Nonwoven abrasive articles and methods of making the same

A method of making a nonwoven abrasive article, the method comprising the steps:

• a) providing a lofty open nonwoven fiber web comprising entangled fibers, wherein the fibers have an average diameter, and wherein the lofty open nonwoven fiber web has first and second opposed major surfaces and a porous interior therebetween;
• b) disposing a mixture comprising a curable binder precursor and magnetizable particles predominantly into a portion of the porous interior;
• c) applying a magnetic field to the mixture;
• d) disposing abrasive particles onto the mixture;
• and
• e) at least partially curing the curable binder precursor to form an abrasive material predominantly disposed within the porous interior of the lofty open fiber web, wherein the abrasive material comprises the abrasive particles and magnetizable at least partially retained in a binder material, wherein the abrasive material comprises elongated blobs, wherein each one of the elongated blobs is respectively bonded to at least one of the fibers, wherein the elongated blobs have a minimum width of at least two times the average diameter of the fibers, wherein a majority of the elongated blobs are longitudinally aligned within 40 degrees.

A method of making a nonwoven abrasive article, the method comprising the steps:

• a) providing a lofty open nonwoven fiber web comprising entangled fibers, wherein the fibers have an average diameter, and wherein the lofty open nonwoven fiber web has first and second opposed major surfaces and a porous interior therebetween;
• b) disposing an abrasive material precursor predominantly into a portion of the porous interior, and wherein the abrasive material precursor comprises a curable binder precursor, abrasive particles, and magnetizable particles;
• c) applying a magnetic field to the abrasive material precursor;
• and
• d) at least partially curing the curable binder precursor to form an abrasive material predominantly disposed within the porous interior of the lofty open fiber web, wherein the abrasive material comprises the abrasive particles and the magnetizable particles at least partially retained in a binder material, wherein the abrasive material comprises elongated blobs, wherein each one of the elongated blobs is respectively bonded to at least one of the fibers, wherein the elongated blobs have a minimum width of at least two times the average diameter of the fibers, wherein a majority of the elongated blobs are longitudinally aligned within 40 degrees.