KR20160098361A - Stretchable nonwoven materials - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fiber web defining a surface; And a benefit agent layer, wherein the benefit agent is selected from an additive composition, an enhancement component, and combinations thereof; The beneficial agent is foamed and bonded to the fibrous web surface via a creping process; Nonwoven substrates show improved tactile properties compared to untreated substrates, improved printing, reduced hysteresis, increased bulk, increased elasticity / extensibility, increased shrinkage, reduced wrinkles, and combinations thereof.

Description

[0001] STRETCHABLE NONWOVEN MATERIALS [0002]

The present invention relates to a stretchable nonwoven material.

Absorbent nonwoven products such as paper towels, tissues, diapers, and other similar products are designed to have the desired level of bulk, ductility, and strength. For example, in some tissue products, ductility is enhanced by a topical additive composition such as a softener for the outer surface (s) of the tissue web. Such an additive composition may be a bonding agent that is applied locally to a substrate such as a nonwoven fabric, either alone or in combination with a creping process. Creping may be part of the nonwoven fabrication process in which the tissue is adhered to the hot surface of the spin dryer drum by the additive composition. The dried tissue and additive compositions are scraped together from the dryer drum by a doctor blade assembly. Creping adds bulk to the tissue base sheet, thereby increasing the ductility determined by the hand touch. Other properties such as strength, flexibility, and crepe fold are also affected.

In addition to tissue products, material ductility and other properties are also important and desirable features for the materials used to make personal hygiene products such as diapers, feminine hygiene products, baby wipes, adult incontinence products, training panties, to be. The outer cover material and the inner lining of these products, for example, are in contact with the skin of the user. Thus, these materials are not only aesthetically pleasing, but should also be soft and comfortable on contact with the wearer.

In addition to ductility, another characteristic that may be important when designing tissue products and other nonwoven materials is stretchability. Various advantages and benefits can be provided by improving the elastic or elastic properties of the material. For example, a material with improved stretchability is not rigid, improving the hand feel of the product. Nonwovens with better stretch properties generally have better wiping properties. When the nonwoven material is used to make a garment such as a disposable absorbent article, the stretchability improves the fit and comfort of the garment. Nonwoven materials having improved stretch or elastic properties also resist tearing when placed under tension and are therefore easier to process.

As noted above, in the past, various binder materials have been applied locally to nonwoven materials including tissue products during the creping process. These binding materials have achieved limited success in improving elasticity. In this regard, there is a need for additive compositions that can be applied to nonwoven materials to improve the stretchability of the materials.

The present invention relates to a fiber web defining a surface; And a benefit agent layer, wherein the benefit agent is selected from an additive composition, an enhancement component, and combinations thereof; The beneficial agent is foamed and bonded to the fibrous web surface via a creping process, and the nonwoven substrate has improved tactile sensation, improved printing, reduced hysteresis, increased bulk, increased elasticity / extensibility, Increased shrinkage, reduced wrinkles, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a nonwoven material comprising a fibrous web. The fibrous web may also comprise a tissue web containing pulp fibers. Alternatively, the fibrous web may comprise fibers made from synthetic thermoplastic polymer. For example, the web may comprise a melt spun web, such as a meltblown web or a spunbond web. The web defines a creped surface. According to the present invention, the additive composition is present on the creped surface of the web and applied to the web before or during creping. The additive composition comprises a polyolefin copolymer in combination with a nonionic surfactant. The nonionic surfactant may be present in the additive composition in an amount up to about 50% by weight based on the weight of the polyolefin copolymer.

In one embodiment, the additive composition comprises a polyolefin copolymer and a nonionic surfactant together with a dispersant. The dispersant may comprise a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid. The polyolefin copolymer may comprise propylene or a copolymer of ethylene and an alkene. In one specific embodiment, for example, the polyolefin copolymer may comprise a polyethylene-octene copolymer.

The nonionic surfactant contained in the additive composition has a cloud point. For example, the cloud point of the surfactant may be greater than about 15 ° C, such as greater than about 20 ° C, such as greater than about 25 ° C, such as greater than about 30 ° C, such as greater than about 40 ° C, have. The cloud point of the surfactant may be less than about 100 캜, such as less than about 90 캜, such as less than about 85 캜, such as less than about 70 캜, such as less than about 60 캜, when combined with water in an amount of 1 wt%. It is believed that the nonionic surfactant having a haze can be synergistically combined with the polyolefin copolymer to improve the elasticity and elastic properties of the material.

Nonionic surfactants can have hydrophilic and hydrophobic sites. Nonionic surfactants may include ethoxylates of alkylpolyethylene glycol ethers. For example, the nonionic surfactant may comprise an ethylene oxide adduct of linear lauryl myristyl alcohol.

The weight ratio of the polyolefin copolymer and the nonionic surfactant in the additive composition may range from about 0.5: 1 to about 3: 1, such as from about 1: 1 to about 2.5: 1. In one embodiment, the additive composition can be foamed and converted to foam before contact with the fibrous web. After creping, in this embodiment, the additive composition forms a layer of collapsed foamed film on the web. The collapsed foam film layer may be discontinuous.

As described above, the additive composition can dramatically improve the elastic properties of the web. For example, the nonwoven material may have a breaking elongation of greater than about 45%, such as greater than about 50%, such as greater than about 55%. In one embodiment, the web has an elastic deformation of at least about 30% at 80% applied strain in the machine direction. In an alternate embodiment, the web may have at least 80% elastic deformation in 100% applied strain in the machine direction. In yet another embodiment, the web may have at least 50% elastic deformation in a 30% applied deformation in the machine direction.

The present invention also relates to a method for producing a nonwoven material having improved stretch properties. The method includes combining a polyolefin copolymer with a nonionic surfactant and a water mixture. Nonionic surfactants can have cloud points, and nonionic surfactants can be dissolved in water to form a uniform mixture at temperatures above the cloud point.

The method comprises foaming the additive composition comprising the nonionic surfactant and water mixture and the polyolefin copolymer. The foamed composition may be applied on a heated dryer surface at or near the boiling point of water. The nonwoven substrate can be pressed against the coated surface and creped from the dryer surface. The nonwoven substrate may comprise a tissue web or a fibrous web comprising fibers or filaments made of a synthetic thermoplastic polymer.

Other features and aspects of the invention are discussed in greater detail below.

While the illustrative forms are shown in the drawings to illustrate the invention, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of process steps used to create one embodiment of a froth according to the present invention.
Figure 2 shows an SEM image of spunbond untreated with printed ink.
Figure 3 shows a SEM image of one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the spunbond was used as a substrate treated in accordance with the present invention and printed with ink.
Figure 4 is a graphical illustration of the elastic versus applied variants for embodiments of the hydroknit material treated according to the present invention with comparative data of untreated substrates.
5 is a graphical illustration of the elastic versus applied variations for an embodiment of a spunbond material treated according to the present invention with comparison data of untreated substrates.
Figure 6 is a series of SEM pictures illustrating structural changes in the tissue material after being processed according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows the machine direction (MD) elastic deformation versus applied variations of an embodiment of a tissue substrate treated according to the present invention with comparison data of untreated tissue substrates.
Figure 8 shows the cross-directional (CD) elastic versus applied variations of an embodiment of a tissue substrate treated according to the present invention with comparison data of untreated tissue substrates.
Figure 9 shows SEM images of untreated control films.
(a) shows an SEM image of one side of the untreated control film.
(b) shows an SEM image of the opposite side of the untreated control film.
(c) shows a SEM image of a cross-sectional view of the untreated control film.
(d) shows a SEM image of a cross-sectional view of the untreated control film at 5X magnification in Fig. 9c.
Figure 10 shows SEM images of a collapsed foam film layer of an embodiment of the benefit agent according to the present invention, this embodiment comprising a HYPOD ^® dispersion.
(a) shows an SEM image of one surface of the collapsed foamed film layer.
(b) shows an SEM image of the opposite surface of the collapsed foamed film layer.
(c) shows an SEM image of a cross-sectional view of a collapsed foamed film layer.
(d) shows an SEM image of a cross-sectional view of the collapsed foamed film layer viewed at approximately 2X magnification in Fig. 10c.
(e) shows an SEM image of a cross-sectional view of the collapsed foamed film layer viewed at approximately 7X magnification in Fig. 10C.
(f) shows a SEM image of a cross-sectional view of the collapsed foamed film layer viewed at 25X magnification in Fig. 10C.
Figs. 11 and 12 are graphs showing the results obtained in Example 5. Fig.
Figs. 13 to 15 are graphs showing the results obtained in Example 6. Fig.

It is believed that the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, even when it is specifically pointed out and distinctly claimed that the invention is included within the scope of the claims.

 All percentages, parts and percentages are based on the total weight of the composition of the present invention, unless otherwise specified herein. All of these weights belonging to the listed ingredients are based on the active level and therefore do not include by-products or solvents that may be included in the commercially available material, unless otherwise specified. The term "weight percentage" is referred to herein as "weight% ". The numerical values referred to herein are to be considered as being limited to the term "about ", except that specific examples of actual measured values are provided.

 As used herein, the term "comprising " means that other steps and other ingredients which do not affect the end result may be added. These terms include the terms "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of." The compositions and methods / processes of the present invention may include additional and optional ingredients, ingredients, steps or limitations as disclosed herein, as well as the essential elements and limitations of the invention disclosed herein, And may consist essentially of these.

As used herein, "additive composition" refers to a chemical additive (sometimes referred to as a chemical, chemical, chemical composition, and add-on) that is applied topically to a substrate. The topical application according to the method of the present invention may occur during the drying or conversion process. The additive composition according to the present invention may be applied to any substrate (e.g., a tissue or nonwoven) and may include, but is not limited to, polymer dispersions, polymer solutions, and mixtures thereof.

 Airlaid web "is formed by an air forming process, and a bundle of tiny fibers having a typical length in the range of about 3 to about 52 millimeters (mm) And then deposited on the forming screen, typically under the assistance of a vacuum supply. The randomly deposited fibers are then bonded together using, for example, hot air or a spray adhesive. The preparation of laid nonwoven composites is well defined and documented in the prior art. For example, the DanWeb process as described in U. S. Patent No. 4,640, 810 to Laursen et al and assigned to Scan Web of North America Inc., Kroyer U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,278 to Kimberly-Clark Corporation and the Kroyer process described in US Pat. No. 5,527,171 to Soerensen, assigned to Niro Separation a / s, and App et al., U. S. Patent No. 4,375, 448, or other similar methods.

"Benefit Agent" is a composition or component that provides benefits to the overall treated substrate, such as ductility, smoothness, moisture, aroma and the like. The beneficial agent of the present invention includes, but is not limited to, "additive composition" and "enhancement component ".

The "cloud point" of a surfactant is the temperature below the temperature at which the surfactant is insoluble in water at a certain solids level. In order to dissolve the non-ionic surfactant in water, the surfactant is first dissolved in water at its melting point and diluted, and then the dissolved surfactant is added at its melting point, at the same or lower temperature, Can be mixed with the composition. The diluted nonionic surfactant may remain soluble in water even below its milieu.

"Bonded Carded Web ", i.e.," BCW ", is known to those of ordinary skill in the art and is described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 4,488,928, which is incorporated herein by reference to the extent not inconsistent with the present invention Refers to a nonwoven web formed by the carding process described further herein. In the carding process, a blend of staple fibers, splice fibers and possibly other splice components such as adhesives can be used. These components are formed into large balls that are combed or otherwise treated to produce a substantially uniform basis weight. The web may be heated or otherwise treated to activate any adhesive component to obtain a lofty nonwoven material.

As used herein, "coform" is a meltblown polymeric material to which fibers or other components may be added. In its most basic concept, the coform can be formed by having at least one meltblown die head arranged around a chute where other materials are added to the meltblown material through which the web is formed. These "other materials" can be natural fibers, superabsorbent particles, natural polymer fibers (e.g., rayon) and / or synthetic polymer fibers (e.g., polypropylene or polyester). The fibers may be of staple length. The coform material may contain the cellulosic material in an amount from about 10 wt% to about 80 wt%, such as from about 30 wt% to about 70 wt%. By way of example, in one embodiment, a coform material containing pulp fibers in an amount of from about 40% to about 60% by weight can be produced.

As defined herein, "creping" occurs when the web attached to the dryer surface is peeled off with a blade, such as a doctor blade.

The "Enhancement Component " of the present invention is an additive which is an additional ingredient that can be added to the additive composition to impart additional benefits or other tactile sensations that can not be achieved by the additive composition alone. The enhancing components include, but are not limited to, microparticles, expandable microspheres, fibers, additional polymer dispersions, scents, antimicrobials, humidifiers, drugs, soother and the like.

"Froth ", as defined herein, is a liquid foam. According to the present invention, when the foamable composition of the present invention is heated on the surface of a dryer, it does not form a solid foam structure. Instead, the foamable composition, when applied to a heated surface, is transferred to a substantially continuous film having bubbles inside the film.

A "hydroentangled web " according to the present invention refers to a web treated to columnar jets of fluid entangling web fibers. Hydraulic entanglement of the web typically increases the strength of the web. In one aspect, the pulp fibers may be hydraulically entangled with a continuous filament material such as a "spunbond web ". The hydraulic entangled web resulting in a nonwoven composite may comprise pulp fibers in an amount of from about 50% to about 80% by weight, such as an amount of about 70% by weight. Hydro entangled composite web as described above, under the trade name of trade name HYDROKNIT ^® it is sold by Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Hydraulic entanglement is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,389,202 to Everhart.

 As used herein, "nonwoven fabric" is defined as the class of fibers that are generally made by attaching fibers together. The nonwoven fabric is formed by mechanical means, chemical means, thermal means, adhesive or solvent means, or any combination thereof. The manufacture of nonwoven fabrics differs from weaving, knitting, or tufting. The nonwoven material may be made of a synthetic thermoplastic polymer or a natural polymer such as cellulose. Cellulose tissue is an example of a nonwoven material.

 As used herein, "meltblowing" is a nonwoven web forming process for extruding and stretching molten polymer resin with high velocity air heated to form fine filaments. The filaments are cooled and collected as a web on a moving screen. This process is similar to the spunbond process, but the meltblown fibers are finer and generally measured in μm.

As used herein, "processing aid " refers to a composition that can aid in the process of forming the treated substrate of the present invention. As an example, a foaming agent may function as a suitable processing aid of the present invention. In addition, crepe processing aids can aid in additional bonding or separating properties for creping the substrate from the dryer drum.

As used herein, "rugosities " are defined as channeled wrinkles as a result of elastic materials (films or filaments) that are pre-stretched while attached to an undrawn material substrate (such as a nonwoven) The behavior of the visible elastic laminate will be described. The corrugation may depend on how the laminate is attached or bonded to a material substrate that is not stretched. When the laminate is relaxed or released, the substrate appears as a wrinkle or channel winkle with a groove similar to the wrinkle of the accordion mechanism. This effect is common in personal hygiene articles where the cuff and waistband are often creased to provide a better fit to the wearer. Wrinkles are also described in greater detail in U.S. Patent No. 6,475,600 issued to Morman et al. On Nov. 5, 2002.

 As used herein, "spunbond" is a nonwoven web process in which filaments are extruded, stretched and disposed on a moving screen to form a web. Although the term "spunbond" is often used interchangeably with "spunlaid ", the art has generally adopted the term spunbond or spunbond to express a particular web forming process. This is to distinguish the web forming process from the other two forms of spunlaid web formation, such as meltblowing and flashspinning.

As used herein, a "spunbond / meltblown composite" refers to a multi-layer composite defined by a multi-layered fabric that generally comprises various alternating layers of a spunbond web ("S") and a meltblown web IS: SMS, SMMS, SSMMS and so on.

 As used herein, the term "tissue " refers generally to a variety of paper products such as cosmetic tissues, bathroom tissues, paper towels, table napkins, sanitary napkins, The tissue product of the present invention can be generally prepared from a cellulosic web having one or more layers. By way of example, in one embodiment, the cellulose or "paper" product may comprise a single layer paper web formed from a blend of fibers. In another embodiment, the paper product may comprise a multi-ply paper (i.e., layered) web. The paper product may also be a single or multi-ply product (e.g., more than one paper web), where one or more of the ply may comprise a paper web formed in accordance with the present invention.

The present invention is an alternative to the current method of spraying a solution or aqueous dispersion of crepe processing chemistry onto a dryer surface (e.g., a drum of a Yankee drier or hot calender). In contrast to liquid chemicals, foam chemicals have sufficient structural integrity to reach the dryer surface against gravity due to their significantly higher viscosity. By creating a foam chemistry according to the present invention, the chemical applicator can be placed much closer to the dryer surface. The applicator may be placed at any location along the dryer circumference as long as there is sufficient space. In addition, the use of the foamable chemistry of the present invention may also include additional advantages that were difficult to apply in other ways.

Another advantage of the present invention is that less energy is consumed by the dryer. By bringing the chemical applicator closer to the dryer surface, it improves chemical mass efficiency (i.e., reduces waste in the application process) and improves energy efficiency. The efficiency is increased because the air introduced into the foam of the present invention acts as a diluter. As a result, less heat is required to remove water from the foam-like crepe processing chemicals (i.e., benefit agents) during the drying process. This is an improvement over the spraying process using water to dilute the beneficial agent.

Further, after the creping step, the beneficial agent layer remains on the nonwoven substrate to add more bulk and ductility. This increase in bulk is due to trapped air inside the coated layer. Improved ductility is due to the benefit agent that can be foamed onto the dryer surface and subsequently transferred to the surface of the substrate through the creping process or attached to its surface. While the foaming benefit agent is filmed during the drying step, not all of the air entrapped in the foam during the drying step is lost due to the higher viscosity associated with the higher solids levels in the foam additive composition.

The "film" of the benefit agent is more appropriately and precisely described as a "collapsed foam film layer ". To better understand this, Figure 9 shows a typical film (such as a cast, extruded, or blown film). As shown in Fig. 9A, the film has some voids on one side, but is relatively smooth, and completely smooth on the other side as shown in Fig. 9B. Referring to the cross-sectional views of Figures 9c and 9d, it can be seen that the pores of the film are relatively parallel to the horizontal axis of the film. In contrast, Figure 10 shows a layer of a collapsed foamed film of the present invention. Both sides of the collapsed foam film layer as shown in Figs. 10A and 10B exhibit a unique spongy structure that allows to retain a difference in both mechanical and tactile properties compared to a conventional film. Figures 10C-10F show enlarged cross-sectional views of one embodiment of the collapsed foamed film layer of the present invention. As shown, the foamed beneficial layer retains the pores of air trapped by the foam, leading to the advantages provided by the present invention. Also, the coarse structure in the Z direction can easily be seen, where the void of the layer is more perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the layer. Accordingly, the present invention provides a collapsed foamed film layer which is advantageous not only by providing a film in the conventional sense, but also by foaming and creping which provides improvements and improvements as described herein.

Various substrates other than tissues may be treated according to the present invention. For example, a wet-laid web, an air-laid web, a spunbond web, a meltdown web, a coomeweb web, a bonded and carded web (BCW), a continuous film, a spun lace, a film / Hydraulic entanglement webs, and the like. The benefit agent is usually applied on one side of any substrate, but may be applied on both sides as needed.

Beneficial agent

One. Additive composition

In required applications, the additive composition is from about 50mg / m ² to about 10,000mg / m ² or from about 50mg / m ² to about 1000mg / m ² or from about 100mg / m ² to about be present at a level of 1000mg / m ² have. The difference between these proposed ranges is that the additive composition is applied to the substrate either with an in-line machine (such as a tissue machine) or with an off-line machine (such as a non-woven line) And whether or not it is applied. The additive composition of the present invention may be in the form of a polymer solution or a polymer dispersion as described below.

A. Polymer dispersion

The foamable composition of the insoluble polymer may be in the form of a dispersion. Insoluble polymeric materials, such as powders, granules, and the like, can be converted into a foamable dispersion by mixing it with water and a surfactant (s) under specified processing conditions such as high pressure extrusion at elevated temperature. The polymer dispersion may then be mixed with air and a blowing agent to convert it to foam.

Examples of the dispersion according to the present invention is polyisoprene dispersion, such as KRATON ^®, which is commercially available by the polyolefin dispersion, Kraton Polymers US LLC, Texas, USA Houston, such HYPOD 8510 ^® which is marketed by Dow Chemical of the United States, Texas Freeport material , or styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) copolymer, New Jersey polhaem Park polybutadiene such as Butanol ^® which is sold by BASF Corporation of material-styrene block copolymer, Germany and sold by Wacker of Munich, latex dispersions, such as E-PLUS ^®, which, on the market all by Aldrich in Wisconsin Milwaukee, polyvinylpyrrolidone-styrene copolymer dispersions, and polyvinyl alcohol-containing ethylene copolymer dispersion, but are not limited to .

In one embodiment, the additive composition generally comprises an aqueous dispersion comprising at least one thermoplastic resin, water, and optionally at least one dispersing agent. The thermoplastic resin is present in the dispersion in a relatively small particle size. For example, the average volume particle size of the polymerizer may be less than about 5 탆. The actual particle size may depend on various factors including the thermoplastic polymer present in the dispersion. Thus, the average volumetric particle size may be from about 0.05 microns to about 5 microns, such as less than about 4 microns, such as less than about 3 microns, such as less than about 2 microns, e.g., less than about 1 microns. Particle size can be measured in a Coulter LS230 light-scattering particle size analyzer or other suitable device. Thermoplastic resins, when present in aqueous dispersions, are typically found in non-fibrous form.

The particle size distribution (polydispersity) of the polymer particles of the dispersion may be less than about 2.0, such as less than 1.9, 1.7, or 1.5.

The additive composition according to the invention may also contain a surfactant, in particular a nonionic surfactant. For example, the additive composition may include a nonionic surfactant having a hydrophilic portion and a hydrophobic portion and having a cloud point. As used herein, the cloud point of a fluid precipitates as a second phase giving a cloudy appearance to the fluid at a temperature at which the dissolved solids are no longer completely dissolved. In one embodiment, the cloud point can be measured in distilled water in an amount of 1% by weight. The nonionic surfactant can be liquid at room temperature and can have a cloud point of less than about 15 캜 to less than 100 캜 when combined with water in an amount of 1% by weight.

It is believed that nonionic surfactants with haze can be synergistically interacted with the polymer chains of polyolefin copolymers as a method of producing nonwoven materials with improved stretch and elasticity.

The thermoplastic resin contained in the additive composition may vary depending on the specific application and the desired result. In one embodiment, for example, the thermoplastic resin is an olefin polymer. As used herein, an olefin polymer refers to a class of unsaturated open-chain hydrocarbons having the general formula C _n H _2n . The olefin polymer may be present as a copolymer such as an interpolymer. As used herein, substantially olefinic polymers refer to polymers comprising less than about 1% substitution.

In one specific embodiment, for example, the olefin polymer is a copolymer of ethylene with at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of C ₄ -C ₂₀ linear, branched, or cyclic dienes, or ethylene vinyl compounds such as vinyl acetate, Or an alpha-olefin interpolymer of propylene, and a compound represented by the formula H ₂ C = CHR, wherein R is a C ₁ -C ₂₀ linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group or a C ₆ -C ₂₀ Lt; / RTI > Examples of comonomers include propylene, 1-butene, 3-methyl-1-butene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, Decene, and 1-dodecene. In some embodiments, the ethylene interpolymer has a density of less than about 0.92 g / cc.

In other embodiments, the thermoplastic resin comprises an alpha-olefin interpolymer of propylene with at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene, a C ₄ -C ₂₀ linear, branched, or cyclic diene, and H ₂ C = CHR, wherein R is a C ₁ -C ₂₀ linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group or a C ₆ -C ₂₀ aryl group. Examples of the comonomer include ethylene, 1-butene, 3-methyl-1-butene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, Decene, and 1-dodecene. In some embodiments, the comonomer is present from about 5% to about 25% by weight of the interpolymer. In one embodiment, a propylene-ethylene interpolymer is used.

In one specific embodiment, the thermoplastic resin comprises an alpha-olefin interpolymer of ethylene with a comonomer comprising an alkene, such as 1-octene. The ethylene and octene copolymers may be present in the additive composition alone or in combination with other thermoplastic resins or dispersants such as ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers. Among specific advantages, the ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer functions not only as a thermoplastic resin but also as a dispersing agent. When present together, the weight ratio between ethylene and the octene copolymer and the ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer may be from about 1:10 to about 10: 1, such as from about 3: 2 to about 2: 3.

The aqueous dispersion also contains water. Water may be added as tap water or deionized water. The pH of the aqueous dispersion is generally less than about 12, such as from about 5 to about 11.5, such as from about 7 to about 11. The aqueous dispersion may have a solids content of less than about 75%, such as less than about 70%. For example, the solids content of the aqueous dispersion may range from about 5% to about 60%.

The additive composition of the present invention can be a HYPOD 8510 ^® dispersion marketed by Dow Chemical Corporation, and consists of water, a polyethylene-octene copolymer, and a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid. Polyethylene-octene commercial copolymers, and can be commercially obtained by the Dow Chemical Corporation under the trade name AFFINITY ^® (type 2980I), copolymers of ethylene and acrylic acid by the Dow Chemical Corporation under the trade name PRIMACOR ^® (type 59 081) . PRIMACOR ^® acts as a surfactant to emulsify and stabilize AFFINITY ^® dispersion particles. The acrylic acid comonomer of PRIMACOR ^® is neutralized by neutralization of potassium by about 80% by potassium hydroxide. Therefore, in comparison, PRIMACOR ^® is more hydrophilic than AFFINITY ^® . In dispersions, PRIMACOR ^® acts as a surfactant or dispersant. Unlike PRIMACOR ^® , AFFINITY ^® takes the form of small droplets with a diameter of a few μm when suspended in a dispersion. PRIMACOR ^® molecules surround the AFFINITY ^® droplet to form a "micelle" structure that stabilizes droplets. HYPOD 8510 ^® contains about 60% AFFINITY ^® and 40% PRIMACOR ^® .

When the dispersion becomes a molten liquid on the hot surface of the dryer, AFFINITY ^® forms a continuous phase and PRIMACOR ^® forms a dispersed phase "ocean" forming an island in AFFINITY ^® . This phase change is called phase reversal. However, the occurrence of this phase reversal depends on external conditions such as temperature, time, molecular weight of solid, concentration, and the like. Ultimately, the phase reversal occurs only when the two polymers (or two phases) have sufficient relaxation time to enable phase reversal completion. In the present invention, HYPOD 8510 ^® coated film, to keep the dispersion in the form indicating that the inversion is complete. The advantage of this residual dispersion form is that it provides a more hydrophilic coating layer due to exposure to PRIMACOR ^® and a further improved coating of the coated product due to trapped air bubbles in the coated HYPOD 8510 ^® layer providing extra bulk But are not limited to, ductility.

The diluted dispersion may have a very low viscosity (about 1 cp, which is nearly similar to water). When applied to a high temperature dryer drum, the low viscosity dispersions are subjected to water evaporation and a complete phase reversal of AFFINITY ^® . As a result, the continuous melted film has PRIMACOR ^® dispersion islands embedded therein. The film formed after completely evaporating the water is a solid content in which no bubbles are entrapped. After delivering the molten film through the creping process onto the web, the thin film covering the surface of the treated tissue is discontinuous but interconnected as described below (see FIG. 6C).

The process of the present invention may use high solids, high viscosity dispersions (from about 10% to about 30%) and may include a large amount of air bubbles (the air volume is at least 10 times the volume of the dispersion). Preferably, a commercially available HYPOD 8510 ^® dispersion (about 42% solids, including both AFFINITY ^® and PRIMACOR ^® ) has a viscosity of about 500 cps, while water has a viscosity of about 1 cps. Dispersion comprising HYPOD 8510 ^® of about 20% can have a relatively high viscosity of about 200cps, a dispersion having a HYPOD 8510 ^® of less than about 1% may have a closer viscosity to water viscosity (1cp). After a high percentage of air entrapment, the viscosity of the foamed HYPOD 8510 ^® dispersion increases exponentially compared to the dispersion before the foaming.

Referring to FIG. 1, when a foamed dispersion is applied on the non-porous dryer surface 23, a limited amount of water is rapidly evaporated therefrom. Slow evaporation of the dispersion due to high solids content combined with high viscosity prevents the AFFINITY ^® -PRIMACOR ^® dispersion from completing the phase reversal (AFFINITY ^® is sequential and PRIMACOR ^® is a dispersion), trapped air escape . As a result, it results in a fused film of unique microstructure on the surface of the hot dryer.

Referring to FIG. 6, the SEM photograph demonstrates the above hypothesis. Two immediate advantages are seen when comparing the surface treated tissue of the present invention with the prior art surface treated tissue. First, the method of the present invention has a smoother hand feel due to trapping of the bubble 21, and is even larger in bulk (see FIG. 6B). Second, the tissue of the present invention has a more wettable surface due to incomplete phase reversal, thereby resulting in surface exposure of the hydrophilic component.

Figures 6a, 6b and 6c are compared visually with Figures 6a ', 6b' and 6c '. The coated layer with captured bubbles 21 and dispersed beads 19 shown in Figure 6b is shown in Figure 6b as determined by the In-Hand Ranking Test for tactility disclosed herein. Is more ductile than the molten film shown in Fig.

B. Polymer solution

In addition, the foamable composition of the water-soluble polymer may be present in the form of a solution. The water-soluble polymer material, which is a solid such as powder, granules, etc., can be dissolved in the solution. The polymer solution can then be mixed with air and a blowing agent to convert it to foam.

Examples of the polymer solution according to the present invention include both synthetic and natural water-soluble polymers. Synthetic water soluble polymers include, but are not limited to, polyalcohols, polyamines, polyimines, polyamides, polycarboxylic acids, polyoxides, polyglycols, polyethers, polyesters, and copolymers and mixtures of the foregoing.

Natural water soluble polymers include modified celluloses such as cellulose ethers and esters, modified starch, chitosan and salts thereof, carrageenan, agar, gellan gum, guar gum, guar gum, other modified polysaccharides and proteins, and combinations thereof. In one particular embodiment, the water soluble polymer also includes poly (acrylic acid) and its salts, poly (acrylate esters), and poly (acrylic acid) copolymers. Other suitable water soluble polymers include polysaccharides of sufficient chain length to form a film, such as, but not limited to, pullulan and pectin. For example, the water soluble polymer may comprise a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer that does not contain a pendant acid group but can be copolymerized with a monomer bearing acid group. Such compounds include, for example, monoacrylic esters and monomethacrylic esters of polyethylene glycols or polypropylene glycols, the molecular weight (Mn) of the polyalkylene glycols being, for example, up to about 2,000.

In another particular embodiment, the water soluble polymer may be hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), marketed by Ashland, Inc. under the trade name KLUCEL ^® . The water-soluble polymer may be present in the additive composition in any amount of the actives, and will vary based on the required final properties and the selected chemical ingredients. For example, in an exemplary case of KLUCEL ^® , a biodegradable, biodegradable, water-soluble polymer is present in an amount of from about 1% to about 75%, or at least about 1%, or at least about 1%, based on the total weight of the additive composition, , At least about 5%, or at least about 10%, or up to about 30%, up to about 50%, or up to about 75%. Other examples of suitable water-soluble polymers include methyl, which is sold by Ashland, Inc., e.g. under the trademark BENECEL ^® cellulose (MC), the trade name of NATROSOL ^® and sold by Ashland, Inc. hydroxyethyl cellulose, and 800 ^®, which GLUCOSOL Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > Chemstar < / RTI > (Minneapolis, Minn.). All of these chemicals, once diluted in water, are placed on a high temperature non-porous dryer surface, which ultimately delivers chemicals to the web surface. Water-soluble polymers in these chemicals include, but are not limited to, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene oxide, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropylcellulose, and combinations thereof.

Conventional crepe processing chemicals for tissue making may include a water soluble polymer solution such as an aqueous mixture comprising polyvinyl alcohol and a polyamide-epihalohydrin resin. These conventional crepe processing chemicals do not provide the benefits of the present invention, including a water soluble polymer solution, but including improved ductility without compromising the strength of the tissue sheet.

II. Enhancing component

The present invention not only provides the substrate with improved ductility due to the benefit agents and processes described herein, but also provides improved hand feel. The enhancing component is added to the dispersion of the present invention so as to provide the substrate with a cotton / fluffy touch instead of a silky / slippery feel that can often be felt when using the dispersion alone. In addition, the improved hand feel provided by the present invention can also be used to characterize features such as velvety, suede, furry, smooth, smooth, etc., And the like. While a silky / slippery feel may be desirable for some substrates, the present invention provides other options to provide a variety of textures and aesthetics. Reinforcing component of the present invention, fiber, polyester, such as micro-particles, such as silica gel particles, and thermally expandable microspheres as such as EXPANCEL ^®, cotton linter flocs (cotton linter flock) - polymers such as poly (vinyl pyrrolidone styrene) Dispersions, and combinations thereof. If cotton linter floc or other types of fibers are used, they may have a fiber length of from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm.

In addition to the enhancing ingredients that provide contrasting hand feel, the enhancing ingredients may also provide additional benefits not obtainable with the use of the dispersion alone. The enhancer component of the present invention may also include a fragrance, an antibacterial agent, a humidifier, a soother, a colorant, hydroxyethylcellulose, a drug, and a combination thereof. These components provide an overall substrate with an improved feel from the dispersion with the advantages that can not be otherwise provided without the technique of the present invention. The present invention can use any or a combination of enhancing components included in the additive composition of the present invention. By way of example, the enhancing component may be added to the dispersion of the present invention in an amount from about 0.5% to about 30%, from about 1% to about 20%, or from about 2% to about 10%, based on the weight of the dispersion composition .

The enhancing component may be added into the foamable chemical before or after the chemical is foamed. In a preferred application, the enhancing component level is from about 0.5% to about 30%, or from about 1% to about 20%, or from about 2% to about 10%, based on the total dry weight of the additive composition.

When the reinforcing component is used in combination with the additive composition of the present invention, this reinforcing component enables improved ductility without compromising strength. For example, when a cosmetic tissue is used as a substrate of the present invention, a total log odd of from about 800 to about 1200 GMT and from about 0.5 to about 18, as compared to a substrate not treated in the same manner as the present invention, There is an increase. As used herein, "GMT" refers to a combination of machine direction and machine transverse direction in determining tensile strength. The expanded microspheres remain on the surface of both the film and the tissue to contribute to improving hand feel when the consumer touches the film and tissue in use.

III. Processing aid

The processing aid of the present invention comprises a chemical agent that can aid in the process of forming the treated substrate of the present invention. The processing aid may appear or dissipate slightly in the final treated substrate. Processing aids are included solely to aid in the process of making the treated substrate, but the substrate of the present invention may also impart some advantages to the substrate. For the purpose of this application, the "processing aid" is used in the process of applying or foaming the beneficial agent to the substrate and not in the process of producing the precursor substrate.

A. blowing agent

Most commercial foaming agents are suitable for producing the foams of the present invention. Suitable blowing agents include, but are not limited to, low molecular weight or polymeric materials in liquid form. The blowing agent may be anionic, cationic or nonionic. These blowing agents can be classified into four groups according to function.

1. Air trapping aid - used to enhance the air trapping capability of a liquid (such as a dispersion, solution, or mixture) for trapping air that can be measured by determining the "blow ratio" quot; ratio "). An exemplary list of blowing agents includes, but is not limited to, potassium laurate, sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium stearate, potassium oleate, disodium octadecyl But are not limited to, disodium octadecyl sulfosuccinimate, hydroxypropylcellulose, and the like.

2. Stabilizers - used to improve the stability of the foam of the foam over time and temperature, including, but not limited to, sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium stearate, hydroxypropylcellulose, and the like.

3. Wetting agent-Used to improve the wettability of film-coated dry surfaces. But are not limited to, sodium lauryl sulfate, potassium laurate, disodium octadecylsulfosuccinimate, and the like.

4. The gelling agent-additive composition is used to stabilize the bubbles in the foam by taking the gel form which serves to reinforce the cell walls. But are not limited to, for example, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, and other modified cellulosic ethers.

Some blowing agents can deliver more functions than one of the functions described above. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a total of four blowing agents in the foamable additive composition. The choice of blowing agent depends on the chemical nature of the additive composition. By way of example, when the additive composition comprises an anionic component such as HYPOD 8510 ^® , a suitable blowing agent should be selected from anionic or nonionic groups. When the cationic blowing agent is used to improve the foamability of the anionic additive composition, the cationic component of the blowing agent is ionically bonded with the anionic component in the additive composition such that both the cationic blowing agent and the anionic additive composition To be non-watertight. On the other hand, when the additive composition comprises a cationic component, the anionic foaming agent is unsuitable for use.

B. Crepe processing aid

Crepe processing aids are chemicals added to the benefit agent of the present invention to optimize the attachment and separation properties of the tissue substrate to the dryer surface. This is largely classified into the following groups.

1. Adhesion Adjuster - Used to increase the adhesion of tissue sheet to the dryer surface. But are not limited to, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylate, hydroxypropyl starch, carboxymethylcellulose, kymene, polyvinylamine, copolymers or mixtures thereof, for example.

2. Release adjuvant - used to reduce the adhesion of the tissue sheet (from the dryer surface) to the dryer surface (to improve release). But are not limited to, polyethylene glycols, polypropylene glycols, polyethylene oxides, polypropylene oxides, polyolefins, fluorinated polyolefins, copolymers and blends thereof, for example.

3. Curing Adjuvants - Used to promote or retard curing of crepe processing packages such as plasticizers or tougheners.

4. (BASF ^® Chemical that is commercially available from Company) Lutensol A 65 N Iconol 24 7 ®, hereinafter, "Lutensol ^®" may be used to aid in the crepe process of the invention.

Foam production process

Generally, when preparing a foam chemistry, a system is used which pumps both liquid and air into the mixer. The mixer mixes the air in a liquid to produce a foam essentially consisting of a plurality of small bubbles. The foam exits the mixer and flows into the applicator.

One parameter for defining the quality of the foam chemistry is the blow ratio, which is defined by the ratio of the volume of small bubbles trapped by the dispersant chemistry to the volume of the dispersion prior to mixing. For example, at a blow ratio of 10: 1, a dispersion flow rate of 1 L / min can capture 10 L / min of air into the liquid and produce a total foam flow rate of 11 L / min.

In order to achieve a high blow ratio, both the mechanical mixing of the additive composition and the foam function are factors. If the chemical agent is capable of holding or capturing the air volume to a blow rate of only 5, it can not produce a stable foam with a blow rate of 10, regardless of how powerful the foam unit is. Any surplus air exceeding the blow ratio of 5 is released to the outside of the foam system once the mechanical force is removed. In other words, any trapped air larger than the air containing capacity of the dispersion becomes unstable. Most of these unstable bubbles are discharged from the foam immediately after mechanical agitation is stopped (bubble removal).

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown schematically a system 10 capable of producing a foamed chemical agent in accordance with the present invention. First, a foam chemical (e.g., HYPOD 8510 ^® , KRATON ^®, etc.) is placed in the chemical tank 12. A chemical tank (12) is connected to the pump (14). It may be desirable to modify the piping 13 between the chemical tank 12 and the pump 14 so that the foam chemicals can be delivered to two different sized pumps. Preferably, the chemical tank 12 is located at an elevated height above the pump 14 to maintain the pump in its most favorable condition.

One optional small auxiliary pump (not shown) may be used to perform the foam formation process at a lower speed than the pump 14. The large main pump 14 can produce a fast application rate and / or a flow rate up to a liquid flow rate of 25 L / min for a large amount of additive composition. A small auxiliary pump (not shown) may produce a slow application rate and / or a liquid flow rate of up to about 500 cc / min for small amounts of additive composition.

Anemometer 16 is disposed between pump (s) 14 and foam mixer 18. The liquid flow rate is calculated from the desired additive composition, chemical solids, line-rate and applicator width. The flow rate may range from about 5: 1 to about 50: 1. When using a small auxiliary pump, the flow rate ranges from about 10 cc / min to about 500 cc / min. When using the large pump 14, the flow rate ranges from about 0.5 L / min to about 25 L / min. An air flow meter of 20 L / min is selected when using a small auxiliary pump. There is a 200 L / min air flow meter used to operate the large main pump 14.

In one aspect, the foam mixer 18 is used to blend air in a liquid mixture of foamable chemicals to produce small bubbles within the foam. The air is metered into the system 10 using a predetermined liquid flow rate and blow rate as described above. Preferably, a foam mixer 18 having a size of 10 inches (25.4 cm) can be used to produce foam. One possible foam mixer 18 is the CFS-10 inch Foam Generator from Gaston Systems, Inc. of Stanley, North Carolina.

Preferably, the rotation speed of the foam mixer 18 is limited to about 600 rpm. In this process, the rpm rate of the mixer depends on the foaming function of the additive composition (i.e., the ability to trap bubbles to form stable bubbles). When the additive composition is easily foamed, a low rpm is generally required. If the additive composition is not easily foamed, generally high rpm is required. Higher mixer speeds help to accelerate foam equilibrium or optimal blow rate. The normal rpm of the mixer is about 20% to 60% of the maximum rpm rate. The type and / or amount of blowing agent added to the additive composition affects the mixer speed requirement.

The foam is checked for bubble uniformity, stability and flow pattern. The flow rate, mixing rate, blow rate, and / or chemical composition of the solution / dispersion may be adjusted prior to directing the foam to the applicator 24, if the foam uniformity, stability, and flow pattern are not the desired standard values.

In one aspect of the present invention, HYPOD 8510 ^® or other chemical agent, which is the object of foam formation used in creping, is mixed and added to the chemical tank 12. In dilute solutions of HYPOD 8510 ^® (<10% total solids) and chemicals that are difficult to foam, generally something must be added to the composition to increase the viscosity and foaming function. For example, hydroxypropylcellulose or other foaming agents or surfactants can be used to produce a stable foam for uniform application onto a heated, impermeable surface of a rotating drum of a dryer surface. Enhancing components such as silica gel particles or cotton linter flocs may be added to the additive composition before the additive composition is pumped into the foam forming machine or after the additive composition has flowed out of the foam forming machine, , Or may be added to the additive composition in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, being introduced into the foamed additive composition before being applied to the additive composition, or the substrate being applied to the dryer before contacting the additive composition. When the build-up component is introduced into the additive composition, it is necessary to constantly stir the mixture before adding the mixture into the foam-forming machine to prevent the solid build-up component from precipitating at the bottom of the vessel. When the build-up component is introduced into the foamy additive composition, there is a need for a suitable device to ensure uniform mixing of the build-up component and the foamy additive composition.

materials

Suitable base materials include: a cosmetic tissue; Uncreped through air-dried tissue (UCTAD); Paper towel sensation; HYDROKNIT from Kimberly Clark Corporation in the US state of Wisconsin Nina Material ^® nonwoven material, wet deployed web, airlaid web, spunbond web, meltblown web, SMS web, coform web, bonded and carded web (BCW), continuous But are not limited to, films, spun lace, film / laminate sheets, hydroentangled webs, and all types of paper, tissue, and other nonwoven products.

In the non-limiting examples described herein, the foamed chemical may be applied to a nonwoven such as a tissue. As used herein, nonwoven fabric is meant to include cosmetic tissue, tissue, paper towel, spunbond, diaper or feminine hygiene body side liner and outer cover, napkin (for hands and face, etc.) Tissues include, but are not limited to, conventional felt-pressed tissue papers, high bulk pattern densified tissue papers, and high bulk, uncompacted tissue papers. Can be formed in various ways. The tissue paper product produced therefrom may be of a single-ply or multi-ply configuration such as that of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0135195. Another embodiment for forming the tissue of the present invention utilizes a papermaking technique known as uncreped through-air dried (UCTAD). Examples of such techniques are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,048,589 to Cook et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,399,412 to Sudall et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,510,001 to Hermans et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,591,309 to Rugowski et al., And U.S. Patent No. 6,017,417 Lt; / RTI &gt;

Surface coating process

Unlike the process of spraying a dilute dispersion or solution onto a dryer surface, such as a Yankee dryer surface 23 (or other suitable dryer drum surface (not shown)), the process of the present invention includes a high- Solid foam chemicals can be applied. In the present invention, air is used to dilute the benefit agent containing any level of solids, and the viscosity is within a range that can be pumped by the foam forming machine. For example, up to about 65% solids, up to about 50% solids, up to about 35% solids, or up to about 20% solids.

The high-solid coating process of the present invention is advantageous in that it provides a more flexible surface due to the inherent microstructure of the collapsed foamed film layer, less chemical consumption due to the close direct application of the foamed chemical, It is not necessary to use ductile or deionized water because of the high proportion (e.g., chemicals such as HYPOD 8510 ^® become unstable when exposed to large amounts of hard water, i.e., solids levels below 1%), May indicate that less dry energy is required to dry the chemical and base sheet, but is not limited to these advantages. Additional advantages due to the addition of reinforcing components include the uniformity of the overall beneficial agent film coating on the nonwoven substrate, the improved adhesion of the overall benefit agent to the nonwoven substrate, the mechanical strength of the overall beneficial agent coating film, But are not limited to, improved stability of the beneficial agent to the surface.

The foam type beneficial agent can be applied on a substrate in two ways: in-line application or offline application. In an in-line application process, the foam generator and the applicator are integrated into the tissue production, and the foamed chemical is applied on any substrate during its manufacture. Off-line application enables the application of a foam chemistry to these substrates produced by un-creped processes. For example, uncreped through-air dry ("UCTAD") toilet paper and melt spun nonwoven materials are suitable for use in offline application methods.

Referring to FIG. 1, in one aspect of the present invention, a foam chemistry is applied to the dryer surface 23 through applicator 24. The foam applicator 24 is disposed proximate the dryer surface (0.64 cm or 1/4 inch) for uniform foam distribution onto the dryer surface 23. This positioning enables the foam chemistry to contact the dryer surface 23 more favorably, especially during high speed operation.

Most preferably, a single parabolic applicator 24 is used to apply the chemical to the spin dryer drum surface 23. However, if a variable level of chemical application is required across the width of the dryer surface due to drier or base sheet variability, an applicator (not shown) having multiple zones of a small parabolic applicator may be used .

In general, the build-up component causes the additive composition coating (i.e., the oceans layer) to exhibit a new and improved tactile sensation. For example, HYPOD 8510 ^® is, may be used as an additive composition, is enhanced foam forming / surface coating to the substrate without components. When the surface is touched, this provides a significant ductility improvement over the same tissue with conventional crepe processing chemistries. However, at the same time, it also has a slight waxy or slippery feel. Some types of consumers may like this slippery feeling, but other consumers may not want this feeling. By adding the reinforcing component, this feeling can be changed without compromising the ductility improvement. The hand feel obtained through this measure includes, but is not limited to, cotton feel, softness, puffiness, and / or fur feel. Another advantage of adding the enhancing component (s) is that the additive composition HYPOD 8510 ^® coating layer has improved strength, which is important when the benefit agent is applied on a pre-prepared substrate, such as a thermoplastic nonwoven. This improved strength allows the coated film of the benefit agent to have a uniform and complete coverage on the substrate.

Further, it can be seen that the reinforcing component and the application method can be used to improve the surface feeling such as ductility, or to improve the surface properties such as absorbency, friction, and bulk. In addition, other surface advantages such as better scent, antibacterial, humidifying and soothing adjuvants than can be provided by the additive composition HYPOD 8510 ^® alone can be applied. HYPOD 8510 ^® and polyvinylpyrrolidone-based, including both the styrene, than using any enhancer ingredients without HYPOD ^® 8510 by almost 1.5 log Eau was observed to be (significantly) ductility.

The present applicant, that a large leading flexible than 5 log Eau variation from before-malhyeong substrate having a conventional crepe processing chemicals if according to the IHR results for HYPOD 8510 ^® foam type substrate with a 6% of silica gel particles as a reinforcing component Respectively. The HYPOD 8510 ^® frozen control, without any enhancing ingredients, was adjacent to a log odor greater than 4. All other foam-type substrates were found to be at least 3 logos more ductile than the control non-foam-type substrate.

Another benefit of adding the build-up component is an enormous increase in caliper that can be achieved while maintaining or maintaining a greater tensile strength than the non-foamed surface treated substrate. These materials were all calendered at the same nip pressure for the facial transformation process. The percentage listed adjacent to the data points, the amount of the reinforcing component is added based on the dry weight of the composition HYPOD ^® 8510 prior to foam formation. Foamed and crepe processed substrates showed an additional increase in bulk than nonfoamed and crepe processed substrates, and the highest level increase was found to be approximately 35%. Most of the substrates with reinforcing components increased in bulk compared to foam substrates containing only HYPOD 8510 ^® . All machining conditions such as blade type, bevel, and pressure load were the same.

Crepe processing

Creping is part of the substrate manufacturing process in which the substrate is peeled off the surface of a drier (e.g., a Yankee dryer) that is rotated by a blade assembly. Crepe processing may be performed as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 13/330440 to Qin et al., Filed December 19,

Other Beneficial Factors

The beneficial agent of the present invention can be used to provide various advantages that can be used to coat the substrate and to provide the advantages described above. There are also other advantages that the present invention provides that can be clearly claimed and described below.

Improved printing

As described herein, a unique advantage provided by the present invention is the ability to improve printing on a nonwoven substrate. The additive composition can be applied to essentially form a film-like surface on a substrate so that printing is more consistent and, in some cases, more vivid. For example, although spunbond is considered for tactile or feel like clothing, it tends to reduce the ink coverage seen on the substrate as the ink spreads or is absorbed by the material, It is not a preferred description. Of course, the film laminate is optimal for printed graphics, but is not optimal as a substrate to be brought close to the skin. Prior to the present invention, a solution for printing on a nonwoven substrate was to adhesively laminate a print film onto a substrate. This has been beneficial, but can increase the manufacturing process and costs. Thus, the present invention provides a unique compromise that also provides a surface that can improve the printability of a substrate without eliminating tactility and feel, such as clothing of the substrate. The present invention provides a fairly smooth surface that eliminates the appearance of a pixel-looking exterior of current exterior cover material. In addition, the ink adhesion is improved. The substrate of the present invention has an improved ink coverage of at least about 25%, at least about 50%, or at least about 75%, as compared to the untreated substrate. The present invention provides an improved surface area so that a greater portion of the substrate is covered by the printed ink and thus improves the print sharpness or appearance on the substrate as compared to the untreated substrate. In current surface printing of outer cover laminates, certain ink usage is required to avoid potential issues with ink rub off. The present invention can use any commercially available ink used for printing on a substrate. In addition, any conventional art useful for printing may be used within the present invention. These techniques may include, but are not limited to, gravure coating, offset printing, screen printing, flexography, inkjet printing, laser printing, digital printing, and the like. The dispersions of the present invention provide polar moieties that are expected to improve ink adhesion and thus improve direct printing on nonwoven substrates.

Figure 2 shows the untreated spunbond printed with ink (the large white spots are ink printed on the fibers of the spunbond). By comparison, Figure 3 shows a spunbond substrate treated with the benefit agent of the present invention and printed with ink. The processed sample (FIG. 3) has a film-like coating, which provides a greater area for the ink to cover the surface, which improves visual aesthetics in terms of print sharpness and liveliness. In FIG. 2, only about 20% of the surface was covered by the ink in the untreated spunbond, whereas in FIG. 3 it showed 50% ink coverage of the treated spunbond in accordance with the invention. This data was obtained by quantifying SEM images using image analysis software. The ink can be deposited more consistently and smoothly on the treated substrate, thus improving the overall appearance of the print.

Enhanced Bulk and Stretch

In addition to improving the overall tactile feel of the nonwoven substrate, the present invention may increase both the bulk and basis weight as compared to the untreated substrate. The bulk is not limited theoretically and may be proportional to the basis weight of the fibers in the substrate of the present invention. As the basis weight increases, the corrugation of the fibers can expand the caliper of the fibers in the Z direction and thereby expand the bulk of the fibers. The fibers will loft, thereby increasing the bulk of the fibers. The beneficial agent of the present invention can contribute to the bulk increase and the basis weight as described above, either alone or in combination with certain creping mechanisms within the present invention. For example, and not by way of limitation, the present invention has a basis weight of 16 gsm and a bulk of 27 cc / g (i.e., 33% and 108% increase, respectively, compared to untreated spunbond substrates having a basis weight of 12 gsm and a bulk of 13 cc / ) Spunbond. &Lt; / RTI &gt; Likewise, crepe processing mechanisms and processes can prove a greater advantage and can demonstrate a spunbond having a basis weight of 25 gsm and a bulk of 25 cc / g (i.e., 108% and 92% increased respectively). For example, the present invention enables a nonwoven material having a cellulosic content with a basis weight increase of at least about 20% to about 250% over an untreated substrate. For example, the untreated cellulose substrate is known to have a basis weight of about 56 gsm and a magnetic hysteresis of 84%. However, the nonwoven cellulosic substrate of the present invention can demonstrate a basis weight of about 95 gsm (about 70% increase in basis weight) and a magnetic history of about 74%.

In addition to beneficial agents such as the foamed HYPOD 8510 ^® dispersion used in the present invention, a second component, such as a nonionic surfactant such as Lutensol ^® , further enhances the bulk of the inventive substrate as well as the success of the increase in elasticity and elasticity It is possible.

For increased elasticity and elasticity, in one embodiment, the surfactant may comprise a nonionic surfactant having a cloud point. For example, the haze of the surfactant can be greater than about 15 ° C, such as greater than about 20 ° C, such as greater than about 25 ° C, such as greater than about 30 ° C, such as greater than about 35 ° C Lt; 0 &gt; C. The cloud point of the surfactant is generally less than about 100 캜, such as less than about 90 캜, such as less than about 85 캜, such as less than about 80 캜, such as less than about 75 캜, such as about 70 Deg. C, such as less than about 65 ° C, such as less than about 60 ° C. In producing the additive composition, the surfactant may be combined with a solvent, such as water, at a temperature above the point of the surfactant. The surfactant is then optionally combined with a polyolefin copolymer such as ethylene or a copolymer of propylene and an alkene in the presence of a dispersant.

It has been unexpectedly discovered that the presence of nonionic surfactant with haze once applied to the nonwoven material can dramatically improve the elastic properties of the additive composition. Based on X-ray analysis, the surfactants do not appear to have any influence on the crystalline or amorphous structure of the polyolefin copolymers. However, when the surfactant is combined with the polyolefin copolymer, the resulting mixture has elastic rubber properties and stretchability. While it is well known, surfactants and polyolefin copolymers are believed to undergo a kind of intermolecular interactions that provide elastic properties. This phenomenon is optimized when the surfactant is combined with the polyolefin polymer in a solvent on its point of view.

The surfactant, in one embodiment, comprises a hydrophilic moiety and a hydrophobic moiety. For example, a hydrophilic moiety may include a hydroxyl group, but a hydrophobic moiety may include a carbon-carbon moiety and an ether group. When combined with water beneath the surface of the surfactant, the hydrophobic site is exposed on the surface of the molecular composition, which makes the surfactant insoluble and induces the formation of a gel. When combined with water on bait, the hydrophilic portion of the surfactant migrates to the surface making the surfactant water-soluble. Although it is well known, it is believed that when the surfactant is combined with the polyolefin copolymer and the excess water is removed, the polyolefin copolymer and the surfactant molecule undergo a kind of molecular interaction. For example, although the hydrophobic portion of the surfactant may remain on the surface, the hydrophilic portion is folded inward. With this arrangement, the hydrophilic moiety of the surfactant may interact with the hydrophobic moiety of the polyolefin polymer resulting in hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction. These hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions can create structures similar to cross-linked polymers that improve the elastic properties of the resulting material. Their interaction may be optimized and improved when the additive composition is foamed or formed into a foam.

Any suitable surfactant, which generally has a cloud point and includes a hydrophilic moiety and a hydrophobic moiety, may be incorporated into the additive composition to enhance stretch properties. In one embodiment, the nonionic surfactant may comprise an alkoxylated polyalkylene glycol ether such as an ethoxylate of an alkylpolyethylene glycol ether. In one embodiment, the nonionic surfactant may comprise an ethoxylate of one or more fatty alcohols. Fatty alcohols include linear alcohols having a carbon chain length of from about 8 carbon atoms to about 28 carbon atoms, such as from about 10 carbon atoms to about 18 carbon atoms, such as from about 12 carbon atoms to about 14 carbon atoms You may. For example, the nonionic surfactant may comprise an ethylene oxide adduct of linear myristyl lauryl alcohol. Lutensol ^® is also composed of an ethylene oxide adduct of linear myristyl alcohol with 7 moles of linear lauryl myristyl alcohol, which is readily biodegradable.

In formulating an additive composition containing a polyolefin copolymer and a nonionic surfactant, the relative amount of the two different components may vary depending on various factors. In one embodiment, the weight ratio of polyolefin copolymer to nonionic surfactant can be from about 0.5: 1 to about 5: 1, such as from about 0.5: 1 to about 3: 1. In one embodiment, the weight ratio between the two components may be from about 1: 1 to about 3: 1, such as from about 1: 1 to about 2.5: 1.

In applying the additive composition to the nonwoven material, the nonionic surfactant may be first combined with a solvent such as water at a temperature above the point of the surfactant. The surfactant and water mixture may then be combined with a polyolefin copolymer dispersion which may optionally contain a dispersing agent such as ethylene and acrylic acid copolymers.

The nonionic surfactant, the additive composition containing the polyolefin copolymer, and optionally the dispersant are then converted into a foam. For example, the method may include forming a foam in the additive composition and applying foam on one side of the nonwoven material. In one embodiment, the foam may be applied to a heated dryer surface at or near the boiling point of water. The nonwoven material can then be pressed onto the coated surface and creped from the surface. Alternatively, the foam may first be applied to the side of the nonwoven material and then bonded to the creping surface for creping. According to the present invention, one side of the nonwoven material may be treated with an additive composition and creped, or both sides of the nonwoven material may be treated with an additive composition and creped.

Further, by using a nonionic surfactant such as Lutensol ^占 , the present invention can be used at a low adduct level while uniformly diffusing a foaming agent such as a HYPOD 8510 ^占 dispersion into the entire area of the substrate. However, the present invention can add up to about 50% of the non-ionic surfactant such as Lutensol ^® or increase the bulk without such addition. For example, a foam-type benefit agents, for example, HYPOD about 500mg / m ² of 8510 ^® dispersions, in some embodiments of the present invention Lutensol ^® such as non-ionic drug to be combined with 250mg / m ² of the surface active agent of (I.e., the ratio of nonionic surfactant to benefit agent is about 1: 2).

As used herein, the "hysteresis" value of a sample can be determined by first stretching the sample to the desired elongation and then controlling the sample to shrink at the same rate. The hysteresis value is a decrease or loss of energy during this cyclic loading. The percent hysteresis is calculated by integrating the areas under the loading (A _L ) and unloading curves (A _UL ), dividing them by the area under the loading curve. That is,% Hysteresis = (A _L -A _UL ) * 100 / (A _L ). These measurements are performed using a "strip elongation test" that substantially follows the specifications of ASTM D5035-95. Specifically, in the test, two clamps are used, with each clamp having two jaws, each tooth having a facing surface in contact with the sample. The clamps keep the material on the same side separated by 3 inches generally vertical, and move the crosshead at a specific expansion rate. The sample size is 3 inches by 6 inches, the tooth face-to-face height is 1 inch, the width is 3 inches, and the speed is 10 in / min. The specimen is clamped in an MTS (mechanical test system) electromagnetic test frame with data acquisition capability. The test is performed at ambient conditions in both the cross direction (CD) and machine direction (MD). Results are reported as the average of at least five samples.

Figure 4 provides an example of the invention without being limited to the data shown, the foamed and creped versions using hydroknit as the substrate have a flexural modulus of about 22 &lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; % &Lt; / RTI &gt; to about 25%. Relatively, the control hydroknit has only an elastic deformation of about 15% and is broken at about 25% of the applied deformation. Likewise, without being limited to the data shown in FIG. 5, the foam and crepe process formulations of the present invention, using the spunbond as a substrate, can be applied to a control extending up to about 18% elastic deformation at about 50% And about 27% to about 55% elastic strain at about 100% elongation. Figure 7 shows machine direction (MD) elastic stretching (reversion) vs. stretching without being limited to the data shown. The present invention shows an increase in elongation by the presence of a foamed HYPOD 8510 ^® dispersion in combination with a foamed Lutensol ^® on a tissue substrate. The present invention exhibits about an amazing stretch of about 30% at an applied strain of about 80%, while exhibiting an elastic stretch of about 8% or less at an applied strain of about 18% for a basic cellulosic tissue. Fig. 8 shows a cross-directional (CD) versus cross-sectional variation comparison of an untreated tissue substrate versus a tissue of the present invention, without being limited to the data shown. As shown, the present invention uses the foamy beneficial agent as a HYPOD 8510 ^® dispersion combined with Lutensol ^® on a tissue substrate and has the largest elastic stretch to break as compared to a basic cellulosic tissue.

Thus, the untreated nonwoven substrate can prove elongation at break or elongation, but is generally demonstrated at a faster stage of stretching. In general, conventional untreated substrates can demonstrate a breaking elongation of from about 8% to about 45%. However, the present invention enables a substrate to be treated to demonstrate a breaking elongation of greater than about 45%, as described herein. For example, the present invention can demonstrate a break elongation of about 45% or about 47% to about 55%, about 80%, about 280%, about 337%, or about 350%. In particular, for some substrates with a generally low elongation at break, the present invention can provide a break elongation of about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 38%, about 45%, or about 47%. Such elongation can be specifically exemplified in the tissue substrate according to the present invention.

In one embodiment, a nonwoven material treated with an additive composition comprising a polyolefin copolymer, a nonionic surfactant and optionally a dispersant exhibits at least about 80% elastic strain, for example at least 85% elastic strain, under 100% applied strain It is possible. In another embodiment, the nonwoven material may exhibit an elastic strain of at least about 50% under a 30% applied strain, such as at least 55% elastic strain, such as at least 60% elastic strain. The nonwoven material may comprise a tissue web containing pulp fibers. The tissue web may have a bulk of greater than 5 cc / g. In another embodiment, the nonwoven material may comprise a fibrous web containing fibers comprised of a thermoplastic synthetic polymer. The fibers may comprise continuous filaments. The nonwoven material may comprise a spunbond web or a meltblown web.

The nonwoven substrate of the present invention may also comprise at least about 5%, at least about 20%, at least about 30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70% At least about 100%. In addition, the nonwoven substrate of the present invention can be at least about 20%, at least about 25%, at least about 50%, at least about 70%, at least about 80% , At least about 90%, at least about 100%, at least about 110%, at least about 125%, at least about 200%, at least about 225%, or at least about 250%.

In addition, the present invention increases the bulk and / or elasticity of the substrate regardless of the presence of Lutensol ^® , and can demonstrate bulk and / or elasticity only with the foamed HYPOD 8510 ^® dispersion. Without limitation, the untreated hydroknit substrate can demonstrate a magnetic hysteresis of about 87% and a breaking elongation of about 25%. However, the hydroknit substrate of the present invention can demonstrate about 67% magnetic hysteresis and a break elongation of about 337%. Similarly, the untreated spunbond substrate can demonstrate a 100% magnetic hysteresis and a breaking elongation of about 45%, while the spunbond substrate of the present invention can demonstrate a magnetic hysteresis of about 40% and a breaking elongation of about 280% have. Thus, the present invention provides improved versatility by allowing the substrate, which generally does not provide elasticity, to be stretched, as well as being easily able to return to and exceed the normal predictive properties of a similar substrate that has not been treated by the present invention do.

Materials with greater elastic deformation have greater elasticity and elastic energy. The inventive substrate can demonstrate increased ability to withstand at least about 25%, at least about 50%, at least about 75%, or at least about 100% of the elongation of the applied strain relative to the untreated substrate. It is apparent that, although various substrates can be varied, the present invention can improve the stretching in comparison with an untreated substrate. For example, an untreated hydroknit can withstand an elongation of about 15% with an applied strain of about 25%. At the applied strain of about 50%, the same untreated hydroknit can not sustain elongation without breaking. The hydroknit of the present invention can be characterized by about 12% elongation at about 25% applied deformation, about 18% elongation at about 50% applied deformation, about 21% elongation at about 75% applied deformation, and about 100% It can withstand an elongation of about 23% when applied. Likewise, untreated spunbond can withstand about 10% elongation at about 25% applied deformation and about 16% elongation at about 50% applied deformation. However, at 75% of the applied strain, the same untreated spunbond can not sustain the elongation without breaking. However, the spunbond of the present invention is characterized in that about 17% of elongation at about 25% of applied strain, about 36% of elongation at about 50% of applied strain, about 46% of elongation at about 75% of applied strain, And can withstand about 54% of elongation at 100% applied strain.

Enhanced stretching with elastic shrinkage

Existing elastic film laminates, such as U.S. Patent No. 8287677 to Lake et al., Issued October 16, 2012, are included in personal hygiene products that use facings that are neither elastic nor extensible. As a result, the elastic film (which is also generated by the elastic filament) can be relaxed after being stretched before lamination of the facings. As a result of film expansion / relaxation, the elastic laminate tends to be bulky compared to conventional textile materials. In addition to the bulk increase, the visible appearance of the elastic laminate depends on the bonding pattern used in the lamination. Visible effects are more likely to follow successively wrinkled (bunched) peaks and valleys. Wrinkles are commonly seen along waistbands and cuffs of disposable personal hygiene products such as feminine care products, incontinence products, diapers, etc., as is known in the art, but are not limited to these examples. Consumer feedback indicates that they are very thin and want a substance that can hold and hold visible and tactile aesthetics such as clothing. Thus, a smoother elastic region that is more like an undergarment due to reduced or no wrinkles is more desirable. In addition, the elastic film laminate relies on inelastic pacing to perceive a garment aesthetic (visible and tactile). Current approaches to improving the aesthetics of the pacing of the stack depend on the post-lamination post-treatment (e.g., grooved rolling) or the use of high basis materials (particularly not cost-effective bonded carded webs). Thus, the pacing material, which is expandable, has a relatively low basis weight and provides bulk, is more like a garment-like appearance and tactile property, and has a film stack that mimics conventional textiles, It provides an excellent opportunity to The present invention provides such a solution by providing a creped nonwoven substrate with improved stretch capability and increased bulk to produce a product, particularly an elastic film laminate for products with reduced or no wrinkles . The nonwoven substrate may be at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 10%, at least about 10% wrinkle free (less than 100% 25%, or at least about 50% wrinkles. Creped pacing in work clothes and health care apparel (especially on the body side of the garment) may be used to further enhance the garment-like texture and soft perception for improved visual and tactile feel. Creping may also provide an opportunity for improved moisture wicking, depending on the nonwoven substrate used as pacing.

Thus, in addition to the aforementioned ductility and bulk enhancement improvements, the present invention enables the creping of nonwoven substrates such as spunbond, bonded carded webs, spun lace, and the like, thereby increasing the bulk and improving tactile and bulk properties Visual aesthetics and the like can be developed. Because the present invention delivers a layer of collapsed foamed film benefit material on a nonwoven substrate, it helps the nonwoven to maintain a beneficial creped structure during the lamination process. Structural evaluation of nonwoven materials using the present invention, for example, spunbond shows that the benefit layer coating is essentially retained on one side of the nonwoven material, particularly on the surface of the nonwoven material. The beneficial agent of the present invention is mainly concentrated on the peaks of the creped material that can coincide with the bond points of the nonwoven material. Creped nonwoven fabrics have machine direction extensibility (with a certain level of returnability) and more aesthetic aesthetics such as clothing, because the appearance of the junction (if present) on the nonwoven material is minimized to reduce wrinkles Because. When laminated to an elastic film / filament (without having to elongate the elastic body in advance), the result is a disposable personal hygiene article that provides the product with, for example, protection and manageability of the disposable article, , A stacked web that can be integrated. Although not limited to these items, this may be particularly desirable for disposable incontinence articles that an adult desires to have a product that looks like a less diaper that wraps around the waist and leg to wear more prudent products in terms of wear and feel.

The ability to crepe the expandable and shrinkable nonwoven material facings was adjusted to produce an unstretched (wrinkle free or less wrinkled) elastic laminate. In order to produce a laminate, the creped nonwoven fabric material of the present invention (spunbond material having a beneficial agent layer containing HYPOD ^® 8510) was laminated on one side or both sides of the elastic film, for example, using an adhesive . As a result, the benefit agent may be laminated on the side of the creped substrate adhered to the film to provide a tactile and visual indication of the laminate, which is a bulk larger and garment-like material. The film layer is not stretched and does not shrink, so that the basis weight of the film can be adjusted to meet the physical requirements rather than the process requirements. The present invention provides a creped nonwoven substrate made from a variety of raw materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to a nonwoven fabric made from polypropylene, polyamide, polyester, polyethylene, propylene / ethylene copolymer, and other polyolefin admixtures. Further, by adjusting the degree of crepe processing, it is possible to provide MD extensibility of various degrees enabling an elastic laminate having a variable amount of stretching / returning.

The use of the creped fabric of the present invention also provides an opportunity to improve the visible and tactile aesthetics of elastic film laminates such as those used as outer cover materials for personal hygiene products such as women's products, incontinence products, diapers, and the like But are not limited to, these examples. Adhesive lamination of creped finishes provides bulk and garment-like appearance and tactility without the use of high basis weight materials.

The present invention shows improvements that were not found in the substrate not processed by the means provided by the present invention. As described above, the improvements of the present invention compared to untreated substrates can include improved tactile feel, such as ductility, improved printing, reduced hysteresis, increased bulk, increased elasticity / extensibility, increased shrinkage, And combinations thereof.

Other additives

The nonwoven substrate of the present invention may have additional compositions added to provide additional benefits in addition to the aforementioned advantages, such as ductility, print enhancement, elasticity, bulk and the like. The composition may be added to the benefit treated substrate to aid overall substrate performance. Specifically, for products such as personal hygiene products, the additional composition may contribute to the performance or user experience of the overall product.

Fluid fluidity improver

An advantage of providing a body fluid fluidity improver is to assist the nonwoven fabric substrate of the present invention in handling fluids comprising blood components, such as feminine hygiene products and wound dressings, but is not limited to these examples. The body fluid flowability improver includes, but is not limited to, a mucolytic agent, a mucus improving agent, a red blood cell improving agent and the like. The body fluid flow improvers of the present invention include various compositions or medicaments that can interact with body fluids to better assist the body fluid interaction with the substrate. For example, it is known that a mucolytic agent disrupts the intracellular and / or intermolecular binding of the critical disulfide molecules of the mucus component of the menses or of the mucous glycol-protein, thereby significantly reducing the viscoelastic properties of the mucus . Such medicaments are disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 7687681 to DiLuccio et al., Issued March 30, 2010, and are useful herein. In addition, the mucolytic agent can improve mucus by cleaving the protein backbone, improving the 3D structure, and reducing entanglement within the structure of the mucus. This is described in U.S. Patent No. 8044255, issued on October 25, 2011 to Potts et al., U.S. Patent No. 6060636, Yahiaoui et al., Issued May 9, 2000, and U.S. Pat. As described further in U.S. Patent No. 7928282, nonionic surfactants such as Lutenzol ( ^R ), enzymes such as Papain, and carbohydrates such as dextran. The mucolytic agents of the present invention include, but are not limited to, L-cysteine, thioglycolate, dithiothriacol, and combinations thereof. The body fluid flow improver may be used in the present invention in an amount of about 0.1% or about 0.2% to about 5% or about 20%, or on a weight of the benefit agent composition.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven material may exhibit pore blocking properties caused by erythrocytes, and as a result the fluid inhalation and wicking capabilities of the substrate may be reduced. There may also be an erythrocyte remedy that not only reduces hole blocking but also reduces viscosity. This includes, but is not limited to, those disclosed in Glucopon 220 ^® , PLURONIC ^® , and US Pat. No. 6,350,711 issued Feb. 26, 2002 to Potts et al. In addition, although the substrate is used to capture body fluids including red blood cells, it is not limited to these examples, and leakage increase may occur due to hole blocking. Thus, by adding such a composition to the nonwoven substrate of the present invention, the end user experience can be improved and advantageous substrate products can be produced.

Anti-bonding agent

An anti-bonding agent may be added to prevent visceral fluid such as menstrual discharge and feces from adhering to the skin. The anti-bonding agent may include at least one viscoelastic material, at least one anti-adhesion material, or a combination thereof and may be added to the nonwoven substrate of the present invention. Adhesion inhibitors are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7642396 to Schroeder et al., Issued January 5, 2010. In particular, the anti-bonding agent serves to prevent menstrual discharge and / or fecal material from attaching to the skin of the labial area and the perianal area, respectively, during and after menstruation or defecation. Suitable viscoelastic materials include, but are not limited to, linked enzymes, alkyl polyglycosides having 8 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, bovine lipid extraction surfactants, dextran, dextran derivatives, and combinations thereof . Suitable anti-adherent compounds of the present invention may be selected from the group consisting of alginic acid, beta-benzal-butyric acid, plant, casein, parnesol, flavone, fucan, galactolipid, kininogen, hyaluronate, inulin, iridoglycoside, But are not limited to, polyoxyethylene, polyoxyethylene, polyoxyethylene, polyoxyethylene, polyoxyethylene, polyoxyethylene, polyoxyethylene, polyoxyethylene, polyoxyethylene, polyoxyethylene, polyoxyethylene Do not. The anti-bonding agent may be added to the nonwoven substrate of the present invention in an amount of from about 0.01% to about 25% by weight of a viscoelastic substance or anti-adhesion substance. Another variable amount is an amount of from about 0.05 weight percent to about 10 weight percent, or from about 0.1 weight percent to about 8 weight percent, or from about 0.1 weight percent to about 5 weight percent of the viscoelastic or anti-adhesion material.

Odor control material

Any of a variety of odor control materials capable of imparting odor control to the nonwoven substrate can be used in accordance with the present invention. Utilizing this odor control is particularly useful in personal hygiene absorbent articles. For example, the odor control material is described in U.S. Patent No. 5342333 to Tanzer et al., Issued Aug. 30, 1994, or U.S. Patent No. 5,364,380, Tanzer et al., Issued on November 15, 1994, , Basic, pH neutral, and deodorant mixtures of ahydrous mixtures of acidic odor absorbing products. Further, suitable odor control substances of the present invention are those that are effective for treating odorous substances in substrates (such as absorbent articles), as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 2008249490, Carlucci et al, filed October 9, 2008 Or by the action of the user on the nose receptors, thereby reducing the offensive odor. Other odor control materials of the present invention also provide extended odor control by focusing on high and low volatility materials such as those disclosed in US Patent Application No. 2008071238 to Sierri et al, filed March 26, 2008 A malodor control system. Odor control materials are further disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8066956 to Do et al., Issued November 29, 2011, and U.S. Patent No. 6926862, Fontenot et al., Issued August 9, Other odor control materials of the present invention may be selected from the group consisting of ammonia neutralizing agents, functional fragrances, chelating agents, silicones, alumina, zirconia, magnesium oxide, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide, copper oxide, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) , Zeolite, clay (e. G., Green clay), and combinations thereof, but are not limited thereto. The odor control material may be present at from about 2 gsm to about 80 gsm, from about 8 gsm to about 40 gsm, or from about 12 gsm to about 30 gsm, depending on the basis weight of the nonwoven substrate.

Examples of Creped Nonwoven Fabrics Having Improved Elastic Properties

In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the nonwoven material is creped using an additive composition. The nonwoven material comprises fibers or filaments made of a thermoplastic synthetic polymer. In one embodiment, the nonwoven material comprises continuous filaments. For example, the nonwoven material may comprise a spunbond web. However, in other embodiments, the nonwoven material may comprise a meltblown web, a coomboeb, an SMS web, or a hydroentangled web.

In alternative embodiments, the nonwoven material may comprise a tissue web containing pulp fibers.

The basis weight of the nonwoven material may vary depending on the specific application. Generally, the basis weight is less than about 50 gsm, such as less than about 40 gsm, such as less than about 30 gsm, for example less than about 25 gsm. For example, the basis weight may be from about 5 gsm to about 50 gsm, such as from about 10 gsm to about 40 gsm.

According to the present invention, at least one side of the nonwoven material is creped. In one embodiment, both sides of the nonwoven material can be creped. The nonwoven material can be creped by applying the additive composition to a creping drum, attaching the nonwoven material to the creping drum, and then creping the nonwoven material from the drum. In an alternative embodiment, the additive composition may first be applied to the surface of the nonwoven material, e.g., in a pattern, and then attached to the creping surface and creped.

In one embodiment, the additive composition comprises a polyolefin copolymer, a dispersant, and a nonionic surfactant. The polyolefin copolymer may comprise ethylene or a copolymer of propylene and an alkene. In one embodiment, the polyolefin copolymer comprises a copolymer of ethylene and octene. On the other hand, the dispersant may comprise a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid. The nonionic surfactant may include ethoxylated alkylpolyethylene glycol ethers. For example, the nonionic surfactant may comprise one or more ethoxylated fatty alcohols. In one specific embodiment, for example, the nonionic surfactant comprises an ethylene oxide adduct of linear lauryl myristyl alcohol.

The relative amounts of components included in the additive composition can vary depending on many factors, including the nonwoven fabric material being creped and the desired result. In one embodiment, the ratio of polyolefin copolymer to dispersant can be from about 80:20 to about 40:60, such as from about 70:30 to about 50:50. In one embodiment, the polyolefin copolymer and dispersant are present in the additive composition in a weight ratio of about 65:35 to about 55:45. The nonionic surfactant is present in the aqueous dispersion in an amount of about 0.5 wt.% To about 10 wt.%, For example, in an amount of about 1 wt.% To about 8 wt.%, Such as about 2 wt.% To about 5 wt. .

According to the present invention, an additive composition is formed from foam or foam and is used to crepe at least one side of the nonwoven material from a creped surface. After creping, the additive composition forms a collapsed foam layer. The collapsed foam layer may be discontinuous.

Example

The following examples further illustrate and demonstrate embodiments within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments are disclosed for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the invention, and various modifications thereof are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Example 1

Commercial HYPOD ^® dispersions were diluted to 30% HYPOD ^® solids levels in water and foamed by the Gaston unit. The stable foam was applied to the hot drum surface of a 60 inch calendar dryer. The cured HYPOD ^® dispersion was creped from the dryer surface. The spunbond base sheet was creped using the foam process of the present invention as described herein. Subsequently, the HYPOD ^® coated base sheet was printed with cyan ink, where 100 parts by weight of the ink was mixed with 4.5 parts by weight of a cross-linker. Samples were hand printed using anilox roller of 10.8 bcm (billion cubic microns).

Foam processing conditions:

Solid content of dispersion: 1030% HYPOD 8510 ^®

Dryer temperature: 260 - 300 ° F

Dispersion flow rate: 100 - 500 cc / min

Mixer speed: 20% - 60%

Blow rate: 5 - 30

Image analysis was performed on the SEM images to quantify the surface ink coverage for both untreated spunbond and the beneficially treated spunbond of the present invention. The treated samples exhibit a higher% surface ink coverage than the untreated spunbond, as shown in Table 1.

materials % Ink coverage Spunbond control A (8 gsm) 14.00 Spunbond control B (12 gsm) 17.00 Foam type spun bond (8 gsm) 61.00

Example 2

Commercial HYPOD 8510 ^® polyolefin dispersions were diluted with water to a variable HYPOD 8510 solids level with no added or up to 50% Lutensol ^® A 65 N ICONOL ^® 24 7 based on HYPOD 8510 ^® solids. These chemicals were then foamed by a Gaston Systems foaming unit and a stable foam was applied to the hot surfaces of a 60 inch dryer. Subsequently, the base sheet was pressed onto the surface of the collapsed foam coated dryer, the surface of the dried paper was creped, and was wound on a reel drum.

The base sheet, i.e., a cellulosic towel, by using hydroknit ^®, spunbonded, gave the stretched material by the step of controlling the processing crepe blade geometry and / or the stretch ratio.

Foam processing conditions:

Solid content of dispersion: 5% - 30% HYPOD 8510 ^®

Dryer temperature: 230 - 300 ° F

Dispersion flow rate: 50 - 500 cc / min

Mixer speed: 20 - 60%

Blow rate: 5 - 30

Mechanical test -% Self history:

The test was performed using the # Insight Model EL1, a MTS tensile tester model. A 3 inch wide specimen was pulled to a 20% strain at a rate of 10 in / min and then shrunk to 0% strain at the same rate. As shown in Table 2 and Table 3, the area under the loading curve and the unloading curve was measured as a% hysteresis. Table 3 also shows the elongation at break for each of the tested substrates.

% Hysteresis for Creped Cellulose Towel Basis weight (gsm) Self history% Average Standard Deviation Control 56 84 ± 0.6 Foam type cellulose 95 74 ± 0.7

Magnetic hysteresis for creped spunbond and hydroknit and cellulose cosmetic tissue% Self history% Break elongation% Control Hydroknit 87 25 Foam Hydroknit A 70 153 Foam type Hydroknit B 66 337 Control Spunbond 100 45 Foam type Spunbond A 42 124 Foam type spun bond B 40 280 Control Tissue 95 29 Foam type beauty tissue 65 47

Mechanical test: Elastic energy

The test was performed using the # Insight Model EL1, a MTS tensile tester model. A 3 inch wide specimen was pulled through the many cycles loading and unloading curves to increase strain percent (25, 50, 75, 100) to 10 in / min. The permanent deformation was measured after each cycle according to the applied strain (in / in) for each cycle, as shown in Table 4.

Elastic strain in a given applied strain Permissible strain (in / in) 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 Control Hydroknit 0.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 Foam Hydroknit A 0.12 0.18 0.21 0.23 Foam type Hydroknit B 0.10 0.17 0.22 0.25 Control Spunbond 0.10 0.16 0.00 0.00 Foam type Spunbond A 0.16 0.28 0.30 0.28 Foam type spun bond B 0.17 0.36 0.46 0.54 Control Tissue 0.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 Foam type beauty tissue 0.12 0.16 0.03 0.00

Example 3

Bulk was measured by measuring the weight and thickness of the material and quantifying the basis weight (gsm) and bulk (cc / g). The results are shown in Table 5.

Code number Basis weight (gsm) Bulk (cc / g) Control Spunbond 12 13 Foam type Spunbond A 16 27 Foam type spun bond B 25 25

Test Methods

In-Hand Ranking Test for Tactility (IHR Test)

The Tactile Grading Test (IHR) is a basic assessment of the tactile sensation of a fibrous web and evaluates properties such as ductility. This test is useful for obtaining a quick read as to whether a process change can be detected personally and / or affecting softness relative to a control. The deviation of the IHR soft data between the processed web and the control web reflects the degree of ductility improvement.

Test participants are trained to provide a more accurate assessment than the average untrained consumer can provide. The rating data generated by each participant for each sample code is analyzed using a proportional hazards regression model. This model assumes that the participants proceed from the most attributes to the least attributes through the grading process. Flexibility test results are presented as log odds. The log odds are the natural log of the risk ratios estimated for each code from the proportional hazards regression model. Larger log odds indicate that the associated property is recognized with greater intensity.

Since the IHR results are expressed as log odds, the difference in improved ductility is actually much larger than this data represents. As an example, when the difference in IHR data is 1, this actually represents 10 times (10 ¹ = 10) of total ductility or 1,000% improvement compared to the control. In another example, when the difference is 0.2, it represents 1.58 times (10 ^0.2 = 1.58), or 58% improvement.

The data from the IHR may also be presented in a rank format. The data can be used to perform relative comparisons within tests, since the product's rating generally depends on the product being graded. A comparison between tests can be made when at least one product is tested in both tests.

(2) Bulk test

The sheet bulk is calculated as the quotient of the sheet thickness of the conditioned fiber sheet expressed in microns divided by the adjusted basis weight expressed in gsm. The resulting sheet bulk is expressed in cubic centimeters per gram (cc / g). More specifically, the sheet caliper is a TAPPI test method T402 "Standard Conditioning and Testing Atmosphere For Paper, Board, Pulp Handsheets and Related Products ", and T411 om-89" Thickness ( caliper of Paper, Paperboard, and Combined Board ". The μm used to carry out the T411 om-89 is the Emveco 200-A Tissue Caliper Tester, available from Emveco, Inc. of Newburgh, Oregon. The micrometer has a load of 2 kilo-Pascals and a 2500 A square applied pressure area of square millimeter, a pressure applied diameter of 56.42 millimeters, a residence time of 3 seconds, and a fall rate of 0.8 millimeters per second.

 (3) Viscosity test

The viscosity is measured using a Brookfield Viscometer, Model RVDV-II +, available from Brookfield Engineering Laboratories, Middleboro, Mass., USA. The measurement was carried out at room temperature (23 DEG C) at 100 rpm using either the spindle 4 or the spindle 6 according to the predicted speed. Viscosity measurements were reported in centipoise units.

(4) Amount of HYPOD 8510 ^® additive composition test

In one aspect of the invention, the HYPOD add-on is determined using acid digestion. The sample is wet ashed with sulfuric acid and nitric acid that are sufficiently concentrated to break the carbonaceous material and separate potassium ions from the cellulose matrix. Thereafter, the potassium concentration is measured by atomic absorption. The HYPOD 8510 ^® adduct is determined based on the potassium concentration of HYPOD 8510 ^® on the sample to bulk-up the HYPOD 8510 ^® measurement from the control HYPOD 8510 ^® dispersion solution (LOTVB1955WC30, 3.53%).

(5) Method for determining the content of additive composition of tissue

Samples were degraded according to EPA method 3010A. The method consists of decomposing a quantity of material known as nitric acid in the block digester and making it known volume at the end of decomposition.

The analysis was performed on a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer using EPA Method 7610, July 1986, a direct aspiration method using air / acetylene flame. The instrument used was VARIAN AA240FS, which is marketed by Aligent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA.

The analysis was performed in the following manner: The instrument was calibrated to a blank and to five standards. After calibration, an analysis of the second source standard for verification of the calibration standard was followed. In this particular case, the return was 97% (90-110% acceptable). The dissolution blank and dissolution standard were then analyzed. In this particular case, the blank was less than 0.1 mg / l and the standard recovery was 93% (85 to 115% acceptable). The sample was then analyzed and the standard was run after every tenth sample (90-110% acceptable). At the end of the entire analysis, the blank and standards were run.

(6) Basis weight

The modified basis TAPPI T410 procedure was used to determine the basis weight of tissue sheet specimens. The pre-superimposed samples were conditioned at 23 [deg.] C + - 1 [deg.] C and 50 + 2% relative humidity for a minimum of 4 hours. After adjustment, pre-overlapped samples of 16-3 "x 3" were cut using die press and associated die. This represents a tissue sheet sample area of 144 in ² or 0.0929 m ² . An example of a suitable die press is a TMI DGD die press manufactured by Testing Machines, Inc. of Iceland, NY or a Swing Beam test machine manufactured by USM Corporation of Wilmington, The mass die tolerance is +/- 0.008 inches in both directions. The specimen stack was then weighed to the nearest 0.001 gram on a tared analytical balance. The grams per square meter (gsm) is calculated using the following equation:

(Adjusted) basis weight = laminate weight gram / (0.0929 m ² )

(7) Geometric Mean Tensile Strength (GMT)

The shape average tensile strength (GMT) is the square root of the product of the dry machine direction (MD) tensile strength multiplied by the dry machine transverse direction (CD) tensile strength, expressed as grams per 3 inch of sample width. The MD tensile strength is the peak load per 3 inches of sample width when the sample is pulled to rupture in the machine direction. Likewise, the CD tensile strength is the peak load per 3 inches of sample width when the sample is pulled to rupture in the machine transverse direction. Tensile curves were obtained after the tissue samples were equilibrated to test conditions for periods of less than four hours under laboratory conditions of 23.0 占 폚 占 .1 占 폚 and 50.0 占 .2% relative humidity.

Samples for tensile strength testing were tested using a JDC Precision Sample Cutter (Thwing-Albert Instrument Company, Philadelphia, Pa., Model number SC130) at least 5 inches (127 mm) in either machine direction (MD) ) Length x 3 inches wide (76 mm). The tensile test is measured on a MTS Systems Synergie 100 which is driven with TestWorks 4 ^® software version 4.08 (Eden Prairie, Minnesota, the material MTS Systems Corp.).

The load cell is selected to be either 50 Newton or 100 Newton maximum depending on the strength of the sample being tested such that the majority of the peak load value lies between 10 and 90% of the full scale value of the load cell. The gage length between the teeth is 4 +/- 0.04 inches (102 +/- 1 mm). Tanks are rubber coated and operated using pneumatic-action. The minimum gripping surface width is 3 inches (76 mm), and the approximate height of the toothed portion is 0.5 inches (13 m). The crosshead speed is 10 +/- 0.4 inches / minute (254 +/- 10 mm / min) and the breaking sensitivity is set to 65%.

The sample is placed in the toothed portion of the centering mechanism in both the vertical and horizontal directions. Then, start the test and terminate when the specimen breaks. The peak load is recorded as either the "MD tensile strength" or the "CD tensile strength" of the specimen depending on the direction of the sample to be tested. A sample of ten (10) samples per sample is tested in each direction and the logarithmic average is reported as either the MD or CD tensile strength value of the product. The geometric mean tensile strength is calculated from the following equation:

GMT = (MD Seal * CD Seal) ^1/2

The dimensions and values disclosed herein should not be construed as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless stated otherwise, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range around this value. By way of example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm " is intended to mean" about 40 mm ".

 All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety and should not be construed as permitting the citation of any document to be prior art to the present invention. Any meaning or definition of a term described herein may conflict with any meaning or definition of a term in the literature incorporated herein by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term herein having precedence.

Example 4

FTIR analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were performed on the films prepared with the additive composition of the present invention. Three different films were tested.

In Sample No. 1, the film was formed from a commercial HYPOD dispersion in combination with a nonionic surfactant, LUTENSOL A65N surfactant. The HYPOD dispersion contained a polyethylene-octene copolymer, and a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid. The HYPOD dispersion contained about 60% by weight of a polyethylene-octene copolymer and about 40% by weight of a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid and had a solids concentration of about 42%. The nonionic surfactant included 7 mole of ethylene oxide adduct of linear lauryl myristyl alcohol. The weight ratio between the HYPOD dispersion and the nonionic surfactant was 2: 1.

Sample No. 2 film and Sample No. 3 film were also made. Both films were prepared with only HYPOD dispersion. Sample No. 2 was an air dried film while Sample No. 3 was a heated and dried film.

IR (infrared spectroscopy) analysis was performed using a Spectra Tech Golden Gate Single Bounce ATR accessory equipped with a diamond cell ATR crystal on a Nicolet Nexus 870 FTIR, with an average of 32 scans per sample at 4 cm ^{- 1} resolution. The FTIR spectrum showed that two peaks were present in sample number 1 that were not present in sample number 2 and sample number 3. The two peaks were at ca.675 and 623 cm &lt;&quot; ¹ &gt;. Two new peaks of the film sample containing the nonionic surfactant indicated that the nonionic surfactant forms an interaction with the other polymer molecule.

Film Sample No. 1 and Film Sample No. 2 were also subjected to a DMA test. DMA is useful for studying the viscoelastic behavior of polymers. Film samples were tested on a TA Instruments Q800 instrument. Experimental operation was performed with a tension / tension geometry in a temperature sweep mode ranging from -100 ° C to 150 ° C at a heating rate of 3 ° C per minute. The frequency as well as the strain amplitude were kept constant at 2 hertz during the test.

Figure 11 shows the results of Film Sample No. 1, while Figure 12 shows the results of Film Sample No. 2. Comparing Figure 11 with Figure 12, Sample No. 2 film containing the surfactant is a rubber / elastic material while Sample No. 1 film remains a thermoplastic material.

Example 5

The following examples illustrate the improved elastic properties of a tissue web prepared in accordance with the present invention.

An additive composition comprising a polymer dispersion in combination with a nonionic surfactant according to the present invention was applied to the tissue web during the creping process. The additive composition generally contained the same composition used to form Sample No. 1 film described in Example 4 above.

Nonionic surfactants were combined with water at a temperature above the point of the surfactant. The water and surfactant mixture was then mixed with the polymer dispersion. The resulting additive composition was foamed and used as a crepe processing aid in a creping process similar to that described in Example 2. [

After creping, the tissue web had a basis weight of 18 gsm.

As described in Example 2, a creped fabric web made according to the present invention underwent an elastic energy test.

For comparison, commercially available KLEENEX tissues were tested. Sample No. 1 prepared according to the present invention and a control sample was tested in machine direction and cross machine direction. The results are shown in Figures 13-15.

As shown in the figures, the tissue web produced in accordance with the present invention had considerably greater elasticity.

Example 6

In this example, the additive compositions generally described for making the Sample No. 1 film in Example 4 were applied to different nonwoven substrates during a crepe processing process similar to that described in Example 2. [ Mechanical testing was performed on the samples using the same equipment and parameters as described in Example 2. [

0.5 osy spunbond web, 0.35 osy spunbond web, and a coform web comprising pulp fibers and synthetic fibers were creped according to the present invention. The addition amount of each creped product was about 5% by weight. A 0.5 osy spunbond web was also creped to about 20 weight percent. Creped webs were tested for untreated control. The following results were obtained:

Thickness (mm) Basis weight (g / m2) Density (g / cc) Bulk (cc / g) Peak load (gf) Strain at fracture% Peak energy (g.cm) 0.5 osy SB control 0.209 20 0.09 10.6 3932.17 41.01 9066.30 0.5osy SB creped 0.983 38 0.04 25.9 3575.77 171.57 16057.80 0.5osy SB crepe processed (20% addition) 1.257 72 0.06 17.5 4942.07 248.61 35763.77 0.35 osy SB control 0.150 12 0.08 12.3 3034.40 43.23 7256.63 0.35osy SB creped 0.655 27 0.04 24.1 2190.00 164.47 9607.57 Coform control 0.940 63 0.07 14.8 2872.80 38.15 6354.90 Crepe processed coform 2.580 171 0.07 15.1 2705.90 194.69 11440.03

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims (23)

As a nonwoven material,
A fibrous web defining a creped surface; And
An additive composition present on the creped surface of the fibrous web and comprising a polyolefin copolymer in combination with a nonionic surfactant, wherein the additive composition comprises up to about 50% by weight of the nonionic surfactant &Lt; / RTI &gt; The nonwoven material of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven material exhibits an elastic deformation of at least 30% at 80% applied deformation in the machine direction. The nonwoven material of claim 1, wherein the additive composition forms a layer of collapsed foamed film on the creped surface. The nonwoven material of claim 1, wherein the additive composition further comprises a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid. The nonwoven material of claim 1, wherein the polyolefin copolymer comprises a polyethylene-octene copolymer. 4. The nonwoven material of claim 3, wherein the collapsed foamed film layer is discontinuous. 7. The nonwoven material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nonionic surfactant comprises an ethylene oxide adduct of linear lauryl myristyl alcohol. 7. The nonwoven material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nonionic surfactant comprises an ethylene oxide adduct of 7 moles of linear lauryl myristyl alcohol. 7. The nonwoven material of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the material exhibits a breaking elongation greater than about 45%. 7. The nonwoven material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the polyolefin copolymer and the nonionic surfactant are present in the additive composition in a weight ratio of about 0.5: 1 to about 3: 1. 7. The nonwoven material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nonwoven material exhibits at least 80% elastic deformation in 100% applied deformation in the machine direction. 7. The nonwoven material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nonwoven material exhibits at least 50% elastic deformation at 30% applied deformation in the machine direction. 7. The nonwoven material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nonionic surfactant has a cloud point. 14. The nonwoven material of claim 13, wherein the cloud point is less than about 15 DEG C to 100 DEG C when combined with water in an amount of 1 wt%. 7. The nonwoven material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nonionic surfactant comprises a hydrophilic moiety and a hydrophobic moiety. 7. The nonwoven material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fibrous web comprises fibers composed of a synthetic thermoplastic polymer. 7. The nonwoven material of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fibrous web comprises a tissue web comprised of pulp fibers. 7. The nonwoven material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the polyolefin copolymer comprises ethylene or a copolymer of propylene and an alkene. 7. The nonwoven material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nonionic surfactant comprises an ethoxylate of an alkylpolyethylene glycol ether. As a method for producing a nonwoven material,
Combining a nonionic surfactant and a water mixture with a polyolefin copolymer to form an additive composition wherein the nonionic surfactant has a cloud point wherein the nonionic surfactant and water mixture is formed at a temperature above the cloud point, Wherein the polyolefin copolymer and the nonionic surfactant are present in the additive composition in a weight ratio of about 0.5: 1 to about 3: 1;
Forming foam additive composition;
Applying the foamed composition onto a heated dryer surface;
Pressing the nonwoven substrate onto the coated heated dryer surface; And
And creping the nonwoven substrate from the dryer surface. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the nonwoven substrate comprises a fibrous web comprising fibers comprising a tissue web or a synthetic thermoplastic polymer composed of pulp fibers. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the nonionic surfactant comprises an ethoxylate of alkylpolyethylene glycol ethers. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the polyolefin copolymer comprises ethylene or a copolymer of propylene and an alkene, wherein the additive composition further comprises a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid.

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