Nonwoven abrasive articles and methods of making the same

A method of making an abrasive article, the method comprising sequentially:

• providing a nonwoven abrasive member having a working surface, wherein the nonwoven abrasive member comprises:
• a lofty open fiber web comprising fibers bonded to one another;
• abrasive particles adhered to the fibers by a binder material, and wherein at least a portion of the abrasive particles form a visible outer later, wherein the abrasive particles are closely packed, and wherein on a numerical basis at least 80 percent of the abrasive particles in the visible outer layer have recognizable outlines wherein the working surface of the nonwoven abrasive member has a kinetic coefficient of friction of at least 0.54 according to a FRICTION TEST comprising:
• a first test specimen of the nonwoven abrasive member, attached to a metal weight and a second test specimen of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) disc, attached to a horizontal test stage, are equilibrated for at least 24 hours at 17 percent relative humidity and 25° C. prior to use;
• the first test specimen is place such that a working surface is in contact with the PMMA disc and attached to the load cell of a friction testing machine at 17 percent relative humidity and 25° C.;
• and
• a horizontal force is applied by the friction testing machine at a horizontal stage translational speed of 31 cm/minute and the kinetic coefficient of friction is determined as the average kinetic coefficient of friction over a 5-second interval;
• and
• disposing an overlayer composition on at least a portion of the binder material and the abrasive particles adjacent to the working surface thereby forming the nonwoven abrasive article, wherein the overlayer composition comprises a fatty acid metal salt.

A method of making an abrasive article, the method comprising:

• a) providing a nonwoven abrasive member having a working surface, wherein the nonwoven abrasive member comprises:
• a lofty open fiber web comprising fibers bonded to one another;
• and
• abrasive particles adhered to at least a portion of the fibers by a binder material, wherein at least a portion of the abrasive particles are at least partially embedded in the binder material and wherein at least a portion of the abrasive particles form a visible outer later, wherein the abrasive particles are closely packed, and wherein on a numerical basis at least 80 percent of the abrasive particles in the visible outer layer have recognizable outlines;
• and
• b) plasma-etching a portion of the binder material adjacent to the working surface to expose portions of the abrasive particles previously embedded in the binder material to provide a plasma-etched nonwoven abrasive member;
• and
• c) disposing an overlayer composition on at least a portion of the working surface of the plasma-etched nonwoven abrasive member, wherein the overlayer composition comprises a fatty acid metal salt.