the web together. Such bonding should be the minimum necessary in order to satisfy the needs of further processing yet not detrimentally affect the web. The fibers of the web may be monocomponent or biconstituent and the web should be substantially free of adhesives and not subjected to compaction rolls.

Growing community of inventors

Alpharetta, GA, United States of America

Samuel Edward Marmon