Treated nonwoven fabrics
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsHue Scott Snowden, Michael David Powers, Steven Wayne Fitting, Varunesh Sharma, Lee Kirby Jameson
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Abstract
Described is an improved two-step process for treating lightweight nonwovens to impart single-sided anti-static and alcohol repellency properties while maintaining good barrier characteristics as measured by hydrostatic head values. The resulting nonwovens find particular uses as infection control product medical fabrics for sterilization wrap and surgical gowns, for example.
Claims11
A process for producing a lightweight nonwoven fabric having opposing first and second surfaces, one of which is rich in antistatic agent and one of which has less antistatic agent, said fabric having good barrier properties as measured by a rating of at least 3 when measured with 70% isopropyl alcohol for alcohol repellency and less than about 0.50 seconds static decay test, comprising the steps of:
- applying an alcohol repellency treatment containing an antistatic agent to a first or both of said surfaces, resulting in an alcohol treatment add-on level of about 0.05 gsm to about 0.41 gsm and in a separate step, applying an antistatic treatment containing an antistatic agent to the second surface only of said fabric resulting in an antistatic treatment add-on level of about 0.017 gsm to about 1.08 gsm, and providing an antistatic rich surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.