Water soluble alcohol based nonwoven binder for water swellable, soluble or sensitive fibers

Claim 1

A nonwoven, water soluble binder composition useful for binding water swellable, water soluble or water sensitive fibers, in which said binder composition is a substantially anhydrous liquid comprising: (a) about 50 to 70 wt-% of a neutralization product of: (i) a water soluble polymeric resin comprising about 10 to 65 wt-% of a C 1-6 alkyl acrylate monomer, about 10 to 70 wt-% of a C 1-6 alkyl methacrylate monomer, and about 15 to 25 wt-% of an alpha, beta ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer; and (ii) an alkali metal hydroxide; wherein said neutralization product has a mole ratio of alkali metal hydroxide to acid monomer of about 1:4 to 1:10 and has a controlled rate of solubilization resulting in a dissolution time of about 1 to 42 minutes which can be varied based on the concentration of acid monomer and alkali metal hydroxide utilized to generate the neutralization product; and (b) about 30 to 50 wt-% of an alcoholic diluent; wherein said polymeric resin has a glass transition temperature of about -18° to +80° C., and can bind the water swellable, soluble or sensitive fibers into a nonwoven material without causing the fibers to react to the binder composition.