Fabric (woven – knitted – or nonwoven textile or cloth – etc.) – Coated or impregnated woven – knit – or nonwoven fabric which... – Coating or impregnation is a lubricant or a surface friction...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-11
2002-08-20
Morris, Terrel (Department: 1771)
Fabric (woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.)
Coated or impregnated woven, knit, or nonwoven fabric which...
Coating or impregnation is a lubricant or a surface friction...
C428S364000, C428S365000, C428S375000, C428S378000, C428S391000, C428S394000, C442S097000, C442S110000, C442S118000, C442S119000, C442S330000, C442S333000, C442S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06436855
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hydrophilic fiber that excels in high-speed processability. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hydrophilic fiber that excels in high-speed processability used in water-absorbing commodities such as disposable diapers, hygienic napkins, and pads for incontinence, or in wiping cloths and filters; a non-woven fabric made from such a hydrophilic fiber; and processed non-woven products made from such a non-woven fabric.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, fibers used for producing non-woven fabrics have been surface-treated with a fiber-finishing agent, for the purpose of imparting fiber-converging and hydrophilicity. Especially, for the purpose of imparting hydrophilicity to the fibers, polyoxyethylene alkylethers have been used. In order to prevent friction between fibers and the carding machine, polydimethyl silicone has been used. However, these chemicals have diametrically opposite characteristics of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity, and imparting both characteristics through the use of a single fiber-finishing agent has been difficult.
In order to control static electricity generated during carding, there has been proposed treatment of fibers with hydrophilic agents such as alkyl sulfate esters and alkyl phosphate salts as the fiber-finishing agent. Although non-woven fabrics made from fibers treated by these fiber-finishing agents can control static electricity, there have been problems such as tackiness on the surface of the non-woven fabrics. Treatment of fibers with an antistatic agent consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt as the fiber-finishing agent has also been proposed. However, when such a fiber-finishing agent is used there arise problems, in that rust is produced on the internal surface of the processing apparatus and that fibers turn yellow.
When the air-lay method is used for producing non-woven fabrics, short fibers must be opened in a short period of time by the convection of air in the air-lay apparatus, so as to produce bulky non-woven fabrics of good texture. However, when polyoxyethylene alkylethers or polydimethyl silicone conventionally used as the fiber-finishing agent is used, short fibers are not opened well, and the fibers cannot be discharged smoothly; that is, the fibers cannot be adapted to high-speed production. Thus, the synthetic fibers treated with conventional fiber-finishing agents have high fiber-fiber friction, and the generation of static electricity cannot be controlled. Also, when production speed is increased there arise problems, in that static electricity is generated in the carding machine or air-lay apparatus and that fibers remain in the apparatus to interfere with operations.
For these reasons, demand has existed for a hydrophilic fiber that has low fiber-fiber friction or fiber-metal friction and is adaptable to high-speed processing.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a fiber and a non-woven fabric being adaptable to high-speed processing and exhibiting hydrophilicity, and processed non-woven fabric products made from the fabric.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present inventors have conducted repeated examinations for increasing the hydrophilicity of a fiber, decreasing friction between the fiber and metal, enhancing the opening of the fiber, and improving adaptability to high-speed processing, and have found that a fiber-finishing agent containing a specific polyoxyethylene alkylether, a specific quaternary ammonium phosphate salt, and a specific polyorganosiloxane adhering to the fiber has the effects of enhancing hydrophilicity, reducing friction, and enhancing fiber opening, and also has an excellent effect of enhancing high-speed processing, due to smooth discharge of fibers from the processing apparatus.
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention has the following constitution:
(1) A hydrophilic fiber comprising a thermoplastic resin, wherein 0.1-1.5% by weight of a fiber-finishing agent adheres to the fiber, the fiber-finishing agent containing 50-80% by weight of component A consisting of polyoxyethylene alkyl ether represented by the following general formula (1), 10-40% by weight of component B consisting of at least one quaternary ammonium phosphate salt selected from a group of salts represented by following general formulas (2) and (3), and 3-20% by weight of component C consisting of polyorganosiloxane represented by the following general formula (4),
where R represents a hydrocarbon group containing 12 to 30 carbon atoms; x is an integer from 10 to 50; each of R
1
and R
3
independently represents an alkyl group or an alkenyl group containing 5 to 18 carbon atoms; each of R
2
, R
6
, R
7
, and R
8
independently represents an alkyl group containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms; R
4
represents hydrogen, or an alkyl or alkenyl group containing 5 to 18 carbon atoms; R
5
represents an alkyl or alkenyl group containing 7 to 17 carbon atoms; X represents an alkyl group containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms or a group represented by H(OA)
q
—; Y represents an alkyl group containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms or a group represented by H(OA)
r
—; each of A and A′ independently represents an ethylene group or a propylene group; each of (OA)
q
, (OA′)
r
, (OA)
l
, and (OA′)
m
independently represents a moiety consisting of a repeating structure of oxyethylene, a repeating structure of oxypropylene, a randomly repeating structure of oxyethylene units and oxypropylene units, or a repeating structure of blocks; each of q and r independently is an integer from 2 to 40; q+r is 4 to 42; each of 1 and m independently is an integer from 0 to 20; l+m is an integer from 0 to 20; y is 2 or 3; each of R
9
, R
10
, R
11
, and R
12
independently represents an alkyl, phenyl, benzyl or cyclohexyl group containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms; and z is an integer from 200 to 1000.
(2) The hydrophilic fiber according to (1), wherein said fiber-finishing agent is a fiber-finishing agent containing 60-70% by weight of said component A, 20-30% by weight of said component B, and 5-10% by weight of said component C.
(3) The hydrophilic fiber according to (1) or (2), wherein said component A consisting of the polyoxyethylene alkylether represented by general formula (1) is a polyoxyethylene alkylether wherein R is a hydrocarbon group containing 18 to 30 carbon atoms, and x is an integer from 20 to 40.
(4) The hydrophilic fiber according to any of (1) through (3) wherein said component C is a polyorganosiloxane having a viscosity of 1 to 100 Pa·s.
(5) The hydrophilic fiber according to any of (1) through (4) wherein said component C is a polyorganosiloxane having a viscosity of 5 to 20 Pa·s.
(6) The hydrophilic fiber according to any of (1) through (5) wherein said hydrophilic fiber is a composite fiber composed of a low-melting-point thermoplastic resin and a high-melting-point thermoplastic resin.
(7) The hydrophilic fiber according to any of (1) through (6) wherein at least one of said thermoplastic resins constituting said hydrophilic fiber is a polyolefin-based resin, and said polyolefin-based resin is continuously exposed on a portion of the surface of said fiber.
(8) The hydrophilic fiber according to any of (1) through (7) wherein the fiber length of said hydrophilic fiber is 3 to 40 mm.
(9) The hydrophilic fiber according to any of (1) through (7) wherein the fiber length of said hydrophilic fiber is 32 to 120 mm.
(10) A non-woven fabric formed from the hydrophilic fiber according to (8) by use of the air-lay method.
(11) A non-woven fabric formed from the hydrophilic fiber according to (9) by use of the carding method.
(12) A composite non-woven fabric formed by laminating the non-woven fabric according to (10) or (11) with at least one member selected from the group consisting of another non-woven fabric, a film, a pulp sheet, a knitted fabric, and a woven fabric.
(13) A processed product made of the non-woven fabric according to any of (10) through (12).
(14) A wiping cloth made of the non-woven fabr
Iwata Masuo
Nakai Yoshihiro
Morris Terrel
Torres Norca L.
LandOfFree
Hydrophilic fiber and non-woven fabric, and processed... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Hydrophilic fiber and non-woven fabric, and processed..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Hydrophilic fiber and non-woven fabric, and processed... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2900487