Melt-stable lactide polymer nonwoven fabric and process for manufacture thereof
AssigneeCargill, Incorporated
InventorsPatrick R. Gruber, Jeffrey J. Kolstad, Christopher M. Ryan, Eric S. Hall, Robin S. Eichen Conn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nonwoven fabric comprised of a lactide polymer. The lactide polymer comprises a plurality of poly(lactide) polymer chains, residual lactide in concentration of less than about 2 percent and water in concentration of less than about 2000 parts-per-million. A process for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric with the lactide polymer composition is also disclosed.
Claims30
A nonwoven fabric comprising:
- a plurality of fibers, at least a first portion of said plurality of fibers formed from a melt stable lactide polymer composition comprising:
- i) a plurality of poly(lactide) polymer chains, said polymer chains being reaction products of polymerizing a lactide mixture comprising about 0.5 to about 50 percent by weight meso-lactide, with the remaining lactide being selected from the group consisting of L-lactide, D-lactide and mixtures thereof, said plurality having a number average molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 300,000;
- ii) lactide in a concentration of less than about 2 percent by weight;
- and
- iii) water, if present at all, present in a concentration of less than about 2000 parts per million.
A process for the manufacture of a nonwoven fabric, said process comprising the steps, in any order, of:
- a) providing a melt-stable lactide polymer composition comprising:
- i) a plurality of poly(lactide) polymer chains, said plurality of polymer chains being reaction products of polymerizing a lactide mixture comprising about 0.5 to about 50 percent by weight meso-lactide, with the remaining lactide being selected from the group consisting of L-lactide, D-lactide and mixtures thereof, said plurality of polymer chains having a number average molecular weight of about 10,000 to about 300,000;
- (ii) lactide in a concentration of less than about 2 percent by weight;
- and
- iii) water if present at all, present in a concentration of less than about 2000 parts per million;
- and
- b) extruding said polymer composition into fibers;
- c) depositing said fibers onto a fiber carrier;
- d) securing said fibers into a fabric.
A diaper comprising a nonwoven fabric, said nonwoven fabric comprising a plurality of fibers, at least of first portion of said plurality of fibers formed from a melt stable lactide polymer composition comprising:
- i) a plurality of poly(lactide) polymer chains, said polymer chains being reaction products of polymerizing a lactide mixture comprising about 0.5 to about 50 percent by weight meso-lactide, with the remaining lactide being selected from the group consisting of L-lactide, D-lactide and mixtures thereof, said plurality having a number average molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 300,000;
- ii) lactide in a concentration of less than about 2 percent by weight;
- and
- iii) water, if present at all, present in a concentration of less than about 2000 parts per million.
A compostable bag comprising a nonwoven fabric, said nonwoven fabric comprising a plurality of fibers, at least of first portion of said plurality of fibers formed from a melt stable lactide polymer composition comprising:
- i) a plurality of poly(lactide) polymer chains, said polymer chains being reaction products of polymerizing a lactide mixture comprising about 0.5 to about 50 percent by weight meso-lactide, with the remaining lactide being selected from the group consisting of L-lactide, D-lactide and mixtures thereof, said plurality having a number average molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 300,000;
- ii) lactide in a concentration of less than about 2 percent by weight;
- and
- iii) water, if present at all, present in a concentration of less than about 2000 parts per million.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.