The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 09, 2011
Filed:
Dec. 10, 2003
Mark G. Reichmann, Roswell, GA (US);
Maya Aroch, Atlanta, GA (US);
Joy Francine Jordan, Marietta, GA (US);
Peter Michailovich Kobylivker, Marietta, GA (US);
Rowland Jaynes Mcclellan, Jr., Alpharetta, GA (US);
Ann Louise Mccormack, Cumming, GA (US);
Palani Raj Ramaswami Wallajapet, Neenah, WI (US);
Vasily A. Topolkaraev, Appleton, WI (US);
Dennis Y. Lee, Appleton, WI (US);
Steven R. Stopper, Duluth, GA (US);
Mark G. Reichmann, Roswell, GA (US);
Maya Aroch, Atlanta, GA (US);
Joy Francine Jordan, Marietta, GA (US);
Peter Michailovich Kobylivker, Marietta, GA (US);
Rowland Jaynes McClellan, Jr., Alpharetta, GA (US);
Ann Louise McCormack, Cumming, GA (US);
Palani Raj Ramaswami Wallajapet, Neenah, WI (US);
Vasily A. Topolkaraev, Appleton, WI (US);
Dennis Y. Lee, Appleton, WI (US);
Steven R. Stopper, Duluth, GA (US);
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a nonwoven web prepared from an aliphatic polyester polymer which has sufficient tear strength and is biodegradable. Biodegradable nonwoven webs of the present are prepared from a polymer blend having from about 65% by weight to about 99% by weight of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer and from about 1% by weight to about 35% by weight of a second polymer selected from the group consisting of a polymer having a lower melting point than the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer, a polymer having a lower molecular weight than the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer and mixtures thereof. Surprisingly, the nonwoven webs of the present invention have a tear strength greater than the tear strength of a nonwoven web prepared from the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer alone. In addition, other properties of the resulting nonwoven web, such as the tensile strength and energy to break, are not adversely affected, by the addition of the second polymer, in ways that make the resulting nonwoven web unusable for its intended purpose.