Nonwoven web with improved cut edge quality, and process for imparting

• Main Authors: Carlisle Mitchell Herron, Taner Dirama, Andrew Starr Bales, Peter Wiedmann, Han Xu
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 09.05.2018
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; BRAIDING; COTTON-WOOL; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS,NON-WOVEN FABRICS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; LAUNDERING; MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARYMATERIAL; MARKING, INSPECTING, SEAMING OR SEVERING TEXTILE MATERIALS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PROSTHESES; TEXTILES; TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; TRIMMINGS; WADDING

A process for producing a nonwoven web material with improved edge quality, and the product thereof, are disclosed. The process may include the steps of forming a batt of polymeric fibers; consolidating the batt in a z-direction and thereby forming a nonwoven web material, conveying the nonwoven web material to a nip between a bonding roller and anvil roller, and impressing a pattern of bond impressions into the nonwoven web material, the bond impressions lying along a cut path. When the web is subsequently cut along the cut path, fibers proximate the cut path are immobilized by the bonds, providing for relatively neater, cleaner cut edges and reducing the number of loose fibers that may be released into the plant environment in downstream processing operations.