Ion sensitive binder for fibrous materials

A nonwoven fabric comprising fibrous material and a water-soluble binder composition, wherein the binder composition comprises from about 25 weight percent about 85 weight percent of an unsaturated carboxylic acid/unsaturated carboxylic acid ester terpolymer and from about 15 weight percent to about 75 weight percent of a hydrophilic cross-linkable polymer

• wherein the hydrophilic crosslinkable polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) with N-substituted acrylamide, acrylamide, N-substituted acrylamide based copolymers with a cross-linkable monomer, copolyacrylates, poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol) having less than about 3 percent hydrolysis, poly(ethylene glycol) grafted onto a polyolefin so that the poly(ethylene glycol) moieties can be cross-linked, poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) with N-methylol acrylamide, N-methylol acrylamide, copolymer hydroxy ethyl methacrylate with methyl methacrylate, copolymer hydroxy ethyl methacrylate with methyl acrylate, copolymer poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate with methyl methacrylate, and copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-methacrylate with methyl acrylate;
• and,
• wherein the nonwoven fabric is water-dispersible in an aqueous environment having a divalent ion concentration of up to about 50 ppm and a monovalent ion concentration of up to about 0.4 weight percent.