EP0454104A1
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EP
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Biodegradable sheet material and its application
Assignee: Kimberly Clark Corp
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Filing: 1991-04-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A biodegradable latex web material suitable as a replacement for plastic in a wide variety of uses due to its good overall strength and its ratio of wet strength to dry strength. The material includes a web of cellulose fibers which, prior to treatment with a saturant, has a breaking length in the dry state ranging from 0.80 to 6.20 km. Optionally, the web can contain synthetic fibers to improve the tear strength of the material. In order to obtain tensile strengths which are comparable to plastics,the fibrous web is saturated with a latex composition which may be natural, synthetic or a combination of natural and synthetic polymers. In addition to latex, other additives may be incorporated into the saturant for special end use properties. The latexes used will have glass transition temperatures (Tg) of between -50°C and 20°C. If mixing natural and synthetic polymers together, the ratio of synthetic to natural polymers should be 2:1 to 4:1 by weight. The saturant compositions are applied to the base web at an add on from 16 to 80 dry parts saturant per 100 parts fiber by weight to form a latex web composite. The composite once formed should have an average strength of at least about 50 kg/cm² and a ratio of wet strength to dry strength ranging from 0.2 to 0.6.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert E. Weber
- 👤 Mary Lou Delucia
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 06:13
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01G; A01G13/00; A01G13/30; A01G13/32; D; D01; D01F; D01F2/00; D06; D06M; D06M15/00; D06M15/693; D21; D21H; D21H17/00; D21H17/20; D21H17/21; D21H17/22; D21H17/24; D21H17/28; D21H17/33; D21H17/34; D21H17/35; D21H17/41; D21H17/42; D21H17/43
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
A biodegradable sheet material comprising: a fibrous base web including a plurality of cellulose fibers, said base web having a breaking length of at least 0.80 km and no greater than 6.20 km, said base web being treated with a saturant containing a latex in an add on of from 16 to 80 dry parts saturant per 100 parts fiber by weight to form a latex web composite, said web composite having a strength of at least about 50 kg/cm² and a ratio of wet strength to dry strength from 0.2 to 0.6.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
55 words
The sheet material of claim 1, wherein said latex further includes a synthetic polymer and a natural polymer, said synthetic and natural polymers being present in said latex web composite in a synthetic to natural polymer ratio of 2 : 1 to 4 : 1 by weight based upon the combined weights of said polymers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The sheet material of claim 1 or 2, wherein said latex has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of between -50°C and 20°C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The sheet material of one of claims 2 or 3, wherein at least one of said polymers in said latex is carboxylated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The sheet material of one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said natural polymer is selected from the group consisting of starch, protein and natural rubber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The sheet material of one of claims 2 to 5, wherein at least one of said polymers in said latex further contains an internal polymer cross-linking agent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The sheet material of one of the preceding claims, wherein said latex contains an external polymer cross-linking agent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The sheet material of one of the preceding claims, wherein said saturant further contains a flourocarbon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
167 words
A biodegradable sheet material, especially according to one of the preceding claims, comprising: a cellulose web including a plurality of soft wood kraft pulp fibers, said web having a basis weight from 35 to 230 g/m² and a breaking length of at least about 0.80 km and no greater than about 6.20km, said web being treated with a saturant containing a latex in an add on of from about 20 to about 80 dry parts saturant per 100 parts fiber by weight to form a latex web composite, said web composite having a strength of at least 50 kg/cm² and a ratio of wet strength to dry strength ranging from 0.2 to 0.6, said latex having a carboxylated synthetic polymer component and a natural polymer component, said carboxylated synthetic and natural polymers being present in a carboxylated synthetic polymer to natural polymer ratio of 2 : 1 to 4 : 1 by weight, said latex further having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of between -50°C and 20°C.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The sheet material of one of the preceding claims, wherein said latex web composite further includes an additional coating including latex on an outer surface of said latex web composite.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The sheet material of claim 10, wherein said additional layer is a layer of latex.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The sheet material of claim 11, wherein said additional layer of latex contains a cross-linking agent.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The sheet material of claims 11 or 12, wherein said additional layer of latex contains a flourocarbon.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The sheet material of one of claims 10 to 13, wherein said latex is natural rubber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The sheet material of one of the preceding claims, wherein said latex web composite is further subjected to a microcreping process.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
Use of the sheet material of one of the preceding claims, in an outer cover of a personal care absorbent product, especially in a disposable diaper, comprising an absorbent core and an outer cover.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
Use of the sheet material of one of claims 1 to 16 in an agricultural row cover.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
118 words
A personal care absorbent product comprising: an absorbent core and an outer cover for retaining fluid, said cover comprising a sheet material according to one of claims 1 to 15, especially including a fibrous web including a plurality of cellulose fibers, said web having a breaking length of at least 0.80 km and no greater than 6.20 km, said web being treated with a saturant containing a latex in an add on from 16 to 80 dry parts saturant per 100 parts fiber by weight to form a latex web composite, said web composite having an average strength of at least about 50 kg/cm² and a ratio of wet strength to dry strength ranging from 0.2 to 0.6.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
The personal care absorbent product of claim 18, characterized in that it is a disposable diaper.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The personal care absorbent product of claim 18 or 19, wherein said latex is carboxylated.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
47 words
The personal care absorbent product of one of claims 18 to 20, wherein said latex includes a synthetic polymer and a natural polymer, said synthetic and natural polymers being present in a synthetic to natural polymer ratio of 2 : 1 to 4 : 1 by weight.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The personal care absorbent product of claim 21, wherein said natural polymer is selected from the group consisting of starch, protein and natural rubber.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The personal care absorbent product of one of claims 18 to 22, wherein said latex further contains a cross-linking agent.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
The personal care absorbent product of one of claims 21 to 23, wherein at least one of said polymers in said latex further contains a cross-linking agent.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The personal care absorbent product of one of claims 18 to 24, wherein said saturant further contains a flourocarbon.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
The personal care absorbent product of one of claims 21 to 25, wherein at least one of said polymers in said latex is carboxylated.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
The personal care absorbent product of one of claims 18 to 26, wherein said outer cover further includes an additional coating of a latex on an outer surface of said cover.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
18 words
The personal care absorbent product of claim 27, wherein said latex in said additional coating is natural rubber.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
The personal care absorbent product of one of claims 18 to 26, wherein said outer cover has been further subjected to a microcreping process.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
102 words
An agricultural row cover comprising a sheet material according to one of claims 1 to 15, especially a fibrous web including a plurality of cellulose fibers, said web having a breaking length of at least 0.80 kilometers and no greater than 6.20 kilometers, said web being treated with a saturant containing a latex in an add on from 16 to 80 dry parts saturant per 100 parts fiber by weight to form a latex web composite, said web composite having an average strength of at least 50 kg/cm² and a ratio of wet strength to dry strength ranging from 0.2 to 0.6.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
19 words
The agricultural row cover of claim 30, wherein said latex web composite contains a plurality of apertures extending therethrough.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
27 words
The agricultural row cover of claims 30 or 31, wherein said fibrous web further includes a plurality of reinforcing fibers to reduce tearing of said row cover.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
28 words
The agricultural row cover of one of claims 30 to 32, wherein said row cover includes an additional layer of latex on an outer surface of said cover.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
35 words
The agricultural row cover of claim 33, wherein said additional layer of latex includes a synthetic polymer and a natural polymer in a ratio by weight of 2 : 1 to 4 : 1, respectively.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USRE27269E
Cited
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