Patent ID: 9617685
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: D21H

Claim:
1. A process of making a paper or nonwoven article comprising a wet-laid nonwoven web layer, said process comprising: a) providing a fiber furnish comprising a plurality of fibers and a plurality of binder microfibers, wherein said binder microfibers comprise a water non-dispersible, synthetic polymer; wherein said binder microfibers have a length of less than 25 millimeters and a fineness of less than 0.5 d/f; wherein said binder microfibers have a melting temperature that is less than the melting temperature of said fibers; wherein there is an absence of a binder other than said binder microfibers; and wherein the amount of said binder microfibers range from about 5 weight percent to about 90 weight percent of said nonwoven web layer; b) routing said fiber furnish to a wet-laid nonwoven process to produce at least one wet-laid nonwoven web layer; c) removing water from said wet-laid nonwoven web layer; and d) thermally bonding said wet-laid nonwoven web layer after step (c); wherein said thermal bonding is conducted at a temperature such that the surfaces of said binder microfibers at least partially melt without causing said fibers to melt thereby bonding said binder microfibers to said fibers to produce said paper or nonwoven article.