Fiberweb North America, Inc.

Bba Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc.

The Dow Chemical Company

Cargill Inc.

Scott L Gessner

Jared A Austin

David Dudley Newkirk

William Fowells

J Darrell Gillespie

Harold Edward Thomas

Thomas E Quantrille

Stephen P Krupp

Barry DeWayne Meece

James O Reeder

Jay Darrell Gillespie

Michael M Thomason

Andrew R Oleszczuk

Christopher M Ryan

Andrea Lee Brosch

Deborah K Lickfield

Robert F Hyslop

Nancy Uzelac Buehler

David Bruce Christopher

Mark H Berman

Lloyd E Trimble

Charles H Parson

Marcus C Merriman

Lloyd Edwin Trimble

John Henry Phillips

Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein. The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.

Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates from multiconstituent polyolefin fibers

The present invention relates to a fibrous material which includes a plurality of polylactide containing fibers. The plurality of polylactide containing fibers can be considered low shrinkage or high shrinkage. The plurality of polylactide containing fibers are considered low shrinkage fibers if they provide a boiling water shrinkage propensity of less than about 20%. The plurality of polylactide containing fibers are considered high shrink fibers if they provide an average fiber boiling water shrinkage propensity of greater than about 10% and a heat of fusion of less than about 25 J/g. The invention additionally relates to the use of an extrusion process to provide low shrinkage fibers and high shrinkage fibers. The invention further relates to the use of these fibers in desirable products.

Degradable polymer fibers; preparation product; and, methods of use

The present invention provides a composite nonwoven fabric with a superior combination of extensibility, tensile properties and abrasion resistance. The composite nonwoven fabric ( ) comprises at least one layer containing multipolymer fibers, with a plurality of bonds bonding the fibers together to form a coherent extensible nonwoven web ( ). This coherent extensible nonwoven web ( ) has a Taber surface abrasion value (rubber wheel) of greater than 10 cycles and an elongation at peak load in at least one of the machine direction or the cross-machine direction of at least 70%. A second extensible layer ( ) is laminated to this coherent extensible nonwoven web ( ).

Extensible composite nonwoven fabrics

Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.

A spunbonded elastic nonwoven fabric comprises a web of bonded thermoplastic filaments of a thermoplastic elastomer. The spunbonded fabrics of the invention are prepared in a slot draw spunbonding process operated at a rate of less than about 2000 meters per minute. The elastic fabric is used in absorbent products, such as disposable diapers, adult incontinence pads, sanitary napkins and the like, and as coverstock for absorbent personal care products.

Elastic nonwoven webs and method of making same

Multicomponent thermoplastic continuous filaments are provided, including hollow core multicomponent filaments. The filaments are at least partially splittable into smaller filaments in the absence of mechanical treatment or application of high pressure water jets. The surface energy of the components can be controlled to control separation of the multi-component filaments. Sub-denier and micro-denier filaments of low orientation can be produced from relatively high molecular weight polymers to produce nonwovens of surprising strength, barrier, and cover.

Meltspun multicomponent thermoplastic continuous filaments, products

The present invention provides composite nonwoven fabric laminates and processes for producing such. The fabric is comprised of a web of thermoplastic filaments laminated to at least one other web. Preferably, the filaments are spunbonded continuous polyolefin filaments which have an oxidatively degraded outer sheath portion to promote better interfilamentary bonding and improved fabric laminate strength. In a preferred embodiment, two outer nonwoven webs comprise oxidatively degraded spunbonded filaments and are positioned around and laminated to a web of meltblown microfibers thus forming an spunbond/meltblown/spunbond fabric. Additionally, a stretch compatible fabric may be formed in which a web of oxidatively degraded filaments is laminated to an elastic web. The fabrics of the invention may be advantageously used in numerous applications such as medical garments and disposable adsorbent products.

Composite nonwoven fabrics

A nonwoven web of meltblown microfibers formed of a composition of polyethylene and at least one component added to provide processing stability to the polyethylene component. The meltblown web can be produced at high polymer throughputs and exhibits good barrier properties. The meltblown web is useful as a component of a composite fabric, which can be used for barrier application in medical and industrial applications.

Meltblown polyethylene fabrics and processes of making same

Improved meltspinning productivity is achieved by employing polyolefin resins having key molecular weight distribution and rheological property parameters within predetermined ranges. These parameters include the molecular weight distribution breadth parameter, M.sub.z /M.sub.n ; and rheological property parameters of flow rate ratio, I.sub.10 /I.sub.2, and the power law index, n, of the regression analysis viscosity equation. These parameters additionally include one or both of the z-average molecular weight, M.sub.z, of the resin, or the second order constant, b.sub.2, of the regression analysis viscosity equation, and unless both of the latter two parameters are met, the parameters further include the die swell and the spinnability factor (determined from the relationship between die swell and MFR) of the resin.

Distribution enhanced polyolefin product

The present invention provides a nonwoven fabric laminate comprising a thermally-bonded multiconstituent fiber nonwoven web. The multiconstituent fiber is composed of a highly dispersed blend of at least two different thermoplastic polymers which are present as a dominant continuous phase and at least one noncontinuous phase dispersed therein. The noncontinuous phase exists as an elongated fibrillar polymer domain oriented generally in the direction of the fiber axis. The polymer of the noncontinuous phase has a melting temperature below that of said continuous phase, and the lower melting noncontinuous phase comprises from about 2.5 to about 20 percent by weight of the fiber. The fabric laminate also comprises at least one other web bonded to the multiconstituent fibers of the thermally bonded nonwoven web and a multiplicity of thermal bonds formed from the polymer of said multiconstituent fibers and bonding the multiconstituent fibers of said thermally bonded web to said at least one other web.

Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates from multiconstituent fibers

Distribution enhanced polyolefin meltspinning process and product

A composite nonwoven fabric having at least one hydrophobic microporous layer and at least one other layer formed of multicomponent fibers. The multicomponent fibers comprise a lower melting thermoplastic resin component and one or more higher melting thermoplastic resin components, wherein a substantial proportion of the surfaces of the multicomponent fibers consists of the lower melting thermoplastic resin component. The microporous layer is composed in substantial part of at least one thermoplastic resin which is thermally miscible with and adherent, upon thermal activation, to the lower melting thermoplastic resin component of the multicomponent fibers. The layers are laminated together such that the lower melting thermoplastic resin component of the layer of multicomponent fibers is thermally bonded to the thermally miscible thermoplastic resin component of the hydrophobic microporous layer to form a unitary, cohesive bond combining the layers, and wherein at least one of the higher melting thermoplastic resin components retains a fiber-like integrity in the multicomponent fibers to impart strength to the laminated nonwoven fabric.

Growing community of inventors

Encinitas, CA, United States of America

Scott L Gessner