The invention relates to a nonwoven fabric containing at least a portion of individualized bast fibers with a mean length of greater than about 6 mm which have been treated to produce a crimp, and which can be further coated with one or more thermoplastic polymers to ensure compatibility with QAC sanitizers, and which typically having a reduced level of naturally occurring pectin. The coating and crimp of the bast fibers in these nonwoven fabrics is beneficial to forming a drylaid, airlaid or wetlaid nonwoven fabric that has desirable properties related to performance in a variety of nonwoven product applications.

The invention relates to a nonwoven fabric containing at least a portion of individualized bast fibers with a mean length of greater than about 6 mm which have been treated to produce a crimp, and which can be further coated with one or more thermoplastic polymers to ensure compatibility with QAC sanitizers, and which typically having a reduced level of naturally occurring pectin. The coating and crimp of the bast fibers in these nonwoven fabrics is beneficial to forming a drylaid, airlaid or wetlaid nonwoven fabric that has desirable properties related to performance in a variety of nonwoven product applications.

A method of forming a sheet material. The method comprises advancing an arrangement comprising a body of fibres and a reinforcing structure, wherein the reinforcing structure comprises splittable fibres. The method further comprises subjecting the arrangement to successive hydroentanglement steps, wherein in each such hydroentanglement step the arrangement is exposed to high pressure jets of liquid over a surface of the arrangement. Subjecting the arrangement to successive hydroentanglement steps causes the fibres of the body of fibres to entangle with each other and causes a mechanical bond to form between the fibres of the body of fibres and the reinforcing structure. The mechanical bond is caused by at least:

some of the fibres of the body of fibres being pushed by the high-pressure jets of liquid into gaps in the reinforcing structure;

at least some of the splittable fibres of the reinforcing structure splitting to form split fibres which reduces the space within the gaps such that the reinforcing structure constricts about fibres of the body of fibres which have been pushed in the gaps; and

at least some of the fibres of the body of fibres entangling with at least some of the split fibres and at least some of the splittable fibres of the reinforcing structure.

A method of forming a sheet material. The method comprises advancing an arrangement comprising a body of fibres and a reinforcing structure, wherein the reinforcing structure comprises splittable fibres. The method further comprises subjecting the arrangement to successive hydroentanglement steps, wherein in each such hydroentanglement step the arrangement is exposed to high pressure jets of liquid over a surface of the arrangement. Subjecting the arrangement to successive hydroentanglement steps causes the fibres of the body of fibres to entangle with each other and causes a mechanical bond to form between the fibres of the body of fibres and the reinforcing structure. The mechanical bond is caused by at least:

some of the fibres of the body of fibres being pushed by the high-pressure jets of liquid into gaps in the reinforcing structure;

at least some of the splittable fibres of the reinforcing structure splitting to form split fibres which reduces the space within the gaps such that the reinforcing structure constricts about fibres of the body of fibres which have been pushed in the gaps; and

at least some of the fibres of the body of fibres entangling with at least some of the split fibres and at least some of the splittable fibres of the reinforcing structure.

Hydroentangled composites having a wide variety of uses (e.g., personal hygiene articles, facers for fenestration absorbent patches on surgical drapes, facers on absorbent surgical drapes, etc.) are provided. The hydroentangled composite includes at least two nonwoven webs hydroentangled together. The hydroentangled composite may have a three-dimensional structure. Additionally, the at least two nonwoven webs may have different bonding levels and/or lint levels.

Hydroentangled composites having a wide variety of uses (e.g., personal hygiene articles, facers for fenestration absorbent patches on surgical drapes, facers on absorbent surgical drapes, etc.) are provided. The hydroentangled composite includes at least two nonwoven webs hydroentangled together. The hydroentangled composite may have a three-dimensional structure. Additionally, the at least two nonwoven webs may have different bonding levels and/or lint levels.

Disclosed is a wet wipe, for example, a dispersible wet wipe. The wet wipe may include a base sheet comprising short length fibers; a dispersible binding agent reinforcing the base sheet; and a wetting lotion. The dispersible binding agent may be configured to bind the fibers of the base sheet when the dispersible wiper includes liquid at an amount of at most 400 wt % from the weight of the base sheet and to disperse in excess water if the amount of the water exceeds 500 wt %.

A disposable absorbent article is described. The disposable absorbent article has a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. A carded staple fiber nonwoven having a basis weight of between about 50 grams per square meter (gsm) and about 100 gsm, includes a blend of absorbing fibers, stiffening fibers and filler fibers. The carded staple fiber nonwoven has a pore volume radius mode of between about 60 μm and about 120 μm.

A disposable absorbent article is described. The disposable absorbent article has a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. A carded staple fiber nonwoven having a basis weight of between about 50 grams per square meter (gsm) and about 100 gsm, includes a blend of absorbing fibers, stiffening fibers and filler fibers. The carded staple fiber nonwoven has a pore volume radius mode of between about 60 μm and about 120 μm.

A drying method and to a drying device (2) for a moist material web (4) which is composed of a textile fibrous material and which has for example been compacted using liquid jets (45). The drying device (2) includes a drying chamber (22) with an aeration (ventilating) device (29) and an inlet (18), an outlet (19) and a fluid-permeable conveying device (23) for the running material web (4). The material web (4) is transported within the drying chamber (22) by the conveying device (23) and is dried using a heated gas, in particular air. The drying device (2) additionally has a suction device (5) which locally suctions and discharges liquid, in particular water, which is contained in the material web (4) by a suction flow (6) at one or more suction locations (53) at the material web (4).