Hydroentangled microfibre material and method for its manufacture

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a microfibre material comprises forming a fibre web containing microfibres and, thereafter, subjecting the fibre web to hydraulic entanglement. At least a majority of the microfibres have been stretched to orientation and have shell surfaces substantially completely covered by a hydrophilic lubricating layer. The method further comprises dispersing the microfibres in an aqueous medium before forming by interacting the hydrophilic lubricating layer with the aqueous medium to form a substantially homogenous fibre dispersion, wherein the microfibres in a straightened condition have a fibre thickness smaller than 0.5 denier and a fibre length larger than 5 mm both in the fibre dispersion and in the microfibre material. In the microfibre material a majority of the microfibres are stretched to orientation, exhibit a cross-sectional shape which substantially can be described by an arc or several successive arcs, and are uniformly distributed in a x,y-plane of the microfibre material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.