Jan. 12, 1971 M. R.

FECHILLAs 3,554,788
WATER DISPERSIBLE NONWOWEN FABRIC
Filed Oct. 9, 1968

NVENTOR
A%azz /72 (74.445
% laATTORNEY
United States Patent Office 3,554,788
Patented Jan. 12, 1971
1. 2
fabric comprises a layer of overlapping, intersecting, tex
3,554,788 tile length fibers 11 and substantially uniformly distrib
WATER DISPERSIBLE NONWOWEN FABRIC uted throughout this fibrous layer are globules of binder
Michael R. Fechillas, Linden, N.J., assignor to Johnson 12. As is more clearly shown in FIG. 2 these globules of
& Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey binder comprise for the most part a material 15 which is
Filed Oct. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 766,056 5 not water sensitive but adheres readily to the fibers 16.
Int, C. D06h3/08, D04h 1/58, A61f 13/16 This material is a water insoluble, film-forming, nonself
U.S. C. 117-140 16 Claims
crosslinking polymer. Uniformly distributed throughout
this material is a water soluble material 17.
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In FIG. 3 there is shown a nonwoven fabric 20 com
O prising a layer of overlapping, intersecting, textile fibers
A water dispersible nonwoven fabric comprising a layer 21 with a binder distributed in a predetermined pattern
of overlapping, intersecting fibers bonded with a Water 22 over this layer, the pattern being a series of horizontal
insoluble, substantially water insensitive, film-forming, wavy lines. The binder comprises a nonself-crosslinking
nonself-crosslinking polymer containing a water Soluble 5 polymer 23 which is not water sensitive and uniformly
material having pseudo-plastic flow properties uniformly distributed throughout the binder areas is a water soluble
distributed throughout the polymer. material 24.
The base layers suitable for conversion into the fabric
of the present invention may be formed by carding, gar
This invention relates to a new nonwoven fabric which netting, air deposition, water deposition and any of the
is readily dispersible in water and is flushable. 20
various techniques known in the art. The fibers in the
Nonwoven fabrics have gained wide acceptance in dis layer may be oriented predominantly in one direction as
posable areas such as sanitary napkins, diapers, bandages, in a card web or a card web laminate or they may be sub
etc. A major problem with these disposable products has stantially isotropic, that is, have equivalent strength in all
been the manner of disposing. One technique for dispos 25 directions if desired. For napkin covering and similar
ing is incineration; however, this cannot always be done types of uses such as a facing on disposable diapers where
and in many instances, depending upon the fibers used and the fabric is to be flushable the web is fairly thin and
binders used the problems of burning are greatly in should weigh between 150 to 400 grains per square yard.
creased. Furthermore, it is difficult to burn such products Uniform fiber distribution is an important character
in the home, and if such products have been used in various 30 istic particularly in fabrics which must possess a sub
medical end uses there are even further problems of burn stantial amount of strength, and be free of weak spots due
ing with regard to contamination. Most of these non to lack of uniformity. Uniform webs may be produced by
woven fabrics require wet strength so that they will be carding in which case it is advantageous to use fibers
functional during many of their end uses and hence, they which have good carding characteristics and can be blend
are not readily flushable down home Water closets or ed into a uniform carded web with facility. Fibers of vis
industrial sewer systems as they will readily plug sewers cose rayon and cotton are both satisfactory in this respect.
and septic systems. However, it should be understood that almost any kind
I have now discovered a bonded nonwoven fabric which of textile fiber may be employed in forming fabrics of
has good strength when dry, reasonable strength in the this invention depending upon the intended end use. For
presence of most body fluids, such as urine, blood, men 40 instance, the base layer may comprise natural fibers such
strual fluid, etc., yet is readily dispersible in Water and as cotton, jute, or wool. Artificial fibers of viscose rayon,
may be flushed in the home water closets and disposed cuprammonium, cellulose acetate, etc., or synthetic fibers
in standard sewer systems or septic systems. Such as polyesters, polyamides, polyolefins, etc., alone or
My improved fabric comprises a layer of overlapping, in combination with one another.
intersecting fibers and from about 4 percent to about 35 45 The length of the fiber is also important in producing
percent by weight of fabric of binder distributed in the the fabrics of the present invention. The length should
fiber layer. My binder comprises from about 70 percent usually be a minimum of 34 inch in order to produce
to about 90 percent of a water insoluble, substantially uniform webs in the carding operation and it is pre
water insensitive, film-forming, nonself-crosslinking poly ferred that the length be 1/2 inches or less so that the
mer. Uniformly distributed throughout the polymer is a 50 fibers will not rope when they are dispersed in water. It
water soluble material having pseudo-plastic flow prop has been found that fibers having a length of greater
erties. than 2 inches when placed in the fabric, though the
In use, the fabric has good dry strength depending upon fibers will disperse and separate in water, their length
the amount of binder applied to the fabric and the manner tends to form ropes of fibers which is undesirable when
in which it is applied yet when placed in water the soluble 55 flushing in home water closets.
portion of the binder is dissolved and disrupts the globules The binder may be deposited on the layer by printing,
of binder into very small globules which readily allow the Spraying, impregnating or by other techniques wherein
fibers to disperse and the fabric to be flushed. The dissolv the amount of binder may be metered and the binder can
ing out of the water soluble portion of the binder prevents be distributed uniformly throughout the web. The binder
the binder from adhering to itself and to other fibers and 60 may be applied over the entire surface of the layer or
greatly reduces the strength of the fabric and allows the it may be distributed in a multiplicity of small closely
fibers to be readily dispersed with little, if any, agitation. Spaced areas. The binder may be distributed in lines run
The invention will be more fully described in conjunc ning across the width or at an angle to the width of the
tion with the following drawings wherein: Web or in separate small shaped areas having circular,
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bonded nonwoven fabric in 65 angular, Square, or triangular configurations. It is pre
accordance with the present invention; ferred that when the binder is applied to the fibrous layer
FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view taken there be left unbonded areas in the layer. These un
along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; bonded areas of fibers readily absorb water which attacks
FIG. 3 is another embodiment of a water dispersible the binder areas and makes the fabric dispersible in
nonwoven fabric in accordance with the present invention. 70 shorter periods of time.
Referring to the drawings in FIGS. 1 and 2 there is The amount of binder applied should be from about
shown the Water dispersible nonwoven fabric 10. The 4 to 35 percent by weight of the fabric. If less than this
 3,554,788
3 4.
annount of binder is applied the fabric does not have suf is too water insensitive and, hence, will not produce a
ficient strength; whereas, if more than this amount of water dispersible fabric in accordance with the present
binder is applied the fabric will not have suitable water invention.
dispersibility and be readily flushable in the home water In accordance with the present invention the water in
closet and may lose desirable properties of softness and soluble portion of the binder must have a degree of wet
absorbency. It is preferred that the amount of binder be tability such that the contact angle with water on a cast
between about 4 to 12 percent by weight of the fabric film of such a polymer is between 50 to 70°.
in order to produce very quick water dispersibility. It is believed that the contact angle of the polymer may
The binder utilized in producing the nonwoven fabric be greatly controlled by the surfactant used in the polym
of the present invention comprises two parts; a water O erization of the polymer. Many of the binder polymers
Soluble part and a water insoluble substantially water in are polymerized in emulsion form, what is termed emul
sensitive part. The binder should contain from about 10 sion polymerization, and in so doing generally various
to 30 percent of the water soluble portion. Minimum surfactants or soaps are added to aid this polymeriza
amounts of other chemicals such as antifoaming agents, tion. It is believed that the more surfactant present the
fire retardants, colors, etc., may also be added to the more wettable or the less water insensitive the polymer
binder. would be. In some instances polymers are polymerized
The water insoluble portion of the binder must be sub in the presence of a protective colloid such as polyvinyl
stantially water insensitive. By water insensitivity it is alcohol rather than Surfactants and such polymers make
meant that films of the binder do not readily blush and very suitable water insoluble binder portions in the pres
have very little, if any, wettability. A measure of the ent invention.
wettability or water insensitivity of the polymer is the The water insoluble binder portion must also be film
contact angle which is a measure of the surface energy forming. By film-forming it is meant that particles of the
required to disperse a drop of water on the polymer sur polymer have the ability to cohere and form a continuous
face. Hence, the higher the contact angle the more wet phase at room temperature.
table or water sensitive the polymer and the lower the The water insoluble portion of the binder also must
contact angle the more water insensitive the polymer. be nonself-crosslinking. By nonself-crosslinking it is
There are a number of techniques for measuring the meant that there are no free radicals or functional groups
contact angle which may be used. One such technique is on the polymer which will crosslink with themselves at
to clean the surface of the film made from the polymer elevated temperatures.
to be tested with various materials such as deionized 30 Examples of suitable water insoluble, substantially
water or organic cleaners and then drying the film. Static water insensitive, film-forming, nonself-crosslinking poly
is removed from the film and the film placed on the plat mers are the acrylic resins especially the vinyl acrylic
form of an instrument known as a contact angle goniom resins, the acetate resins and the butadiene styrene
eter. The contact angle goniometer consists of a micro polymers.
Scope mounted with its axis horizontal and equipped with 35 The water sensitive or water soluble portion of the
a specimen block which can be raised or lowered and binder may be any of the various water sensitive binders
moved from side to side. The normal eye piece of the Such as hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose,
microscope is replaced with a protractor eye piece di the natural gums such as guar and preferably the algi
vided into degrees on a rotating scale with a vernier in nates such as Sodium alginate. The important thing is
minutes on a fixed arm. The cross hairs in the eye piece 40 that there be from about 10 to 30 percent of the water
divide the field view into quadrants. A drop of deionized Soluble material in the binder in the final fabric and that
water is pushed onto the film from a capillary dropper this water soluble material will be substantially uniform
mounted above the specimen block. The dropper is an ly distributed throughout the binder. The preferred
ordinery eye dropper with the tip drawn into a one inch amount of water soluble material is from 12 to 26 per
capillary with a diameter just small enough to prevent cent with the most preferable amount being 14 to 18 per
water from running out of the tube under gravitational cent. If too little, that is less than 10 percent water solu
force only. To assist in dispersing the water from the ble material is used, the fabric will not be water disper
dropper the tip of the capillary is ground at an angle sible, whereas if too much water soluble material is used
to the perpendicular. The protractor scale is then re the fabric will not have sufficient dry strength for most
volved until its cross hair is parallel to the surface on 50 end uses. Also, if the water soluble material is not uni
which the drop is resting. The other cross hair is ad formly distributed throughout the resin polymer globule
justed until it is tangent to the drop at the point of con or binder portion when it is dissolved out it will not suffi
tact with the surface on which it is resting. The angle ciently disrupt the fabric and allow separation of fibers
between the cross hairs inside the drop is read from the to make the fabric dispersible. The uniform distribution
protracting scale. This is the advancing contact angle. of water Soluble material through the binder is accom
Using the dropper, water is subtracted from the drop on plished by adding the water soluble material to the resin
the sample and the receding contact angle is recorded. emulsion prior to applying the binder to the fabric. By
Due to water evaporation these angles may change and, water soluble material it is meant that the material ac
hence, for the purposes herein all references to contact tually undergoes a physical change when placed in water
angles are to angles which are taken instantaneously, 60 in that the water gets in between the molecules and breaks
that is, as soon as the water is placed on the film the up material and that Substantially all proportions of ma
angle is measured and then the water removed. terial are dissolvable in water.
Another technique for measuring contact angles is to The water soluble materials useful in the present in
place the water on the film and take a cross-sectional vention have pseudo-plastic flow properties and not New
picture of the film with the water thereon, enlarge this tonian or thixotropic flow characteristics. By pseudo
a suitable number of times, and then measure the con plastic it is meant that the flow is characterized in that
tact angle mechanically. The contact angle is the sum of its rate of shear is not proportional to the shearing force
the advancing and receding angles divided by two. but actually that its rate of shear increases in less propor
In accordance with the present invention the water in tion to the shearing force applied. Another way of saying
soluble portion of the binder must have a contact angle 70 this is that viscosity increases in less proportion to the
from about 50 to 70 and preferably from about 55 shearing force. Suitable pSuedo-plastic water soluble ma
to 65. If the contact angle is greater than 70 that por terials have viscosities of from about 500 to 2,000 centi
tion of the binder will be too water sensitive and, hence, poises and preferably from about 800 to 1,400 centipoises.
will not provide suitable strength in the final fabric; The most suitable water soluble materials have viscosities
whereas, if the contact angle is less than 50 the binder of between 1,100 and 1,200 centipoises.
 3,554,788
5 6
The most preferable water soluble material useful in 4. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
the present invention is a polymer of mannuronic acid claim 1 wherein the water soluble material has viscosity
and gluronic acid or derivatives of these materials and from about 800 to 1,400 centipoises.
specifically sodium alginate. 5. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
The following example is illustrative of one fabric ac claim 1 wherein the water soluble material has a viscosity
cording to the present invention: of from about 1,100 to 1,200 centipoises.
EXAMPLE 6. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
claim 1 wherein the water soluble material is a polymer
A fibrous layer of 1% inch, 1% denier extra dull vis of mannuronic and gluronic acids or derivatives thereof.
cose rayon weighing about 252 grains per square yard is 10 7. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
formed from standard carding machines. A binder having claim 1 wherein the water soluble material is sodium
the following formulation is formed: alginate.
Pounds 8. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
Sodium alginate ---------------------------- 2.25 claim 1 wherein the fibers are viscose rayon fibers.
Nonself-crosslinking water insensitive vinyl acrylic 5 9. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
polymer (contact angle about 58-60') ------ 12.5 claim 1 wherein the fibers are textile fibers having a length
Antifoaming agent -------------------------- 0.2 of 34 inch to 1% inches.
Water ------------------------------------- 85.25 10. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
The pH of this binder formulation is brought to 7.0 with claim 1 wherein the binder is distributed in a predeter
the addition of ammonia. This binder formulation is 20 mined pattern over the surface of the fibrous layer.
printed onto the fibrous layer in a pattern of horizontal 11. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
wavy lines of six lines per inch. The amount of binder claim 1 wherein the water insensitive polymer has a con
add-on is 12 grains per square yard. tact angle of from 55 to 65° and the water soluble mate
The resultant fabric has a softness of about 72 and rial has a viscosity of from 800 to 1,400 centipoises.
has a machine dry tensile of about 4 pounds per inch of 25 12. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
width and a cross direction tensile of about .3 pound per claim 1 wherein the water insensitive polymer is a vinyl
inch. A swatch of the fabric six inches by six inches is acrylic polymer and the water soluble material is sodium
placed in approximately 600 ml. of water and the water alginate.
hand stirred being careful not to touch the fabric. The 13. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
fabric disperses in approximately 15 seconds and cannot 30 claim 1 wherein the fibers are viscose rayon fibers having
be removed in a single piece or in a series of pieces from a length of 34 inch to 1/2 inches, the water insensitive
the water. polymer has a contact angle of from 55 to 65 and the
Having now described the invention in specific detail water soluble material has a viscosity of from 800 to 1,400
and exemplified the manner in which it may be carried 35 centipoises.
into practice it will be readily apparent to those skilled 14. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
in the art that innumerable variations, modifications, ap claim 13 wherein the binder is distributed in a predeter
plications, and extensions may be made to the basic prin mined pattern over the surface of the fiber layer.
ciples involved without departing from its spirit and scope. 15. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
I therefore intend to be limited only in accordance with 40 claim 13 wherein there is about 4 to 12 percent binder
the appended claims. by weight of the fabric.
claim: 16. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
1. A water dispersible, nonwoven fabric comprising a claim 13 wherein from about 14 to 18 percent of the
layer of overlapping, intersecting textile fibers, said fibers binder is water soluble material.
being from about 34 inch to about 2 inches in length, and 45 References Cited
from about 4 to 35 percent by weight of the fabric of a
binder distributed in said fabric, said binder comprising UNITED STATES PATENTS
from about 70 to 90 percent of a water insoluble, sub 2,905,568 9/1959 Burgeni ------------ 117-140
stantially water insensitive, nonself-crosslinking, film 3,009,822 11/1961 Drelich et al. ------- 161-146
forming polymer and from about 10 to 30 percent of a 50 3,122,447 2/1964 Sexsmith ----------- 117-140
water soluble material having pseudo-plastic flow proper 3,123,075 3/1964 Stamberger -------- 128-287
ties uniformly distributed throughout said polymer, said 3,310,454 3/1967 Florio et al. --------- 161-146
water insoluble polymer having a contact angle of from 3,480,016 11/1969 Costanza ----------- 161-156
about 50 to 70, and said water soluble material having
a viscosity of from about 500 to 2,000 centipoises. ROBERT F. BURNETT, Primary Examiner
2. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to 55 J. J. BELL, Assistant Examiner
claim 1 wherein the water insoluble polymer contains a
polyvinyl alcohol protective colloid. U.S. C. X.R.
3. A water dispersible nonwoven fabric according to
claim 1 wherein the water insoluble polymer is a vinyl 60 117-37, 44; 128-284; 161-148, 170
acrylic polymer.