Enzymatically dispersible non-woven webs

Claim 1

A self-supporting, non-woven composite fibrous web which is readily dispersible in aqueous milieu containing enzyme, consisting essentially of a non-woven web of relatively short fibers having surfaces which confer only low wet-strength upon the web in the absence of a binder and in combination therewith a water-insoluble, normally solid, enzyme-disintegratable binder which consists of the reaction product of a polymer containing at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer covalently bonded with a naturally occurring, enzyme-degradable, water-soluble polymeric material, said binder being present in effective amount ranging from about 0.3 percent to about equal amount by weight of said fibers in said non-woven web, sufficient to impart to said non-woven web wet-strength in the absence of enzyme of from about 0.5 to 10 kg/cm 2 and resistance to dispersion in water for at least 30 minutes, and to permit dispersion of said non-woven web in a period ranging from about 5 to 30 minutes in aqueous milieu containing enzyme capable of degrading said water-soluble polymeric material to disintegrate said binder and thereby to render said web dispersible.