Patent ID: 6340411
Filing Date: 2002-01-22
Classification: A61F,A61L,D04H,D06M,D21H,Y10T

Abstract:
In a fibrous product which comprises a wet laid mat of fibers having hydrogen bonding functional sites that can be air laid into a web, compressed, and then released under a first set of conditions to provide a web of air laid fibers densified to a first density, the improvement consisting essentially of:a wet laid mat of wood pulp fibers having a basis weight of at least 350 grams per square meter to be air laid into a web; and a densifying agent applied to the wet laid mat of wood pulp fibers in an amount effective to increase the density of the air laid web of wood pulp fibers to a value greater than the first density after compressing and then releasing the air laid web of wood pulp fibers having a densifying agent applied thereto under the first set of conditions, wherein the densifying agent consists essentially of a non-polymeric organic material that includes a hydroxyl functionality and the densifying agent and wood pulp fibers form hydrogen bonds in the absence of covalent bonds between the densifying agent and the wood pulp fibers.