Process for making spontaneously dispersible modified cellulosic fiber sheets
AssigneeThe Buckeye Cellulose Corporation
InventorsHoward L. Schoggen, John W. Smith
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Abstract
Strong, low basis weight, spontaneously dispersible sheets of modified cellulosic fibers. The sheets are prepared from modified cellulosic fibers such as cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose or essentially acidic sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. Mixtures of modified fibers with unmodified fibers are also disclosed. The process of preparing the sheets comprises the steps of airlaying the fibers to form an airfelt, increasing the moisture content of the airfelt, and compacting the moisturized airfelt.
Claims12
A process for making a strong, spontaneously dispersible sheet of modified cellulosic fibers comprising the steps of:
- (a) airlaying modified cellulosic fibers to form a substantially uniform nonwoven airfelt web having a basis weight of about 20 to about 250 grams per square meter, said fibers having the ability to be wetted with a monomolecular layer of water over significant portions of the interior surface thereof;
- (b) adjusting the moisture content of said formal web at least once to provide said web with a substantially uniform distribution of moisture and to attain a moisture content of about 15 to about 40% by weight;
- and
- (c) pressing said web at least once sufficiently to bond together said fibers into a strong, spontaneously dispersible, unitary sheet of said modified cellulosic fibers.
A process for making a strong, spontaneously dispersible sheet of bibulous cellulosic fibers comprising:
- (a) continuously airlaying said bibulous cellulosic fibers to form a substantially uniform nonwoven airfelt web having a basis weight of about 60 to about 180 grams per square meter;
- (b) adjusting the moisture content of said web about 15 to about 33% by weight;
- and
- (c) continuously pressing said web sufficiently to bond together said fibers into a strong, spontaneously dispersible unitary sheet by passing said web between at least one pair of opposed pressure loaded rollers subjected to a force of about 65 to about 150 kilograms per lineal centimeter of nip.
A process for making a strong, spontaneously dispersible sheet of essentially acidic sodium carboxymethyl cellulose fibers comprising:
- (a) continuously airlaying said essentially acidic carboxymethyl cellulose fibers to form a substantially uniform nonwoven airfelt web having a basis weight of about 60 to about 180 grams per square meter;
- (b) adjusting the moisture content of said web to provide said web with a substantially uniform distribution of moisture and to attain a moisture content of about 15 to about 33% by weight;
- and
- (c) continuously pressing said web sufficiently to bond together said fibers into a strong, spontaneously dispersible unitary sheet by passing said web between at least one pair of opposed pressure loaded rollers subjected to a force of about 65 to about 150 kilograms per lineal centimeter of nip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.