Flushable binder system for pre-moistened wipers wherein an adhesive for the fibers of the wipers interacts with ions contained in the lotion with which the wipers are impregnated

A non-woven, adhesively bonded web having a majority of wood pulp fibers of a paper making length;

• said web wet with a water based lotion, having a tensile strength of at least 4 oz./in. while wet with the lotion, maintaining said tensile strength while wet with the lotion for a period of at least one month and substantially losing the wet tensile strength when immersed in a volume of water at least 10 times the weight of the web, wherein said wet tensile strength is obtained with an adhesive composition which obtains at least part of its adhesive properties by interaction with borate ions in said lotion, said adhesive composition containing;
• from about 5 to about 15 parts of a cold water soluble polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of hydrolysis of from about 70% to about 90% and a degree of polymerization of at least 450;
• from about 1.5 to about 2.5 parts of a non-self-cross-linking, water dispersible, polymer capable of functioning as a fiber adhesive, having a molecular weight of at least 100,000, and a glass transition temperature at which an air-dried film of the polymer solids has a torsional modulus of 300 kg./cm..sup.2 of from about -50.degree. C. to about +45.degree. C.;
• from about 0.75 to about 1.25 parts of a water dispersible, self-cross-linking, polymer capable of functioning as a fiber adhesive, having a molecular weight of at least 100,000, and a glass transition temperature at which an air-dried film of polymer solids has a torsional modulus of 300 kg./cm..sup.2 of from about -50.degree. C. to about +45.degree. C.;
• said lotion being a water solution containing an active amount of borate ions for forming a gel with the polyvinyl alcohol component of the adhesive;
• said web being wet with an amount of said lotion equal to at least 100% of the weight of the web.

A nonwoven, adhesively bonded web wet with a lotion, said wet web having a tensile strength of at least 4.0 oz./in., said adhesive bonding being provided by an adhesive composition which obtains at least part of its adhesive properties by interaction with borate ions in said lotion;

• said adhesive composition containing from about 5 to about 15 parts of a cold water soluble polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of hydrolysis of from about 70% to about 90% and a degree of polymerization of at least 450;
• from about 1.5 to about 2.5 parts of a non-self-crosslinking, water dispersible, polymer capable of functioning as a fiber adhesive, having a molecular weight of at least 100,000, and a glass transition temperature at which an air-dried film of the polymer solids has a torsional modulus of 300 kg./cm..sup.2 of from about -50.degree. C. to about +45.degree. C.;
• from about 0.75 to about 1.25 parts of a water dispersible, self-cross-linkable, polymer capable of functioning as a fiber adhesive, having a molecular weight of at least 100,000, and a glass transition temperature at which an air-dried film of polymer solids has a torsional modulus of 300 kg./cm..sup.2 of from about -50.degree. C. to about +45.degree. C.;
• said lotion being a water solution containing an active amount of borate ions for forming a gel with the polyvinyl alcohol component of the adhesive;
• said web being wet with an amount of said lotion equal to at least 100% of the weight of the web;
• wherein the lotion contains a compound capable of forming a complex with borate and the molar ratio of borate to said compound being from 0.1:1 to 1.6:1.