Assembled intermediate comprising staple fiber nonwoven web and articles
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsLeigh E. Wood, Lori-Ann S. Prioleau, Kerstin Ehlers, Bernard Vincent
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Abstract
An assembled intermediate is described comprising a fluid transport element proximate an absorbent material is described. The fluid transport element comprises a thermoplastic nonwoven web comprising a plurality of bonded staple fibers having an average diameter of 20 to 500 microns, a thickness of at least 3, and a density ranging from 0.01 to 0.10 g/cm3. Also described are articles comprising such assembled intermediate.
Claims20
An assembled intermediate consisting of a thermoplastic nonwoven web prepared from a hydrophobic polymer proximate an absorbent material;
- wherein the nonwoven web consists of a plurality of bonded staple fibers having an average diameter of 20 to 500 microns and the nonwoven web has a thickness of at least 3 mm, a density ranging from 0.01 to 0.06 g/cm3, and a work of compression no greater than 20 kJ/m3;
- and the nonwoven web is free of hydrophilic fibers and superabsorbent polymer such that the nonwoven web exhibits a vertical wicking of saline solution of no greater than 5 mm.
The assembled intermediate of claim 18 wherein the assembled intermediate exhibits any one or combination of length of longitudinal fluid distribution properties selected from
- a length of longitudinal fluid distribution of at least 100 mm with a weight of 4 kg;
- and
- a length of longitudinal fluid distribution of at least 100 mm with a weight of 12 kg.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.