Patent ID: 8303888

Claim:
A process of forming a non-woven cellulose web, comprising the steps of: a) forming an aqueous solution of cellulose and a solvent; b) directing said aqueous solution through a first member having multiple rows of first and second openings, each of said first openings having a nozzle positioned therein and each of said second openings having a stationary pin positioned therein, and at least one of said nozzles in a row being staggered from at least one of said nozzles in an adjacent row; c) extruding said aqueous solution through each of said nozzles to form multiple filaments; d) shrouding at least a portion of each of said filaments in a pressurized gas emitted through a second member, said second member having multiple openings surrounding each of said nozzles and multiple corridors surrounding each of said stationary pins; e) attenuating said filaments into a circular cross-sectional configuration having a diameter of less than about 15 microns; f) contacting said filaments with a liquid, said liquid mixing with said solvent to remove some of said solvent whereby each of said filaments is transformed into a continuous solid fiber; and g) collecting said continuous solid fibers on a moving surface to form a non-woven cellulose web.