Nonwoven products having low residual free formaldehyde content

A nonwoven product formed from a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together by a binder deposited from an interpolymer latex comprising an aqueous medium having dispersed threrein a vinyl acetate/ethylene/an N-methylol acrylamide/an acrylamide interpolymer, the interpolymer containing about 5 to 40 wt% ethylene and an amount of the N-methylol acrylamide and the acrylamide which is about 3 to 10 wt% of the interpolymer, the N-methylol acrylamide being about 1.75 to 3.5 wt% and the acrylamide about 1.25 to 8.25 wt%, the nonwoven product characterized by a free formaldehyde content after drying and curing of less than 50 ppm at a binder add-on which is sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

A nonwoven fabric having a low residual free formaldehyde content comprising a loosely assembled web of fibers bonded together with a binder which comprises an interpolymer of vinyl acetate/ethylene/N-methylol acrylamide/acrylamide, the interpolymer containing about 5 to 40 wt% ethylene and an amount of N-methylol acrylamide and acrylamide which is about 3.0 to 10 wt% of the interpolymer, the N-methylol acrylamide being about 1.75 to 3.5 wt% and the acrylamide about 1.25 to 8.25 wt%, the nonwoven fabric characterized by a free formaldehyde content after drying and curing of less than 50 to 60 ppm at a 10 to 100 wt% binder add-on, on a dry basis.

A nonwoven fabric having a low residual free formaldehyde content formed from a loosely assembled web of fibers bonded together by a binder deposited from a vinyl acetate/ethylene/N-methylol acrylamide/acrylamide interpolymer latex comprising an aqueous medium having colloidally suspended therein a vinyl acetate/ethylene/N-methylol acrylamide/acrylamide interpolymer, the interpolymer containing about 5 to 40 wt% ethylene and an amount of N-methylol acrylamide and acrylamide which is about 3.0 to 10 wt% of the interpolymer, the N-methylol acrylamide being about 1.75 to 3.5 wt% and the acrylamide about 1.25 to 8.25 wt%, the nonwoven fabric characterized by a free formaldehyde content after drying and curing of less than 50 to 60 ppm at a 10 to 100 weight % binder add-on, on a dry basis.

A method for the preparation of a nonwoven product which comprises applying to a nonwoven mass of fibers a latex comprising an interpolymer of vinyl acetate/ethylene/an N-methylol acrylamide/an acrylamide dispersed in water, the interpolymer containing about 5 to 40 wt% ethylene and an amount of the N-methylol acrylamide and acrylamide which is about 3 to 10 wt% of the interpolymer, the N-methylol acrylamide being about 1.75 to 3.5 wt% and the acrylamide about 1.25 to 8.25 wt%, heating to remove the water and to bond the fibers together with the interpolymer, the latex being applied to the nonwoven mass of fibers to provide a sufficient amount of interpolymer add-on to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web, and the nonwoven product characterized by a low free formaldehyde content.

A method for the preparation of a nonwoven fabric having a low residual free formaldehyde content which comprises applying to a loosely assembled mass of fibers a latex comprising an interpolymer of vinyl acetate/ethylene/N-methylol acrylamide/acrylamide colloidally suspended in water, the interpolymer containing about 5 to 40 wt% ethylene and an amount of N-methylol acrylamide and acrylamide which is about 3.0 to 10 wt% of the interpolymer, the N-methylol acrylamide being about 1.75 to 3.5 wt% and the acrylamide about 1.25 to 8.25 wt%, heating to remove the water and to bond the fibers together with the interpolymer, the latex being applied to the mass of fibers in an amount to provide a 10 to 100 weight % interpolymer add-on, on a dry basis, and the nonwoven fabric characterized by a free formaldehyde content of less than 50 to 60 ppm.