IMPROVED NONWOVEN FABRIC AND FIBERS

• Main Authors: SAMUEL ETHIOPIA, RAJEN M. PATEL, THOMAS G. PRESSLY, EDWARD N. KNICKERBOCKER, KENNETH B. STEWART, JR, RANDY E. PEPPER, THOMAS T. ALLGEUER, GERT J. CLAASEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: 31.01.2007
• 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; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARYMATERIAL; NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; SPINNING; TEXTILES; TRIMMINGS; WADDING

The present invention relates to nonwoven webs or fabrics. In particular, the present invention relates to nonwoven webs having superior abrasion resistance and excellent softness characteristics. The nonwoven materials comprise fibers made from of a polymer blend of isotactic polypropylene, reactor grade propylene based elastomers or plastomers, and optionally, a homogeneously branched ethylene/alpha olefin plastomer or elastomer. The isotactic polypropylene can be homopolymer polypropylene, and random copolymers of propylene and one or more alpha-olefins. The reactor grade propylene based elastomers or plastomers plastomer have a molecular weight distribution of less than about 3.5, and a heat of fusion less than about 90 joules/gm. In particular, the reactor grade propylene based elastomers or plastomers contains from about 3 to about 15 percent by weight of units derived from an ethylene, and a melt flow rate of from about 2 to about 200 grams/10 minutes. The present invention also relates to cold drawn textured fibers comprising of a polymer blend of Isotactic polypropylene and reactor grade propylene based elastomers or plastomers. La presente invencion se refiere a telas no tejidas. En particular, la presente invencion se refiere a telas no tejidas que tienen una superior resistencia a la abrasion y excelentes caracteristicas de suavidad. Los materiales no tejidos comprenden fibras hechas de una mezcla polimerica de polipropileno isotactico, elastomeros o plastomeros basados en propileno de grado reactivo y, opcionalmente, un plastomero o elastomero de etileno/alfa-olefina homogeneamente ramificado. El polipropileno isotactico puede ser un homopolimero de polipropileno, y copolimeros aleatorios de propileno y una o mas alfa-olefinas. Los elastomeros o plastomeros basados en propileno de grado reactivo tienen una distribucion de peso molecular menor de aproximadamente 3.5, y un calor de fusion menor de aproximadamente 90 joules/gramo. En particular, los elastomeros o plastomeros basados en propileno de grado reactivo contienen de aproximadamente 3 a aproximadamente 15 por ciento en peso de unidades derivadas de un etileno, y una velocidad de flujo de fusion de aproximadamente 2 a aproximadamente 200 gramos/10 minutos. La presente invencion tambien se refiere a fibras texturizadas estiradas en frio, que comprenden una mezcla polimerica de polipropileno, isotactico y elastomeros o plastomeros basados en propileno de grado reactivo.