Vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer binder emulsions for medical-surgical nonwoven fabrics

Claim 2

A vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer binder emulsion for nonwoven products comprising an aqueous colloidal dispersion of a copolymer containing 50 to 80 wt % vinyl acetate and 20 to 50 wt % ethylene, based on monomers, prepared by the emulsion polymerization of the vinyl acetate and ethylene monomers in the presence of a stabilizingly effective amount of a stabilizing composition consisting essentially of a polyvinyl alcohol which is 50 to 99 mole % hydrolyzed and has about a 100 to 375 degree of polymerization.

Claim 3

The emulsion of claim 1 in which the polyvinyl alcohol is 85-90 mole % hydrolyzed.

Claim 4

The emulsion of claim 1 in which the polyvinyl alcohol has about a 185-255 degree of polymerization.

Claim 5

The emulsion of claim 1 in which the amount of polyvinyl alcohol is 3-10 wt % based on vinyl acetate monomer.

Claim 6

The emulsion of claim 1 in which the copolymer is 60-70 wt % vinyl acetate and 30-40 wt % ethylene.

Claim 7

The emulsion of claim 1 which the vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer also contains up to 10 wt % of a comonomer which is a C 3 -C 10 alkenoic acid or its ester with a C 1 -C 18 alkanol; a vinyl halide; an alpha, beta-unsaturated C 4 -C 10 alkenedioic acid or its monoester or diester with a C 1 -C 18 alkanol; acrylonitrile; acrylamide; methacrylamide; N-methylol acrylamide; N-methylol methacrylamide; N-methylol allylcarbamate; lower alkyl esters of N-methylol acrylamide, N-methylol methacrylamide and N-methylol allylcarbamate; and lower alkanoic acid esters of N-methylol acrylamide, N-methylol methacrylamide and N-methylol allylcarbamate.

Claim 8

In a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer emulsion prepared by the aqueous emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate and ethylene in the presence of a polyvinyl alcohol, the improvement for providing a copolymer binder emulsion that affords bonded nonwoven products having increased softness which comprises copolymerizing the vinyl acetate and ethylene monomers in a ratio to provide a copolymer containing 50-80 wt % vinyl acetate and 20-50 wt % ethylene, based on monomers, in the presence of a stabilizingly effective amount of a stabilizing composition consisting essentially of a polyvinyl alcohol which is 85-90 mole % hydrolyzed and has about a 100-375 degree of polymerization.

Claim 9

In a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer emulsion prepared by the aqueous emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate and ethylene in the presence of a polyvinyl alcohol, the improvement for providing a copolymer binder emulsion that affords bonded nonwoven products having increased softness which comprises copolymerizing the vinyl acetate and ethylene monomers in a ratio to provide a copolymer containing 50-80 wt % vinyl acetate and 20-50 wt % ethylene, based on monomers, in the presence of a stabilizingly effective amount of a stabilizing composition consisting essentially of a polyvinyl alcohol which is 85-90 mole % hydrolyzed and has about a 100-375 degree of polymerization.

Claim 10

The emulsion of claim 7 in which the polyvinyl alcohol has about a 185-255 degree of polymerization.

Claim 11

The emulsion of claim 8 in which the polyvinyl alcohol is present in an amount from 3-10 wt % based on vinyl acetate.

Claim 12

The emulsion of claim 9 in which the copolymer is 60-70 wt % vinyl acetate and 30-40 wt % ethylene.

Claim 13

The emulsion of claim 10 in which the polyvinyl alcohol is 87-89 mole % hydrolyzed.

Claim 14

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 1 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

Claim 15

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 2 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

Claim 16

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 3 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

Claim 17

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 4 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

Claim 18

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 5 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

Claim 19

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 6 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

Claim 20

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 7 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

Claim 21

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 8 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

Claim 22

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 9 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

Claim 23

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 10 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.

Claim 24

A nonwoven product comprising a nonwoven web of fibers bonded together with a vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer deposited from the emulsion of claim 11 at a binder add-on sufficient to bind the fibers together to form a self-sustaining web.