Fibrous web comprising microfibers dispersed among bonded meltspun fibers

Abstract

A nonwoven fibrous web comprising a matrix of continuous meltspun fibers bonded to a coherent self-sustaining form, and separately prepared microfibers dispersed among the meltspun fibers. The microfibers may have median diameters less than one or two micrometers. A method for preparing such a nonwoven fibrous web comprises establishing a stream of continuous oriented meltspun fibers having a longitudinal axis, establishing a stream of meltblown microfibers that exit a meltblowing die at a point near the stream of meltspun fibers, the meltblown stream being aimed to merge with the meltspun stream and having a longitudinal axis that forms an angle of between 0 and 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the meltspun stream, capturing the meltblown fibers in the stream of meltspun fibers, and collecting the merged stream as a web on a collector spaced near the intersection point of the meltspun and meltblown streams.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.