Thermally appertured nonwoven laminates for wipes and coverstock for

Abstract

An apertured nonwoven laminate is produced by a thermal aperturing process by calendaring a carded web of fibers with a polymeric sheet having a lower melting temperature and a property of shrinking under application of heat and pressure so as to bond to the carded fibers and simultaneously pull back the carded fibers away from the calendering points to generate apertures through the nonwoven laminate. In a preferred apertured nonwoven product for baby wipes, a tri-laminate is formed with top and bottom layers containing polypropylene fibers or fiber blend with rayon fibers, and a middle (polymeric) layer of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) film material. The baby wipe product provides a significant cost advantage and an improved aesthetic appearance over conventional products. In a preferred apertured nonwoven product for coverstock for sanitary napkins, a film-fiber bi-laminate is formed with a high-open-area apertured top layer of LLDPE film material and a partially-apertured bottom layer including high tenacity, low elongation polypropylene fibers. An engraved calendar roll is used at the bottom side, while a cooler, smooth roll is used at the top side. The resulting bi-laminate has an apertured, smooth, and quilted appearance on the top side, and the bottom side is resilient and fibrous and acts as an excellent acquisition and distribution layer for the coverstock with low re-wet properties.