Process for making wet-laid structures containing individualized

Abstract

A process for making wet-laid structures containing individualized, stiffened fibers. The wet-laid structures are obtained by: providing a slurry containing individualized, crosslinked fibers; depositing the slurry of fibers on a foraminous forming wire; directing at least one stream of fluid upon the fibers such that the fluid disperses flocculations of fibers and also inhibits the formation of additional flocculations of the fibers; and setting the fibers into a sheeted form while the fibers are in a substantially unflocculated condition. The step of setting the fibers into sheeted form may be performed by pressing the fibers against the forming wire with a screened roll, such as a cylindrical Dandy Roll. Preferably, a plurality of streams of fluid having sequentially decreasing volumetric flow rates are directed upon the fibers. The individualized, stiffened fibers may also be mixed with conventional, stiffened fibers or highly refined, stiffened fibers while in slurry form.