EP0550029A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Conductive fabric and method of producing same
Assignee: Kimberly Clark Worldwide Inc
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Filing: 1992-12-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-12-24
Abstract
Abstract Conductive meltblown fabrics are disclosed which have improved strength and hand over conventional conductive meltblown fabrics. Also disclosed is a process for spraying a solution containing a conductive agent into a molten stream of meltblown fibers before they are deposited onto a forming wire. By applying the solution onto the fibers before they are deposited onto the forming wire, the heat of the molten stream vaporizes the solvent carrying the conductive agent and thereby eliminates the need to subsequently dry the formed material. By eliminating the drying step, degredation of the strength and hardening of the hand of the material normally resulting from the wetting and drying of meltblown fabrics is avoided. There is also disclosed a conductive SMS laminate having a conductive meltblown layer sandwiched between two untreated and nonconductive spunbond layers.
Inventors
- 👤 Anthony Jobe
- 👤 Cheryl Anne Perkins
- 👤 Michael David Powers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 21:44
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H3/00; D04H3/08; D04H3/16; D06; D06M; D06M10/00; D04H1/00; D04H1/40; D04H1/407; D04H1/54; D04H1/56; D04H1/58; D04H1/64; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/659; Y10T442/66
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
46 words
A method for producing a conductive meltblown web, said method comprising the steps of: (a) meltblowing a thermoplastic polymer to form fibers; (b) introducing a conductive agent onto said fibers; and (c) depositing said fibers onto a traveling form wire to form the conductive meltblown web.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of Claim 1, wherein said conductive agent is introduced by spraying a solution containing said conductive agent onto said fibers before they are deposited onto said forming wire.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of Claim 2, wherein said solution comprises an aqueous solution.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of Claim 2, wherein said conductive agent is present in said solution in an amount of greater than 1.5 percent by weight of said solution.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of Claim 2, wherein said conductive agent consists essentially of an alcohol phosphate salt.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of Claim 5, wherein said salt comprises potassium butyl phosphate.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for producing a conductive laminate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) meltblowing a thermoplastic polymer to form fibers; (b) introducing a conductive agent onto said fibers; (c) depositing said fibers onto a traveling form wire to form a conductive meltblown web; and (d) laminating the conductive meltblown web to at least one untreated nonwoven web of thermoplastic fibers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of Claim 7, wherein said conductive agent is introduced by spraying a solution containing said conductive agent onto said fibers of the meltblown web before the fibers are deposited onto said forming wire.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of Claim 8, wherein said solution comprises an aqueous solution.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of Claim 8, wherein said conductive agent is present in said solution in an amount of greater than 1.5 percent by weight of said solution.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of Claim 8, wherein said conductive agent consists essentially of an alcohol phosphate salt.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of Claim 11, wherein said salt comprises potassium butyl phosphate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
A conductive meltblown web made in accordance with the method of Claim 1.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
A conductive meltblown web made in accordance with the method of Claim 2.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
A conductive meltblown web made in accordance with the method of Claim 3.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
A conductive meltblown web made in accordance with the method of Claim 4.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
A conductive meltblown web made in accordance with the method of Claim 5.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
13 words
A conductive meltblown web made in accordance with the method of Claim 6.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
13 words
A conductive meltblown laminate made in accordance with the method of Claim 7.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
12 words
A conductive laminate made in accordance with the method of Claim 8.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
A conductive laminate made in accordance with the method of Claim 9.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
12 words
A conductive laminate made in accordance with the method of Claim 10.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
12 words
A conductive laminate made in accordance with the method of Claim 11.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
12 words
A conductive laminate made in accordance with the method of Claim 12.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
48 words
A conductive nonwoven laminate comprising at least one layer formed of meltblown thermoplastic fibers treated with a conductive agent, the layer having static decay of less than 0.50 seconds and a surface resistivity of less than 10¹⁴ ohms/cm, and at least one layer formed of untreated thermoplastic fibers.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
43 words
The conductive nonwoven laminate of Claim 25, wherein the conductive agent is present in the meltblown layer in an amount greater than 0.015 percent by weight of the meltblown layer and in an amount greater than 0.03 percent by weight of the laminate.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
The conductive nonwoven laminate of Claim 26, wherein said conductive agent consists essentially of an alcohol phosphate salt.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
14 words
The conductive nonwoven laminate of Claim 26, wherein said salt comprises potassium butyl phosphate.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
54 words
A conductive nonwoven SMS laminate comprising at least one layer formed of meltblown thermoplastic fibers treated with a conductive agent, the layer having static decay of less than 0.50 seconds and a surface resistivity of less than 10¹⁴ ohms/cm, and wherein the meltblown layer is sandwiched between layers formed of untreated spunbond thermoplastic filaments.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
43 words
The conductive nonwoven laminate of Claim 29, wherein the conductive agent is present in the meltblown layer in an amount greater than 0.015 percent by weight of the meltblown layer and in an amount greater than 0.03 percent by weight of the laminate.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
The conductive nonwoven laminate of Claim 30, wherein said conductive agent consists essentially of an alcohol phosphate salt.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
14 words
The conductive nonwoven laminate of Claim 30, wherein said salt comprises potassium butyl phosphate.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
53 words
A conductive sterile wrap comprising at least one layer formed of meltblown thermoplastic fibers treated with a conductive agent, the layer having static decay of less than 0.50 seconds and a surface resistivity of less than 10¹⁴ ohms/cm, and wherein the meltblown layer is sandwiched between layers formed of untreated spunbond thermoplastic filaments.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
43 words
The conductive sterile wrap of Claim 33, wherein the conductive agent is present in the meltblown layer in an amount greater than 0.015 percent by weight of the meltblown layer and in an amount greater than 0.03 percent by weight of the laminate.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
41 words
The conductive sterile wrap of Claim 34, wherein the sterile wrap has a basis weight of from approximately 1.4 to 2.6 ounces per square yard and wherein the meltblown layer has a basis weight of approximately 0.45 ounce per square yard.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
18 words
The conductive sterile wrap of Claim 34, wherein said conductive agent consists essentially of an alcohol phosphate salt.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
14 words
The conductive sterile wrap of Claim 34, wherein said salt comprises potassium butyl phosphate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
WO1987005952A1
Cited
EP0498002A1
Cited
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