Web of biocomponent blown fibers
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsDennis L. Krueger, James F. Dyrud
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Abstract
Fibrous webs of bicomponent fibers are made by extruding a layered molten mass through a row of side-by-side orifices into a high-velocity gaseous stream. Bicomponent fibers of small size can be obtained, and the webs offer unique properties.
Claims12
A fibrous web comprising a coherent entangled mass of melt-blown fibers which individually comprise a first polymeric material extending longitudinally along the fiber through a first portion of the cross-sectional area of the fiber and a second polymeric material adhered to the first polymeric material and extending longitudinally along the fiber through a second portion of the cross-sectional area of the fiber, said fibers being prepared by extruding a layered molten mass of said first and second polymeric materials through a row of side-by-side orifices into a high-velocity gaseous stream, where the extruded streams are attenuated and drawn into a mass of entangled fibers having an essentially infinite aspect ratio, and the fibers are then collected as a web that coheres through the entangled nature of the fibers.
A fibrous web comprising a coherent mass of melt-blown fibers which average less than 10 micrometers in diameter and individually comprise a first polymeric material extending longitudinally along the fiber through a first portion of the cross-sectional area of the fiber and a second polymeric material different from the first polymeric material adhered to the first polymeric material and extending longitudinally along the fiber through a second portion of the cross-sectional area of the fiber, said fibers being prepared by extruding a layered molten mass of said first and second polymeric materials through a row of side-by-side orifices into a high-velocity gaseous stream, where the extruded streams are attenuated into fibers, carried to a collector, and collected as a mass of fibers that have an essentially infinite aspect ratio and are sufficiently entangled that it is impossible to remove one complete fiber from the mass and the mass is coherent without further treatment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.