Patent ID: 6908524

Claim:
In a method for forming a bonded and creped nonwoven web which comprises: applying a polymer emulsion binder to a nonwoven web to form a coated nonwoven web, drying the coated nonwoven web, and subsequently creping said dried coated nonwoven web in a crepe process, the improvement which comprises using an alkylphenol ethoxylate-free polymer emulsion binder formed by polymerizing vinyl acetate, ethylene, and one or more crosslinking monomers, under emulsion polymerization conditions, in the presence of a combination of an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant, wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate having 1 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide, said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate containing 7 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide or an ethoxylated branched primary alcohol containing 3 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide, said primary or secondary alcohol containing 7 to 18 carbons.