Abstract: A patterned nonwoven fabric comprising polymeric strands which include a primary polymeric component and are bonded together without the use of compression, but instead with a heat activated adhesive polymeric component which adheres the respective primary components together. The fabric has an embossed pattern of densified areas separated by high loft areas. Preferably, the strands are continuous, crimped, multicomponent filaments. Also preferably, the nonwoven fabric is laminated to a liquid barrier film to form an outercover material for products such as personal care absorbent articles, and the like. Methods for making these materials are also encompassed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a filter medium, which contains an electretized nonwoven web of crimped fibers selected from the group consisting of spunbond filaments and staple fibers, wherein the nonwoven web has a Frazier permeability equal to or greater than about 100 ft.sup.3 /min/ft.sup.2 and a density between about 0.01 g/cm.sup.3 and about 0.095 g/cm.sup.3.

Abstract: Nonwoven material comprising a web of spunbonded polymer filaments in combination with at least one other spunbond or meltblown nonwoven layer with the combination impregnated with a stabilizing agent and the spunbond layer having been hot calendered to improve surface abrasion resistance. Preferred embodiments using a coating bath also including a surfactant and smooth calendering.

Abstract: A shaped nonwoven fabric comprises continuous spunbond filaments made by directly forming the spunbond filaments into a web in a single process. The fabric has an array of discrete surface features such as apertures or projections, or both. The spunbond filaments are bonded together with an adhesive polymeric component so that the shape of the fabric is retained. The fabric can be engineered to have particular fluid handling properties, strength properties, abrasive properties and aesthetic properties. Articles such as personal care products, garments, medical products and cleaning products are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for producing a highly absorbent, high strength wiper, which includes the steps of providing a bonded nonwoven web selected from the group consisting of spunbond fiber webs and staple fiber webs, stretching the nonwoven web by applying a stretching tension in at least one direction, aperturing the nonwoven web while maintaining the stretching tension, and relaxing the apertured web, thereby returning the apertured nonwoven web substantially to its pre-stretched dimensions, wherein the process is conducted at a temperature below the softening point of the nonwoven web. The invention also provides a nonwoven wiper produced in accordance with the production process.

Abstract: Multicomponent polymeric strands including a polymer blend of a butene polymer, a polyolefin other than butene, and up to 10% by weight of ethylene in polymeric form. The blend is in one side or the sheath of the multi-component strands. Fabric made with such strands is also disclosed and has enhanced softness properties. Composite materials including the foregoing fabric bonded to both sides of an inner meltblown layer and garments and other articles made with the fabric are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lightweight nonwoven laminate particularly useful as a component of personal care articles, for example as a barrier cuff material for disposable diapers. Components of the laminate include at least one fine fiber layer having a basis weight in the range of from about 1.5 gsm to 26 gsm and at least one continuous filament layer having a basis weight in the range of from about 10 gsm to 30 gsm. The fine fiber component comprises at least a ratio of 5% and the layers are intermittently bonded for a total basis weight up to about 55 gsm. Desirable softness, breathability and barrier properties are obtained.

Abstract: There is disclosed a nonwoven web for use as a barrier layer in an SMS fabric laminate. The web is formed at commercially acceptable polymer melt throughputs (greater than 3 PIH) by using a reactor granule polyolefin, preferably polypropylene, that has been modified by the addition of peroxide in amounts ranging from up to 3000 ppm to reduce the molecular weight distribution from an initial molecular weight distribution of from 4.0 to 4.5 Mw/Mn to a range of from 2.2 to 3.5 Mw/Mn. Also the addition of peroxide increases the melt flow rate (lowers viscosity) to a range between 800 up to 5000 gms/10 min at 230.degree. C. The resulting web has an average fiber size of from 1 to 3 microns and pore sizes distributed predominantly in the range from 7 to 12 microns, with a lesser amount of pores from 12 to 25 microns, with virtually no pores greater than 25 microns, and with the peak of the pore size distribution less than 10 microns.

Abstract: Fabrics having good bulk, barrier properties and air permeability are made by laminating a first flat spunbond web formed from thermoplastic fibers, a three-dimensional nonwoven meltblown web formed from thermoplastic fibers and a second flat spunbond web formed from thermoplastic fibers, wherein the three-dimensional nonwoven web is located between the first and second spunbond webs.

Abstract: A nonwoven fabric made with multicomponent polymeric strands includes a blend of a polyolefin and elastomeric thermoplastic material in one side or the sheath of the multicomponent polymeric strands. The fabric has improved abrasion resistance and comparable strength and softness properties. The thermoplastic elastomeric copolymer is preferably A-B-A' block copolymer wherein A and A' are each a thermoplastic endblock which includes a styrenic moiety and wherein B is an elastomeric poly(ethylene-butylene) mid block. Composite materials including such multicomponent material bonded to both sides of an inner meltblown layer are also disclosed.

Abstract: A patterned nonwoven fabric comprising polymeric strands which include a primary polymeric component and are bonded together without the use of compression, but instead with a heat activated adhesive polymeric component which adheres the respective primary components together. The fabric has an embossed pattern of densified areas separated by high loft areas. Preferably, the strands are continuous, crimped, multicomponent filaments. Also preferably, the nonwoven fabric is laminated to a liquid barrier film to form an outercover material for products such as personal care absorbent articles, and the like. Methods for making these materials are also encompassed.

Abstract: Shelf stable nonwoven fabrics and films are made from polyolefin compositions which comprise a polyolefin which contains no more than a minor amount of a phenolic antioxidant, a water-sensitive stabilizer, a transition metal organic salt and an oxidizable unsaturated compound.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for reducing or eliminating the odors commonly produced by the sterilization of polyolefin-based products by gamma radiation. In addition, the invention also provides a method for minimizing the amount of fabric strength loss associated with the irradiation process and a method for actually increasing the fabric strength of a polyethylene that has been irradiated. Both the reduction in odors and the minimization of strength or increase in polyolefin strength are achieved in methods comprising the use of an oxygen scavenger. The invention further includes the use of non-gamma stabilized polyolefins. The polyolefinic product may also include an odor mask that may be used to mask any residual odor.

Abstract: A process for making nonwoven fabric including the steps of meltspinning continuous multicomponent polymeric filaments, drawing the multicomponent filaments, at least partially quenching the multicomponent filaments so that the multicomponents have latent helical crimp, activating the latent helical crimp, and thereafter, forming the crimped continuous multicomponent filaments into a first nonwoven fabric web. By crimping the filaments before the web formation, shrinkage of the web after formation is substantially reduced and the resulting fabric is substantially stable and uniform. In addition, the resulting fabric can have a relatively high loft. The crimp activating step can include heating the multicomponent filaments and preferably includes drawing the multicomponent filaments with a flow of heated air to activate the latent helical crimp.

Abstract: There is disclosed a thermally bonded spunbond web of thermoplastic filaments and a nonwoven fabric laminate comprising an internal layer of meltblown thermoplastic microfibers sandwiched between two layers of spunbond thermoplastic filaments. The spunbond web and the spunbond layers of the fabric laminate consist of thermoplastic filaments which are formed from a mixture of a thermoplastic polymer and an effective amount of a nucleating agent. The layers are bonded by thermal spot bonding. In the preferred embodiment, the thermoplastic polymer is polypropylene with a melt-flow rate of at 230 .degree. C. of or greater than 12 grams per ten minutes. Also in the preferred embodiment, the nucleating agent constitutes from about 0.1 to 0.3 percent by weight of the mixture of polypropylene and nucleating agent.

Abstract: A structure for selectively absorbing an oily contaminant from an aqueous environment comprising a plurality of sheets of nonwoven oleophilic fibers arranged in superposition to form a generally rectangular parallelpiped shape, the configuration may be maintained in shape and has a major surface formed by sheet edges so that when contacting an oily containment, the contaminant is selectively absorbed into the structure through wicking action. These structures may be combined to form booms or the like and stacked in a particular configuration for easy storage, transportation and deployment.

Abstract: There is disclosed an animal litter composition and a package for the composition. The composition constitutes decorticated flax straw which as been screened to particle sizes between about 10 and 22 U.S. Screen Mesh. The litter further includes a virucidal composition and a fragrance. The virucidal composition includes from about 0.05 to about 5 percent by weight based on the dry weight of the decorticated flax straw of a preferably anionic surfactant, and at least about 2 percent, based on the dry weight of the decorticated flax straw of at least one acid selected from a group consisting of citric, malic, and mixtures of the acids.The animal litter package constitutes a bag formed from a web of film, nonwoven/film laminates, film/paper laminate or wax/paper laminate in which the animal litter is contained prior to use. The bag can then be opened to serve as a litter box liner. Once the litter has been used, the edges of the bag can be regathered to form a bag for disposal of the litter.

Abstract: A nonwoven fabric made with multicomponent polymeric strands includes a blend of a polyolefin and ethylene alkyl acrylate in one side or the sheath of the multicomponent polymeric strands. The fabric has improved abrasion resistance, strength, toughness and softness properties. Composite materials including such multicomponent material bonded to both sides of an inner meltblown layer are also disclosed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of coloring cigarette paper. Cigarette paper is made by forming a furnish, adding at least one colorant to the furnish, forming a sheet of paper from the thus treated furnish, and adding at least one colorant to the paper to produce a variety of tans/browns and red-brown cigarette wrapper.