Soft absorbent fibrous webs containing elastomeric bonding material and formed by creping and embossing

Abstract

Abstract A SOFT, ABSORBENT CREPED FIBROUS WEB FORMED BY DEPOSITION FROM AN QUAQUEOUS SLURRY AND CONSISTING OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC FIBERS AND ABOUT 3% TO ABOUT 25% ELASTOMERIC BONDING MATERIAL. THE LIGNOCELLULOSIC FIBERS INTERBOUND WITH EACH OTHER TO FORM THE STIFF BONDS ASSOCIATED WITH PAPERMAKING, AND THE ELASTOMERIC BONDING MATERIAL IS UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE WEB (BY ADDITION TO THE SLURRY OF THE BEATER) AND FORMS FLEXIBLE BONDS WHERE IT CONTACTS THE FIBERS. THE WEB HAS BEEN MECHANICALLY WORKED TO PARTIALLY FRACTURE STIFF BONDS IN SELECTED LOCATIONS TO INCREASE THE STRETCH, FLEXIBILITY, AND SOFTNESS OF THE WEB WHILE RETAINING SUFFICIENT STIFF BONDS IN DESIRED LOCATIONS TO MAINTAIN STRENGTH. IN THE PREFERRED PRODUCT OF THE INVENTION, THE MECHANICAL WORKING WHICH PARTIALLY FRACTURE THE CREPED WEB IS CARRIED OUT BY EMBOSSING TO PRODUCE A DISTORTED WEB CONTOUR OF RAISED AREAS AND DEPRESSIONS WHICH INCREASES WEB BULK AND TO CREATE APERTURES UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE WEB. THE APERTURES ARE ELONGATED IN THE MACHINE DIRECTION OF THE WEB AND GREATLY INCREASE CROSS-MACHINE DIRECTION STRETCH OF THE WEB. THE EMBOSSING OPERATION ALLOWS RETENTION OF STIFF BONDS IN SELECTED CRITICAL LOCATIONS WHERE THEY MAINTAIN THE WEB DISTORTIONS AND PRESERVE BULK.

Inventors

• 👤 C Benz

Bibliographic Details