ELASTIC BICOMPONENT AND BICONSTITUENT FIBERS, AND METHODS OF MAKING CELLULOSIC STRUCTURES FROM THE SAME

• Main Authors: KLIER, JOHN, STEWART, KENNETH, B, SEN, ASHISH, MAUGANS, REXFORD, A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 28.04.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONFILAMENTS; BRAIDING; CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS,THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; COTTON-WOOL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS,NON-WOVEN FABRICS; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARYMATERIAL; NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PAPER-MAKING; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE; PULP COMPOSITIONS; SPINNING; TEXTILES; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; TRIMMINGS; WADDING

The elasticity of elastic, absorbent structures, e.g., diapers, is improved without a significant compromise of the absorbency of the structure by the use of bicomponent and/or biconstituent elastic fibers. The absorbent structures typically comprise a staple fiber, e.g., cellulose fibers, and a bicomponent and/or a biconstituent elastic. The bicomponent fiber typically has a core/sheath construction. The core comprises an elastic thermoplastic elastomer, preferably a TPU, and the sheath comprises a homogeneously branched polyolefin, preferably a homogeneously branched substantially linear ethylene polymer. In various embodiments of the invention, the elasticity is improved by preparation techniques that enhance the ratio of elastic fiber: cellulose fiber bonding versus cellulose fiber:cellulose fiber bonding. These techniques include wet and dry high intensity agitation of the elastic fibers prior to mixing with the cellulose fibers, deactivation of the hydrogen bonding between cellulose fibers, and grafting the elastic fiber with a polar group containing compound, e.g. maleic anhydride.