# US 5,344,862 A · Thermoplastic compositions and nonwoven webs prepared therefrom

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- Number: US 5,344,862 A
- Document ID: US5344862A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/783,438
- Filed: 1991-10-25
- Granted: 1994-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 1991-10-25
- Assignees: Kimberly-Clark Corporation
- Inventors: Ronald S. Nohr; John G. MacDonald
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5344862A

## CPC

- C08L 23/12: Polypropene
- C08K 3/36: Silica
- C08K 5/5419: containing at least one Si—C bond
- D04H 1/544: Olefin series
- C08L 83/04: Polysiloxanes
- Y10T 156/1023: Surface deformation only [e.g., embossing]
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- 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

A melt-extrudable thermoplastic composition is provided which includes a thermoplastic polyolefin and an additive system made up of a first component and a second component, in which (A) the first component is a defined polysiloxane polyether having a molecular weight of from about 350 to about 18,000 and which is present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 3 percent by weight, based on the amount of thermoplastic polyolefin; and (B) the second component is a hydrophobic fumed silica, in which the weight ratio of the first component to the second component is in the range of from about 20 to about 300. Such composition yields, upon melt-extrusion, either nonwoven webs having significantly increased tensile strengths when compared to nonwoven webs prepared from the thermoplastic polyolefin alone, or wettable webs requiring an amount of first component which is significantly less than that required in the absence of the second component.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A melt-extrudable thermoplastic composition which comprises a thermoplastic polyolefin and an additive system comprising a first component and a second component, in which:
(A) said first component is a polysiloxane polyether having the general formula, ##STR10## in which: (1) R.sub.1 -R.sub.9 are independently selected monovalent C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkyl groups;
(2) R.sub.10 is hydrogen or a monovalent C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkyl group;
(3) m represents an integer of from 1 to about 100;
(4) n represents an integer of from 0 to about 100;
(5) the sum of m and n is in the range of from 1 to about 100;
(6) p represents an integer of from 0 to about 5;
(7) x represents an integer of from 1 to about 25;
(8) y represents an integer of from 0 to about 25;
(9) the ratio of x to y is equal to or greater than 2;
(10) said first component has a weight-average molecular weight of from about 350 to about 18,000; and
(11) said first component is present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 3 percent by weight, based on the amount of thermoplastic polyolefin; and
(B) said second component is a hydrophobic fumed silica, in which the weight ratio of said first component to said second component is in the range of from about 20 to about 300.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, in which the sum of m and n is in the range of from about 4 to about 100; x represents an integer of from 4 to about 25; and said first component has a weight-average molecular weight of from about 3,000 to about 18,000 and is present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 3 percent by weight, based on the amount of thermoplastic polyolefin.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The composition of claim 2, in which said polyolefin is polypropylene, each of R.sub.1 -R.sub.9 is a methyl group, and R.sub.10 is either hydrogen or a methyl group.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The composition of claim 2, in which said first component is present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 0.7 percent by weight, based on the amount of thermoplastic polyolefin.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The composition of claim 2, in which the weight ratio of said first component to said second component is in the range of from about 20 to about 40.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, which composition also is surface-segregatable, in which m represents an integer of from 1 to about 4; n represents an integer of from 0 to about 3; the sum of m and n is in the range of from 1 to about 4; x represents an integer of from 1 to about 10; y represents an integer of from 0 to about 5; and said first component has a weight-average molecular weight of from about 350 to about 1,200.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The composition of claim 6, in which said polyolefin is polypropylene, each of R.sub.1 -R.sub.9 is a methyl group, and R.sub.10 is either hydrogen or a methyl group.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The composition of claim 6, in which m is either 1 or 2, p is either 1 or 2, y is 0, and x is either 7 or 8.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The composition of claim 6, in which said first component has a weight-average molecular weight of from about 350 to about 700 and is present in an amount of from about 0.35 to about 1 percent by weight, based on the amount of thermoplastic polyolefin, and the weight ratio of said first component to said second component is in the range of from about 30 to about 100.