Patent ID: 8465611
Filing Date: 2013-06-18
Classification: D01D,D01F,D04H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of making an area-bonded nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of: melt extruding a crystallizable amorphous polymer of a single polymer system to produce a plurality of fibers; subjecting the polymer to processing conditions that produce a first polymer component that is at least partially crystalline and a second polymer component that is substantially amorphous; depositing the plurality of fibers on a collection surface to form a web containing both said first polymer component and said second polymer component; bonding at least some of the plurality of fibers to one another at adjacent points of contact to form an area bonded nonwoven web in which the second polymer component softens and fuses to form bonds with the first polymer component; and effecting crystallization of the second polymer component so that in the resulting nonwoven fabric both said polymer components are at least partially crystalline; wherein the second polymer component is present in an amount ranging from 2% to 35% by weight, and wherein the processing conditions are selected from the group consisting of