Abstract: Nonwoven fiber webs are produced by spraying one or more aqueous binder formulations containing one or more polymers selected from the group of vinyl ester polymers and (meth)acrylic ester polymers, and in a separate step, spraying one or more aqueous silicone formulations containing one or more polysiloxanes, onto the surface of an airlaid nonwoven.

Abstract: An aqueous composition includes polyvinyl alcohol, an acid having a pKa of at most 4.0, and a dispersion of a polymer in which vinyl acetate units constitute at least 60 wt % of the polymer. The polymer does not contain units of any N-methylol-containing monomer, and at least a portion of the polyvinyl alcohol is present in the form of an emulsion stabilizer for the polymer. The wet strength of a fibrous nonwoven substrate can be increased by applying one or more aqueous compositions that together include polyvinyl alcohol, an acid having a pKa of at most 4.0, and a dispersion of a polymer as described above, followed by a final drying step. A fibrous nonwoven article can be prepared in this way.

Abstract: An aqueous composition includes polyvinyl alcohol, an acid having a pKa of at most 4.0, and a dispersion of a polymer in which vinyl acetate units constitute at least 60 wt % of the polymer. The polymer does not contain units of any N-methylol-containing monomer, and at least a portion of the polyvinyl alcohol is present in the form of an emulsion stabilizer for the polymer. The wet strength of a fibrous nonwoven substrate can be increased by applying one or more aqueous compositions that together include polyvinyl alcohol, an acid having a pKa of at most 4.0, and a dispersion of a polymer as described above, followed by a final drying step. A fibrous nonwoven article can be prepared in this way.

Abstract: An aqueous composition includes a blend of: a) an aqueous dispersion of a vinyl acetate ethylene or vinyl acetate polymer, stabilized by polyvinyl alcohol and optionally also by a surfactant, wherein the polymer does not include units of any N-methylol-containing monomer; and b) an aqueous dispersion of an N-methylol-containing vinyl acetate ethylene or vinyl acetate polymer, stabilized with a surfactant, polyvinyl alcohol or a combination thereof. A method of increasing the wet strength of a fibrous nonwoven substrate includes applying to the substrate the abovementioned aqueous composition, followed by a drying step. A fibrous nonwoven article is produced.

Abstract: A low-formaldehyde binder composition for increasing wet and dry tensile strength of a nonwoven substrate includes: a) an aqueous vinyl acetate ethylene copolymer dispersion employing a nonionic, cationic or amphoteric dispersion stabilizer, b) chitosan, and c) one or more surfactants not including the dispersion stabilizer. The binder composition has a free formaldehyde content no greater than 10 ppm, at least 90 wt % of the one or more surfactants are nonionic, cationic, amphoteric or a combination of these, and the copolymer in the dispersion is free of formaldehyde-generating moieties.

Abstract: This invention is directed to an improvement in binders particularly suited for use in preparing nonwoven products and to the nonwoven products. The improved binders comprise a blend of a vinyl chloride (VCl) polymer emulsion and a self crosslinkable vinyl acetate-ethylene-N-methylolacrylamide (VAE-NMA) polymer emulsion. The blend of the VCl polymer emulsion and the VAE-NMA polymer emulsion can be applied to cellulose and cellulose/synthetic nonwoven substrates and cured in the absence of an acid catalyst to provide a self-sustaining web having excellent wet strength performance.

Abstract: This invention is directed to an improvement in binders particularly suited for use in preparing nonwoven products and to the nonwoven products. The improved binders comprise a blend of emulsion polymerized ethylene-vinyl chloride (EVCl) polymer and an emulsion polymerized self crosslinkable vinyl acetate-ethylene-N-methylolacrylamide (VAE-NMA) polymer. The blends of the EVCl polymer emulsion and the VAE-NMA polymer emulsion can be applied to cellulose and cellulose/synthetic nonwoven substrates and cured in the absence of an acid catalyst to provide a self-sustaining web having excellent wet strength performance. The blends of EVCl and VAE-NMA polymers do not require an acid catalyst to facilitate cure.