Method of treating a low integrity dry-formed nonwoven web and product made therefrom

Abstract

Densified regions are formed in a low integrity dry-formed nonwoven fibrous web by embossing a front surface of the web with spaced-apart raised surfaces of an embossing roll. The web is embossed to the extent that the densified regions will transmit a treating fluid completely through their thickness to the front surface of the web while non-densified or high loft regions will not. Simultaneously with the embossing, treating fluid from a treating fluid conveying surface is applied to a rear surface of the web. The fluid migrates completely through the thickness of the web to the front surface in substantially only the densified regions of the web. The product of this invention is a dry-formed web having a basis weight in the range of about 0.5 oz./yds..sup.2 to about 8.0 oz./yds..sup.2. A surface of the web has an undulate profile including high loft regions and valley regions. The density of the web in the high loft regions is less than about 0.10 gr./cc and the density in the valley regions is greater than the density of the web in the high loft regions. A treating fluid, which preferably is a coloring agent, penetrates completely through the thickness of the web only in the valley regions to cause a surface of the web to have a decorative pattern corresponding to the pattern of the valley regions in the web.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.