Extruded polyvinyl alcohol fibres and fibrous products

A method of manufacture of a nonwoven product comprising polyvinyl alcohol fibers comprising:

• providing a polyvinyl alcohol composition comprising homopolymeric polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of hydrolysis of 88% to 98% or greater and a molecular weight in the range from 22,000 to 38,000;
• adding a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of:
• diglycerol, triglycerol, fructose, ribose, xylose, D-mannitol, triacetin, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, methyl pentanediol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 2-hydroxy-1,3-propanediol, 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol, 3,3-dimethyl-1,2-butanediol, polyethylene glycol 300, polyethylene glycol 400, alkoxylated polyethylene glycol, caprolactam, tricyclic trimethylolpropane formal, rosin esters, erucamide, and mixtures thereof to the composition;
• adding a stabilizer selected from the group consisting of sodium stearate, potassium oleate, sodium benzoate, calcium stearate, stearic acid, dimethyl pentane diol, propionic acid and mixtures thereof to the composition;
• melting the polyvinyl alcohol composition at a temperature from 190° C. to 250° C.;
• extruding the melted polyvinyl alcohol composition to form an extrudate;
• forming the extrudate into molten polyvinyl alcohol fibers;
• drawing the molten polyvinyl alcohol fibers to form individual molten polyvinyl alcohol fibers or bundles of molten polyvinyl alcohol fibers;
• and
• allowing the molten polyvinyl alcohol fibers to solidify to form solid polyvinyl alcohol fibers or bundles of solid polyvinyl alcohol fibers.