Ion sensitive, water-dispersible fabrics, a method of making same and items using same

A disposable absorbent article comprising a water dispersible fibrous fabric, wherein the fabric comprises:

• a fibrous substrate, the fibrous substrate comprising less than about 20% fiber fraction of fibers having a length of about 6-10 mm in length;
• and
• a water-dispersible binder comprising a first polymer formed from at least four monomers selected from acrylic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid and alkali earth metal and organic amine salts thereof, butyl acrylate, and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate;
• and a second polymer comprising a non-crosslinking poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate);
• wherein the composition is insoluble in a neutral salt solution containing at least about 0.3 weight percent salt, said salt comprising one or more monovalent ions;
• wherein said fabric is water dispersible in an aqueous environment containing up to about 200 ppm of one or more multivalent ions and a monovalent ion concentration of less than about 0.5% by weight.

A wet wipe comprising:

• a fibrous substrate, wherein less than about 20% of the fibers comprising the fibrous substrate have a length of about 6-10 mm;
• and
• an ion-sensitive water-dispersible binder comprising a sulfonate anion modified polymer and a non-crosslinking poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate), wherein the composition is insoluble in a neutral salt solution containing at least about 0.3 weight percent salt, said salt comprising one or more monovalent ions;
• wherein said binder comprises less than about 25% by weight of said fibrous fabric and said fibrous substrate comprising more than about 75% by weight of said fibrous fabric;
• wherein the fabric is dispersible in an aqueous environment containing up to about 200 ppm of one or more divalent and/or multivalent ions;
• and wherein after up to about 60 minutes said fibrous material breaks up into multiple pieces each having an average size of less than about 50% relative to its pre-dispersed size.