A flushable wipe or hygiene tissue includes a hydraulically entangled nonwoven material impregnated with a wetting composition, wherein the nonwoven material includes cellulose pulp fibers and/or manmade staple fibers. The nonwoven material includes disintegration elements having a projected surface area between 2 and 50 mm.sup.2 and an aspect ratio (L/D) between 1 and 10. The disintegration elements may be selected from the following group: botanical elements, paper containing a wet-strength agent, nonwoven material, and film material, and will result in a material that is more readily disintegratable when flushed in a sewer.

A method for producing a flushable hydroentangled moist wipe or hygiene tissue including the steps of: dry-, wet-, or foam-forming a fibrous web on a moving support, hydroentangling said fibrous web in a hydroentangling station to form a hydroentangled nonwoven web is disclosed. The moving support includes a plurality of protruding elongated elements protruding above the surface of the moving support. The protruding elements will produce weakenings in the hydroentangled web.

A method for producing a flushable hydroentangled moist wipe or hygiene tissue including the steps of: dry-, wet-, or foam-forming a fibrous web on a moving support, hydroentangling said fibrous web in a hydroentangling station to form a hydroentangled nonwoven web is disclosed. The moving support includes a plurality of protruding elongated elements protruding above the surface of the moving support. The protruding elements will produce weakenings in the hydroentangled web.

A method for manufacturing a composite material includes forming a composite precursor material comprising a nonwoven layer comprising a plurality of fibers and a polymer film layer laminated to the nonwoven layer; forming a plurality of apertured extended cells in the polymer film layer, each of the apertured extended cells having a continuous sidewall extending away from the nonwoven layer that terminates in an aperture at a distal end; and, while forming the plurality of apertured extended cells, pushing, with a fluid, at least one of the fibers into at least one of the apertured extended cells so that a portion of the at least one of the fibers extends into the at least one of the apertured extended cells and through the aperture at the distal end.

A method for manufacturing a composite material includes forming a composite precursor material comprising a nonwoven layer comprising a plurality of fibers and a polymer film layer laminated to the nonwoven layer; forming a plurality of apertured extended cells in the polymer film layer, each of the apertured extended cells having a continuous sidewall extending away from the nonwoven layer that terminates in an aperture at a distal end; and, while forming the plurality of apertured extended cells, pushing, with a fluid, at least one of the fibers into at least one of the apertured extended cells so that a portion of the at least one of the fibers extends into the at least one of the apertured extended cells and through the aperture at the distal end.

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.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a nonwoven fabric, the method comprising the steps of providing fibres comprising 10-100 wt-% of bast fibres, the bast fibres having at least one angle of at least 20, and the bast fibres having an average fibre length of 10-60 mm; carding the fibres and forming a web of fibres on a wire support; hydroentangling the formed web by using at least a first and a second hydroentangling unit, wherein a hydroentanglement energy in the first hydroentangling unit is lower than the hydroentanglement energy in the second hydroentangling unit; dewatering the hydroentangled web; and drying the dewatered web at a temperature of 105-125 C.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a nonwoven fabric, the method comprising the steps of providing fibres comprising 10-100 wt-% of bast fibres, the bast fibres having at least one angle of at least 20, and the bast fibres having an average fibre length of 10-60 mm; carding the fibres and forming a web of fibres on a wire support; hydroentangling the formed web by using at least a first and a second hydroentangling unit, wherein a hydroentanglement energy in the first hydroentangling unit is lower than the hydroentanglement energy in the second hydroentangling unit; dewatering the hydroentangled web; and drying the dewatered web at a temperature of 105-125 C.

Absorbent composites suitable for a wide variety of uses (e.g., sorbent drapes, sorbent patches around a fenestration area, tray liners for surgical tools, incontinence pads and liners, other liners, etc.) are provided. The composite includes an absorbent nonwoven. The absorbent nonwoven may comprise a hydroentangled spunbond web. The composite also may comprise a liquid-impermeable film. One or more absorbent nonwovens of a composite may additionally comprise a three-dimensional pattern, for example, a three-dimensional pattern that has been imaged using hydroentanglement. Optionally, any one or more layers of the composites may comprise an antimicrobial additive.