Fabric (woven – knitted – or nonwoven textile or cloth – etc.) – Nonwoven fabric – Spun-bonded nonwoven fabric
Patent
1996-08-19
1999-09-28
Knode, Marian C.
Fabric (woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.)
Nonwoven fabric
Spun-bonded nonwoven fabric
442 79, 442 84, 442 85, 442 59, 264130, D06M 1302, D06M 15227, D06M 13463, D06M 13402
Patent
active
059588063
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to cardable and thermobondable polyolefin-based synthetic fibres treated with hydrophobic spin finishes comprising a cationic antistatic agent and a hydrophobic lubricant, a method for producing the fibres, and nonwoven products prepared from the fibres.
The fibres, which have the advantage of being able to be carded at extremely high speeds, are particularly suitable for use in the preparation of thermally bonded hydrophobic nonwoven fabrics in which a dry, water repellant surface which can function as a liquid barrier is desired, e.g. for disposable diapers and feminine hygienic products. The fibres are also suitable for the preparation of thermally bonded nonwoven fabrics for medical use in which a dry, water repellant surface is desired in order to reduce bacterial penetration, for example medical gowns and drapes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A number of polyolefin-based hydrophobic synthetic fibres are known, for example hydrophobic textile fibres with dirt and stain resistant properties. However, such fibres generally contain cationic antistatic agents that are undesirable or unsuitable for personal hygiene and medical products for toxicological reasons, since they often exhibit skin irritating properties due to their low pH. Also, some components may during use release di- or tri-ethanolamine, which is suspected of causing allergic reactions. It has previously proved difficult to produce fibres for hygienic or medical use having good cardability properties together with satisfactory hydrophobic properties. This is particularly important for the many applications in which it is desired that hydrophobic fibres may be carded using high carding speeds.
Hygienic products such as disposible diapers, sanitary napkins and adult incontinence pads generally have barriers through which fluids absorbed by the absorbent core are not able to penetrate, e.g. in the form of side guards, other structural elements, or as back sheet material opposite to the skin. Such barriers may comprise a nonwoven material prepared from hydrophobic staple fibres or a spunbonded material prepared directly from a hydrophobic polymer. However, spunbonded materials are very flat and film-like, and do not have the soft, uniform, textile-like comfort that one finds in nonwovens. Spunbonded fabrics are therefore not the optimal choice for liquid barriers designed to be in contact with the skin of the user. Also, spunbonded nonwovens have a non-uniform distribution of fibres, which results in weak areas (holes) that limit the liquid barrier properties of the fabrics, so that web uniformity becomes the limiting factor for the hydrophobic characteristics. As for nonwovens prepared from staple fibres, these tend not to be sufficiently hydrophobic for such liquid barriers, due to the fact that during the spinning process, the fibres are treated with a "spin finish" which facilitates the spinning process by lubricating the fibres and making them antistatic. However, as a result of the spin finish treatment, in particular the use of an antistatic agent, which by nature is more or less hydrophilic, the fibres become somewhat hydrophilic, which in the present context is undesirable. On the other hand, fibres with the desired degree of hydrophobicity have generally had suboptimum antistatic properties.
EP 0 557 024 A1 describes polyolefin fibres treated with an antistatic agent which is a neutralized phosphate salt, and optionally with a hydrophobic lubricant selected from mineral oils, paraffinic waxes, polyglycols and silicones, the fibres having an hydrostatic head value of at least 102 mm. WO 94/20664 describes a method for producing cardable, hydrophobic polyolefin-based staple fibres using two spin finishes, in which the second spin finish is a dispersion comprising an antistatic agent, preferably an anionic or non-ionic antistatic agent, and, as a hydrophobic agent, a natural or synthetic hydrocarbon wax or wax mixture, and optionally a silicone compound.
The present invention represen
REFERENCES:
patent: 4082887 (1978-04-01), Coates
patent: 4423105 (1983-12-01), Dillarstone et al.
Clausen Lydia Dahl
Dyrmose-Jensen Katharine
Jensen Arne
Marcher Bj.o slashed.rn
Brumback Brenda G.
FiberVisions A/S
Knode Marian C.
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