# US 4,396,452 A · Process for point-bonding organic fibers

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- Number: US 4,396,452 A
- Document ID: US4396452A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 05/972,185
- Filed: 1978-12-21
- Granted: 1983-08-02
- Earliest claimed: 1978-12-21
- Assignees: Monsanto Company
- Inventors: Virginia C. Menikheim; Bernard Silverman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4396452A

## CPC

- D04H 3/14: with bonds between thermoplastic yarns or filaments produced by welding
- D04H 1/542: Adhesive fibres
- D04H 1/5412: {sheath-core}
- D04H 1/5414: {side-by-side}
- Y10T 428/24826: Spot bonds connect components
- D04H: MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL (weaving D03; knitting D04B; braiding D04C; net-making D04G; sewing D05B; tufting D05C; finishing non-woven fabrics D06); FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING {; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION}(non-woven fabrics having an intermediate or external layer of a different kind, e.g. of woven fabric, B32B)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

Nonwoven point-bonded fabrics of improved softness are prepared by simultaneously heating and compressing spaced, discrete areas of a nonwoven, bondable fiber web containing an attenuating bonding liquid in excess of the minimum amount required to provide maximum fabric strength.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for making a point-bonded nonwoven fabric, said process being characterized by simultaneously heating and compressing spaced, discrete areas of a nonwoven web of bondable, synthetic, organic fibers, said web containing an attenuating bonding liquid, said liquid being a liquid which, under the bonding conditions employed, provides a fabric having higher strip tenacity than obtained in the absence of such liquid under otherwise equivalent conditions and which, when employed in excess of a peak bonding quantity, provides fabric of lower bending modulus than obtained using a peak bonding quantity under otherwise equivalent conditions, and the quantity of said liquid, the temperature, the compressive force and the time of exposure of the web thereto being correlated to effect bonding of web fibers in said spaced, discrete areas, thereby forming a point-bonded nonwoven fabric and the quantity of said liquid being sufficiently in excess of the peak bonding quantity thereof to provide a nonwoven fabric having a bending modulus at least 20% lower than that of a fabric prepared using a peak bonding quantity of said liquid under otherwise equivalent conditions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 further characterized in that the quantity of said liquid is selected to provide a nonwoven fabric having a higher ratio of strip tenacity to bending modulus than that of a fabric prepared using a peak bonding quantity of said liquid under otherwise equivalent conditions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 further characterized in that the quantity of said liquid, the temperature, the compressive force and the time of exposure of the web thereto are correlated to provide a wash-stable, point-bonded, nonwoven fabric.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The process of claim 3 further characterized in that simultaneous heating and compression of the web is effected by passing the web through and compressing said web in the nip of a pair of rolls at least one of which is heated and at least one of which has a pattern of raised surface portions which, in combination with the opposing surface of the other roll, effects compression of the web in spaced, discrete areas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4 further characterized in that the surfaces of said rolls are designed to effect compression providing a point-bonded, nonwoven fabric having a pattern of from 16 to 64 discrete bond sites per square centimeter covering from 3% to 50% of the fabric surface area.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The process of claim 5 further characterized in that one of the rolls is provided with boss points sized and disposed to provide a fabric having said pattern.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The process of claim 5 further characterized in that each roll has a helical land and groove surface design interacting with the land and groove design of the opposing roll to provide a fabric having said pattern.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The process of claim 5 further characterized in that said web comprises continuous filament nylon fibers and said attenuating bonding liquid is water.