Abstract: A personal care absorbent article comprising a nonwoven material comprising at least one time release additive. Time release of additives is addressed by encapsulating the additive in a large cavity or cage molecule such as cyclodextrin or zeolite.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article comprising a nonwoven material comprising at least one time release additive. Time release of additives is addressed by encapsulating the additive in a large cavity or cage molecule such as cyclodextrin or zeolite.

Abstract: An extrudable composition is provided which is made from at least two thermoplastic polymers in a biconstituent construction. One of the thermoplastic polymers is present as a dominant continuous phase and the other one or more polymers are present as a non-continuous phase or phases in an amount of 1.5 weight percent or less. No compatibilizer is necessary. The polymer of the non-continuous phase or phases has a polymer melt temperature higher than 30° C. below the polymer melt temperature of the continuous phase. The polymer of the dominant phase may be, for example, polypropylene and the non-continuous phase may be, for example, polyamide. The extrudable composition may be used to produce fibers which are generally between about 5 and 50 microns in diameter. The fibers may be made into nonwoven fabrics.

Abstract: A spunbond nonwoven fabric is provided which has superior strength characteristics to conventional fabrics yet is comparably soft. The fabric is a laminate having a web made from a high melt flow rate polyolefin polymer and a low melt flow rate polymer. The spunbond laminate fabric of this invention may have therebetween a layer of meltblown nonwoven fabric or film. The laminate produced according to this invention has a strength which is at least 10% greater than a comparable fabric made without the high melt flow rate polymer web. The nonwoven fabric of this invention may be used in products such as, for example, garments, personal care products, medical products, protective covers and outdoor fabrics.

Abstract: An outdoor protective fabric is disclosed having (i) a UV stable outer nonwoven web of multicomponent sheath/core fibers having a polyethylene polymer sheath component and a polypropylene polymer core component; (ii) a breathable barrier layer such as a meltblown web or microporous film; and (iii) an interior nonwoven web of multicomponent fibers comprising a polyethyfene polymer component and a nylon component.

Abstract: A stabilizing additive package for nonwoven fabrics is provided. The package has a bismuth vanadate based pigment and a hindered amine light stabilizer. The bismuth vanadate is added to a nonwoven fiber polymer prior to extrusion in an amount between about 0.1 and 3 weight percent based on the weight of the fabric and the hindered amine in an amount between about 0.25 and 2.5 weight percent based on the weight of the fabric. The nonwoven fabric also provided by this invention may be used as protective covers for, for example, boats and cars, and as an outdoor fabric for, for example, canopies and tents.

Abstract: There is provided a laminate of nonwoven fabrics for outdoor applications which has good resistance to ultraviolet light. The laminate has two meltblown layers sandwiched between spunbond layers to produce an SMMS laminate. The layers have a large amount of a UV stabilizer and metal oxide pigments. Such laminates are useful for car covers, awnings and canopies, etc. When the laminate is used as a car cover, it is preferred to skew the basis weights of the outer layers so that the layer against the car is significantly lighter than the other outer layer and to reduce the denier of the fibers in the layer against the car.

Abstract: A method of improving the effectiveness of a photostabilizer in reducing the deleterious effects of actinic radiation on a polypropylene composition, which method involves compounding a melt-extrudable thermoplastic polypropylene composition having a melt flow rate in a range of from about 18 to about 100 g/10 minutes at a temperature of 230.degree. C. and a load of 2.16 kg. The polypropylene composition includes a first thermoplastic polypropylene having a melt flow rate lower than 18 g/10 minutes at a temperature of 230.degree. C. and a load of 2.16 kg, a polydispersity greater than about 2.6, and a Z-average molecular weight greater than about 300,000; a second thermoplastic polypropylene having a melt flow rate higher than 18 g/10 minutes at a temperature of 230.degree. C. and a load of 2.16 kg, a polydispersity equal to or less than 2.6, and a Z-average molecular weight equal to or less than 300,000 as determined by gel permeation chromatography; and a photostabilizer.

Abstract: There is provided a method of producing a nonwoven fabric with a wide bonding window by forming a nonwoven web from a thermoplastic polymer blend including from about 0.5 weight percent to about 25 weight percent of syndiotactic polypropylene and then thermally bonding the nonwoven web by a method such as thermal point bonding, through-air-bonding and ultrasonic bonding. Such a web has a bonding window at least 10.degree. F. wider than that of a similar web without syndiotactic polypropylene. Ideally, the bonding window will extend at least 10.degree. F. below that of a similar web without syndiotactic polypropylene.

Abstract: A spunbond nonwoven fabric is provided which has superior strength characteristics to conventional fabrics yet is comparably soft. The fabric is a laminate having a web made from a high melt flow rate polyolefin polymer and a low melt flow rate polymer. The spunbond laminate fabric of this invention may have therebetween a layer of meltblown nonwoven fabric or film. The laminate produced according to this invention has a strength which is at least 10% greater than a comparable fabric made without the high melt flow rate polymer web. The nonwoven fabric of this invention may be used in products such as, for example, garments, personal care products, medical products, protective covers and outdoor fabrics.