Non-woven fabric comprising at least one spun-bonded layer

Abstract: Non-woven material comprising a web of spunbonded polymeric filaments wherein the web is impregnated with a thermal stabilising agent e.g. a fluorocarbon, before being hot calendered on at least one side. This results in material having an outer surface which is much more resistant to abrasion than an untreated spunbonded surface. The non-woven material may comprise a laminate of layers e.g. two.layers of spunbonded filaments sandwiching a central layer of melt-blown fibres, the laminate being impregnated with a thermal stabilising agent before hot calendering on at least one side.

Description: This invention relates to non-woven laminated fabric-like material made of predominantly synthetic fibres. It has hitherto been proposed to make articles such as disposable workwear garments from a material which comprises two layers of substantially continuous polymeric filaments formed by a spunbonded process into a web, the thermoplastic polymer being extruded through a spinnerette or the like to form discrete filaments which are, thereafter, drawn and deposited in a substantially random manner on a carrier belt or the like to form a web. Such web material will hereafter be referred to as "spunbonded" web material. The two layers of spunbonded polymeric material sandwich a layer of polymeric material formed by a melt-blown process into a web, molten polymeric material being extruded into fine streams which are broken up by a flow of high velocity heated gas into discontinuous fibres of small diameter, the fibres being subsequently collected on a screen, drum or the like to produce a web of microfibres. The web possesses integrity due to the entanglement of the individual fibres in the web as well as some degree of thermal or self-bonding between the fibres. Such web material will hereafter be referred to as melt-blown polymeric web material. The polymers used to prepare both the spunbonded and melt-blown webs can be a wide variety of thermoplastic polymers of either the same or different type. Polypropylene is a particularly useful polymer for this purpose. The three web layers i.e. the two outer layers of spunbonded fibres and the central layer of melt-blown fibres are pattern bonded together by the application of heat and pressure by passing the webs for example through the nip between two rollers one of which is provided with raised points. Alternatively the web layers can be ultrasonically bonded together. The bonds may comprise between 10 to 50 percent of the surface area, preferably 10 to 30 percent. The filaments in the outer spunbonded web layers may for example have a diameter of between 15 to 25 microns and those in the inner melt-blown web layer have a diameter of 2 to 10 microns. The material may have a basis weight of less than about 136 g/m 2 (4 ozs per square yard), and is preferably 61 g/m 2 (1.8 ozs per square yard). Further details of this material and the method of manufacture thereof are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4041203 (Brock & Meitner, assigned to Kimberly-Clark Corporation). U.S. Specification No. 4379192 discloses a non-woven fabric comprising a mat of polymeric melt blown microfibres laminated with a layer of spunbonded filament by pattern bonding. A laminate non-woven material comprising two webs of spunbonded fibres sandwiching a central web of melt-blown fibres, as described above, will hereafter be referred to as non-woven laminate material of the type described. When non-woven laminate material of the type described is used for example to make a disposable workwear garment it has been found that the material gives the benefits both of a particle and liquid barrier provided by the central melt-blown web layer and comfort due to the permeability to air and water vapour of the laminate material. The outer layers of spunbond web material give some protection against abrasion. The laminate material therefore provides good protection to a wearer against penetration of hazardous fibres e.g. asbestos fibres and hazardous dust whilst offering comfort in use. However, it has been found that whilst material of the type described may have good surface abrasion resistance for some garment end uses, for other applications further improvement is needed. If this material is used in conditions where heavy abrasive wear is likely to take place the fibres in the outer spunbonded web layers can break between the bond areas causing the surface to "fuzz" and to form fibre "pills" which can detach from the surface and contaminate the environment e.g. in a spray-paint plant. The resulting contamination can be a problem in critical environments such as vehicle spray painting, electronic manufacturing, pharmaceuticals preparation and general 'clean' environments. Equally in certain applications requiring protection of the wearer from large amounts of fibres or dusts, a "fuzzy" fibre surface can trap excessive amounts of fibres or dust which can build up and be subsequently released in relatively large concentrations into the breathing zone of the wearer. It is thus desirable to produce a fabric for workwear and the like, which has a highly bonded, smooth abrasion-resistant surface which is resistant to "fuzzing" and linting and which deters adherence of dust whilst at the same time being sufficiently permeable to air/water vapour to be comfortable to wear and which reduces any tendency of the wearer to suffer from heat stress. Such a laminated fabric is prepared by a process as defined in Claim 1. The material is preferably a laminate of two outer spunbonded layers sandwiching a central melt-blown layer but may be a laminate of a single spunbonded layer and a melt-blown layer, the laminate(s) being impregnated with the impregnating agent before hot smooth calendering on at least one side. Such material is particularly suitable for disposable workwear garments. The spunbonded layer(s) may be calendered on either one side which is suitable for garments (with the calendered side on the outside) or the two outer sides to make it suitable for use in other applications e.g. wipes. The calendered outer surface(s) is found to be much more resistant to abrasion than untreated surfaces and the use of the impregnating agent appears to play an important part in achieving optimum results. The impregnating agent is a low surface tension fluid repellent agent having a significantly higher melting point than polypropylene and is preferably a fluorocarbon. The fluorocarbon is preferably a block copolymer of a perfluoroalkyl acrylate and a polyethylene substituted acrylate. It is believed that different types of fluorocarbon will also be effective. For example, fluorocarbons containing trifluoromethylsilyl groups instead of perfluoroalkyl groups. It is also believed that silicone oils such as poly dimethyl siloxanes will be effective as well as polyethylene glycols. The fluorocarbon may be mixed with lithium nitrate (e.g. in a 40:1 ratio by weight). The fluorocarbon acts to repel low surface tension liquids (e.g. alcohol) and the lithium nitrate gives a degree of continuity which disperses static charges. The fluorocarbon is believed to retard complete flow of fibres into a film thus causing optimum retention of the desirable fibre structure. Such calendering is carried out by passing the material through a nip of a smooth heated roller and a non-heated roller. Preferably the heated roller is of steel and the backing roller is made for example of plastic, cotton or paper. Preferably the roller is heated to a temperature substantially the same as the melting point of the polymer of the fibres in the layer to be calendered e.g. 167 °C (333°F) for polypropylene. The nip is set so as to give a light pressure e.g. 40 kg per cm and the material is passed through the nip sufficiently quickly so that in effect the surface is given a "shock heat" treatment which acts to produce additional fibre to fibre bonds in the surface spunbond layer in contact with the heated roller between the primary pattern bonds already produced by the bonding rollers. The arrangement is such that whilst the fibres in the calendered surface react to the input of heat, (depending on the conditions) the fibres in the central melt-blown layer are less affected by the input of heat so that its filter barrier and porosity properties are not completely degraded. An abrasion resistant surface is produced with the ends of any loose fibres being held within the layer. By varying the conditions one can either have a high temperature and have a longer time within the nip to give a higher abrasion resistance with relatively low permeability or with a lower temperature and somewhat higher line speed, a reasonably good abrasion resistance and reasonably better permeability can be created. Basically if the temperature is raised then the line speed may be increased to achieve the same abrasion resistance. Also at a given line speed and temperature, abrasion resistance increases with increasing nip pressure at the expense of air permeability. In use "pilling" of the smooth calendered surface, which is placed on the outside of the workwear garment, is substantially eliminated and whilst the air permeability of the fabric is reduced it is still very acceptable. Furthermore, the fabric does not have a fuzzy surface which tends to hold fibres or dust causing later problems of inhalation. Whilst the spunbonded fabric may be the conventional spunbonded material made in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Patent No. 3,692,618, it is preferred that the spunbonded layers be made by a process as taught in U.S. Patent 4,340,563. Either one or both spunbond sides of the material may be smooth calendered. When both sides are calendered the material could be used for other applications for example wipes. The wiping surfaces would have low lint for-critical wiping applications. Such a fabric calendered on both sides could also usefully be used in a variety of other applications demanding good surface durability, examples of which could include protective bedding fabrics, for mattresses and pillows, robot cover fabrics, and agricultural fabrics, for example, a substrate fabric for a thermal screen in a greenhouse. Preferably, the material is impregnated with a fluorocarbon and preferably also lithium nitrate mixture and dried e.g. at a temperature of 149 °C (300 °F) before hot calendering occurs. This for example may be achieved by running the material through a bath containing the salt and fluorocarbon together with a wetting agent. The material may then be squeezed to remove excess liquid and then passed over heated drums to drive off water. For example the material may be passed round six stacks, each comprising ten steam heated drums the stacks having a temperature, in the direction of the fabric run, from an initial stack temperature of 149 °C (300 °F) to a final stack temperature of about 127 °C (260 °F), leaving the fabric with the desired coating. It is believed that the smooth calendering of fluorocarbon lithium nitrate coating and heat treatment gives the material so treated, after calendering, a better textile feel, softness and drape, noise level, air permeability and strength, as compared with untreated material. The material may be impregnated with a fluorocarbon or the like and calendered either as part of the manufacturing process or subsequently to the production of the laminate. The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a photograph enlarged by a factor of one hundred and ten, of the surface of an outer spunbonded web layer of non-woven laminate material of the type described without treatment by the hot smooth-calendering process of the invention. Figure 2 is a photograph similar to that of Figure 1 but showing the same material after calendering in accordance with the invention. Figure 3 is a photograph enlarged by a factor of five hundred and fifty of the outer surface of a spunbonded web layer of non-woven laminate material of the type described which has been hot calendered without an impregnating agent in accordance with the invention. Figure 4 is a photograph similar to Figure 3 and of the same material but which had been treated with water which had been dried before calendering.' Figure 5 is a photograph similar to Figures 3 and 4 and of the same material but which had been impregnated in accordance with the invention. Figure 6 is a cross section to an enlarged scale of a laminate in accordance with the invention. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of rollers for calendering material on one, and both, sides. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating apparatus for producing laminate material in accordance with the invention. Referring to Figure 1 the filaments are illustrated at 2, the bond areas being shown at 4. It can be seen that the length of the continuous spunbond filaments between the bond areas is relatively large giving rise to the problem of breakages due to abrasion. In Figure 2 it will be seen that the filaments 2 have interlinking bonds between the bond areas but only in the surface portion of the material, leaving the centre melt-blown layer relatively untouched. To ascertain the effectiveness of these pre-calendering treatments and to determine whether the improvement with the treated material is due to the presence of the chemicals or the drying process, the following fabrics were prepared and calendered by way of example: FABRIC 1 - base material, no post production treatments prior to calendering. (see Figure 3). FABRIC II - base material which was passed through an aqueous bath containing a fugitive wetting agent and subsequently squeezed to remove excess liquid before being passed over heated drums to remove any water remaining, as described in the example cited above (see Figure 4). FABRIC III - base material which was passed through an aqueous bath containing the fluorocarbon and lithium nitrate mixture together with a fugitive wetting agent and subsequently squeezed to remove excess liquid before being passed over heated drums to drive off the water, as described in the example cited above (see Figure 5). All three fabrics were then hot calendered under identical conditions, though not necessarily those required to give the optimum benefits cited by this invention. The following table summarises post production treatments, the calendering conditions, and relevant test data. These results show that Fabric III has been least affected by the calendering treatment. Fabric III retains a more open, fibrous surface as evidenced by the high permeability and low abrasion resistance results, conversely the low permeability, high abrasion resistance results obtained for Fabrics I and II indicate a more closed, film-like surface. Fabric III also resists tear propagation better than either Fabrics I and II, as evidenced by the higher work values cited for Grab Tensile and Trap Tear results. This further confirms the more fibrous nature of Fabric III. The more open surface of Fabric III can be seen by comparing Figure 5 with Figures 3 and 4. These results imply that it is the presence of the fluorocarbon/lithium nitrate coating which is responsible for the way in which the chemically treated fabric responds favourably to the calendering rather than any heat treatment received during the drying of the fabric. It is thought that this is a consequence of the higher melting point of the fluorocarbon compared to polypropylene. Without the fluorocarbon coating, the fibres react at the meeting point to calendering under pressure by melting and flowing into a film. With a fluorocarbon agent present, molten polypropylene polymer is encased by a solid exterior. This allows some flowing and fibre to fibre bonding but retards complete film formation compared to untreated material calendered under identical conditions. However, it is believed that any agent which forms a separate phase around the polypropylene and which prevents wetting of melted polypropylene fibres should be effective. As explained previously the extent of the interbonding of the spunbonded fibres will vary, with a corresponding variation in abrasion resistance and air permeability depending upon the temperature of the heated calender roller, the nip pressure and the dwell time in the nip of the rollers. As an example the following table shows the results of the abrasion resistance and air permeability on some examples of fabric material of the type described in accordance with the invention compared with a fabric not treated in accordance with the invention. All the fabric examples are of spunbonded/melt-blown/spunbonded construction of 61 g/m 2 (1.8 ozs per square yard) basic weight and processed on narrow width pilot equipment. The diameter of the spunbonded filaments is say 23 microns and that of the melt-blown fibres is 2 to 3 microns. The material was treated with fluorocarbon and lithium nitrate and subsequently heated before calendering as described above. Abrasion resistance was measured on a Martindale abrasion tester using the test fabric as the abradant (i.e. fabric on fabric abrasion) and using weight loadings of 12 kpa. The average weight losses of the samples plus abradent after various numbers of abrasion cycles was measured (mg/1000 rubs). Air permeability was measured in dm/min according to DIN standard 53 887 at a vacuum of 2 mbar and a test area of 20cm 2 . The results are from a statistically low base but nevertheless should approximate to average values. The calendering rollers and conditions of the two examples are:- EFFECT OF VARIATION OF LINE SPEED EXAMPLE I Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 167°C. Pressure 40 kg/cm. Speed 15 m/min. EXAMPLE II Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 167°C. Pressure 40 kg/cm. Speed 30 m/min. EXAMPLE III Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 167°C. Pressure 40 kg/cm Speed 35 m/min. The results are as follows:- SAMPLE NO RUBS AVERAGE WT LOSS WT LOSS/1000 RUBS AIR PERMEABILITY mg mg/1000 rubs dm/min BASE 955 19.03 19.93 88.9 Example 1 8000 2.90 0.36 12.0 Example II 3000 9.69 3.23 32.5 Example III 3000 8.60 2.87 38.0 EFFECT OF VARIATION OF TEMPERATURE EXAMPLE I Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 167°C. Pressure 40 kg/cm. Speed 30 m/min. EXAMPLE II Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 175°C. Pressure 40 kg/cm. Speed 30 m/min. The results are as follows:- SAMPLE NO RUBS AVERAGE WT LOSS WT LOSS/1000 RUBS AIR PERMEABILITY mg mg/1000 rubs dm/min BASE 955 19.03 19.93 88.9 Example 1 3000 9.69 3.23 32.5 Example II 7000 6.51 0.93 21.0 EFFECT OF VARIATION OF PRESSURE EXAMPLE I Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 170°C. Pressure 10 kg/cm. Speed 15 m/min. EXAMPLE II Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 170°C. Pressure 20 kg/cm. Speed 15 m/min. EXAMPLE III Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 170°C. Pressure 25 kg/cm. Speed 15 m/min. EXAMPLE IV Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 170°C. Pressure 40 kg/cm. Speed 15 m/min. The results are as follows:- SAMPLE NO RUBS AVERAGE WT LOSS WT LOSS/1000 RUBS AIR PERMEABILITY mg mg/1000 rubs dm/min BASE 955 19.03 19.93 88.9 Example 1 3000 31.50 10.50 86.0 Example II 3800 16.50 4.34 62.0 Example III 4000 8.30 2.08 34.0 Example IV 4600 19.70 4.28 18.0 That indicated as the Base material is non-woven laminate material of the type described. The Examples in each case, are examples of material in accordance with the current invention having been hot smooth-calendered by different amounts. The results show that material in accordance with the invention has a reduction in air permeability with increasing abrasion resistance; and that fabrics can be produced with very much improved abrasion resistance over the base fabric with good levels of air permeability. For example, the material of Example III (of the table illustrating the effect of variation of line speed) has approximately seven times the abrasion resistance of the base fabric of Example I, (one seventh of the weight loss on abrasion) with slightly less than half the air permeability of the base fabric. The following table shows the result of the abrasion resistance and air permeability on some examples of fabric material of the type described in accordance with the invention compared with a fabric not treated in accordance with the invention. All fabric examples are of spunbonded/melt-blown/spunbonded construction of 61 g/m 2 (1.8 ozs per square yard) basic weight processed on wide-width commercial equipment. EXAMPLE I Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 160°C. Pressure 100 kg/cm. Speed 60 m/min. EXAMPLE II Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 165°C. Pressure 100 kg/cm. Speed 40 m/min. EXAMPLE III Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 166°C. Pressure 80 kg/cm. Speed 60 m/min. EXAMPLE IV Smooth steel roller against polyamide roller. Temperature of steel roller 168°C. Pressure 80 kg/cm. Speed 45 m/min. The results are as follows:- SAMPLE NO RUBS AVERAGE WT LOSS WT LOSS/1000 RUBS AIR PERMEABILITY mg mg/1000 rubs dm/min BASE 955 19.03 19.93 88.9 Example 1 6000 8.82 1.47 26.0 Example II 10000 3.90 0.39 11.0 Example III 1100 11.61 10.55 45.3 Example VI 9000 10.26 1.14 15.3 Figure 6 illustrates an example of a laminate material in accordance with the invention from which it will be seen that the material is composed of two outer layers 6 of spunbonded material sandwiching a central layer 8 of melt-blown material. The material has been treated by impregnating with a fluorocarbon and the outer surface of each of the spunbonded layers has been hot smooth calendered. The laminate material has been subjected to embossing as illustrated at 9. These embossments are in the form of small bond areas normally arranged in a pattern e.g. a rectangular or diagonal pattern. The calendering may be carried out as indicated in Figure 7 by a single pass between a steel roller 10 and a backing roller 12 (see Figure 7A). The roller may be a 'NIPCO' type variable crown roller to ensure uniform pressure across the width especially when the material is 'wide' i.e. having a width of 1 to 2 metres. Figure 7B shows the arrangement of a calender system used to simultaneously calender both sides of a fabric. In each case pressure is applied as indicated by the arrows F1. Referring to Figure 8 which is a schematic drawing of one example of apparatus for producing a laminate material in accordance with the invention, it will be seen that a spinneret 20 is fed with an appropriate polymer from a hopper 22 through inlet pipes 24 and with suitable pigments/additives from the second hopper 26. The fine polymer filaments 28 produced by the spinneret 20 pass through a high velocity air drawing system generally illustrated at 30 and the resultant filaments 32 are fed on to a moving forming screen 34, a vacuum being supplied beneath the screen so that the hot filaments form a tangled bonded web on the forming screen. The layer 36 of spunbonded polymer is moved along by the movement of the forming screen which rotates in the direction of the arrows x beneath a layer of melt-blown fibres 38 formed from melt-blown 'unwind' unit 39. A second layer of spunbonded polymer is produced by a spinneret and air drawing system similar to that described above to produce the first spunbonded layer 34, so that the laminate material illustrated at 40 leaving the forming screen comprises two outer layers 34, of spunbonded material sandwiching a central layer 38 of melt-blown material such as is illustrated in Figure 6. The laminate 40 is fed between two bonding rollers 42, one of which is provided with projections in a pattern so as to produce a pattern of depressed bond areas e.g. that shown at 9 in Figure 6, over the whole surface of the laminate material. The laminate material 40 is then fed into a bath 44 of a fluorocarbon and lithium nitrate mixture which to saturates the laminate. On leaving the bath, the laminate material is passed between two squeeze rollers 46 to remove excess liquid. The impregnated web is then dried by passing it over a series of heated rollers, drums or the like within a standard drying unit generally indicated at 48 and the dried web is then passed between two calendered rollers 50/52, the top roller 50 being a heated smooth steel roller and the bottom roller 52 being a backing roller. In this arrangement the upper surface of the upper spunbonded layer 34 of the laminate material is thus calendered to produce the desired effect described hereinbefore and to create a laminate material in accordance with the invention. The laminate is then wound on a rewound roller 54. In an alternative arrangement the laminate may be produced by one apparatus and the laminate may then be treated by passing it through a bath, drying it and then calendering on a second separate apparatus.

Claims: A process for preparing a non-woven laminate material having at least one layer of spunbond polymeric filaments bonded by a patterned calender roll to a layer of meltblown polymeric fibres characterised in that subsequent to the pattern bonding the material is impregnated with a low surface tension fluid repellent agent having a higher melting point than the polymeric filaments of the spunbonded layer and in that the outer surface of at least one impregnated spunbond layer is thereafter hot calendered by a smooth calender roll. A process as claimed in Claim 1 characterised in that the material is a laminate of two layers of spunbonded polymeric filaments sandwiching a central layer of meltblown polymeric fibres. A process as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the impregnating agent is a fluorocarbon. A process as claimed in any preceding Claim in which the calendering is carried out by passing the material through the nip of a smooth heated roller and a backing roller. A process as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the heated roller is made of steel and the backing roller is made of plastic, cotton, paper or the like. A process as claimed in either Claim 4 or 5 wherein the heated roller is heated to a temperature substantially the same as the melting point of the polymer of the fibres in the layer to be calendered. A process as claimed in any of Claims 4 to 6 wherein the nip pressure is set so as to give a light pressure and the material is passed through the nip sufficiently quickly so that in effect the surface is given a "shock heat" treatment. A process as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the material is treated with heat before the calendering step. A process as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the material is impregnated, before calendering, with an anti static and fluid repellent agent which comprises the coating substance. A process as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the material is coated by running the material through a bath containing the coating together with a wetting agent. A process as claimed in Claim 10 wherein the material is thereafter squeezed to remove excess liquid, and is then passed over heated drums to drive off water.

Inventors: CURRIE KENNETH, MADDERN PETER, CURRIE, KENNETH, MADDERN, PETER
Applicants: KIMBERLY CLARK LTD, KIMBERLY-CLARK LIMITED
Application year: 1987
Main classification: D04H3
IPC codes: D04H1, D06C15, D06M13, D04H3