(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2015/0231599 A1 Dutkiewicz Et Al
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
US 20150231599A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2015/0231599 A1 Dutkiewicz et al. (43) Pub. Date: Aug. 20, 2015 (54) FIBERS OF VARIABLE WETTABILITY AND (60) Provisional application No. 60/569,980, filed on May MATERALS CONTAINING THE FIBERS 10, 2004, provisional application No. 60/531,706, filed on Dec. 19, 2003. (71) Applicant: BUCKEYE TECHNOLOGIES INC., MEMPHIS, TN (US) (72) Inventors: Jacek K. Dutkiewicz, Cordova, TN Publication Classification (US); Stephen a. Skirius, Collierville, TN (US): Sonja McNeil Fields, (51) Int. Cl. Memphis, TN (US); Lynn Hung BOI 20/22 (2006.01) Rushing, Olive Branch, MS (US); David (52) U.S. Cl. Jay Smith, Germantown, TN (US); CPC ..................................... B01J 20/223 (2013.01) Michael Kalmon, Boyertown, PA (US); Ronald Timothy Moose, Lakeland, TN (US); Ryszard Fryczkowski, (57) ABSTRACT Bielsko-Biala (PL); Beata Fryczkowska, Bielsko-Biala (PL); Monika Rom, Bielsko-Biala (PL) The present invention is directed to an absorbent material and (73) Assignee: BUCKEYE TECHNOLOGIES INC., the fibers therein, having two or more layers including an upper surface layer which has on the outer surface of the layer MEMPHIS, TN (US) one or more Surface area Zones which are more wettable (21) Appl. No.: 14/581,287 Zones and adjacent thereto one or more less wettable Zones, (22) Filed: Dec. 23, 2014 where the more wettable Zones have a greater hydrophilicity than the less wettable Zone. The present invention is also Related U.S. Application Data directed to the fibers therein, which contain polyvalent cat (63) Continuation of application No. 1 1/471,040, filed on ion-containing compounds and fatty acid containing com Jun. 19, 2006, now Pat. No. 8,946,100, which is a pounds. The present invention also provides for methods of continuation of application No. PCT/US2004/043030, treating fibers or Solid materials and processes of producing filed on Dec. 20, 2004. the hydrophobic materials. Patent Application Publication Aug. 20, 2015 Sheet 1 of 10 US 2015/0231599 A1 FIG. 1A FIG. 1B FIG. 1C Patent Application Publication Aug. 20, 2015 Sheet 2 of 10 US 2015/0231599 A1 Patent Application Publication Aug. 20, 2015 Sheet 3 of 10 US 2015/0231599 A1 FIG. 3A FIG. 3B Patent Application Publication Aug. 20, 2015 Sheet 4 of 10 US 2015/0231599 A1 SL AL Patent Application Publication Aug. 20, 2015 Sheet 5 of 10 US 2015/0231599 A1 Patent Application Publication Aug. 20, 2015 Sheet 6 of 10 US 2015/0231599 A1 10 11 FIG. 6 Patent Application Publication Aug. 20, 2015 Sheet 7 of 10 US 2015/0231599 A1 Patent Application Publication Aug. 20, 2015 Sheet 8 of 10 US 2015/0231599 A1 Patent Application Publication Aug. 20, 2015 Sheet 9 of 10 US 2015/0231599 A1 20 Patent Application Publication Aug. 20, 2015 Sheet 10 of 10 US 2015/0231599 A1 QY AY S. OX90 OX90 hydrophobic surface hydrophobic surface FIG. 1 1A FIG. 11B 120 110 90 O 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 Total Content Appm) H. Ricinoleic Ocid -O- Linoleic Ocid -A- Oleic Ocid FIG. 12 - V - Louric Ocid -0- Walpro -(- Polmitic Ocid -D- Steoric Ocid US 2015/0231599 A1 Aug. 20, 2015 FIBERS OF VARIABLE WETTABILITY AND tion of the web. Increasing the density of the web can reduce MATERALS CONTAINING THE FIBERS the size of interfiber pores, or using smaller diameter fibers at the same density can reduce them. Smaller fibers pack FIELD OF THE INVENTION together more efficiently in a densified web, resulting in Smaller interfiber pores. From the equation, using Smaller 0001. The present invention is directed to an absorbent fibers serves to decreaser, thus raising pressure P. material, and the fibers therein, having variable wettability for 0013 Filler material can be added to an absorbent material the control of water absorption on the surface of the material. to reduce the size of interfiber pores. From the equation, the BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION addition of filler also serves to decrease r, thus raising pres Sure P. 0002. It has long been desirable to be able to control the 0014. From the equation, hydrophobicity and barrier qual Surface characteristics of textiles and fabrics including non ity is predicted to be directly proportional to the fluid surface woven materials. A particularly important characteristic is tension. The barrier treatment should be as durable as pos whether a material readily absorbs or repels water at its sur sible. Any additives in the barrier treatment that will dissolve face. For fibers used to make nonwoven materials for use in in the fluid coming in contact with the surface of the material personal care products and for many other uses, the relative will likely lower its surface tension, thus lowering pressure P. hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity of the fiber itself, and the material made from it, is of great importance in determining SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION where and how they can be used. 0015 The present invention provides for an absorbent 0003. When brought into contact with the surface of a material with two or more layers, including an upper layer material, water prefers to wet some surfaces and prefers to which has on the outer Surface one or more surface area Zones. bead on others. A Surface can be classified as hydrophilic, These Zones include more wettable Zones having greater with a water contact angle less than 90°, or hydrophobic, with hydrophilicity adjacent to less wettable Zones. The treatment a water contact angle greater than 90°, based on the shape that of the fibers in the absorbent material allow for the variable a drop of water assumes when placed on that Surface. wettability of the present invention. 0004 Fabric water repellency and breathability have been 0016. In certain aspects of the invention, the absorbent studied for several decades (A. W. Adamson, Physical Chem materials have more wettable Zones with a total surface area istry of Surfaces, Second Edition, Wiley, 1967, Chapters VII which is from about 5 percent to about 95 percent of the upper and X). inonwoven web of fibers can be modeled as a bundle surface layer. In a preferred embodiment, the more wettable of cylindrical pores (capillaries) of radius r. The fluid pressure Zones have a total surface area which is from about 10 percent required to penetrate the interfiber pores of a nonwoven web to about 90 percent of the upper surface layer, even more can be approximated from Laplace's equation for the pen preferred, from about 30 percent to about 70 percent of the etration of a fluid into a tube as follows: P=(2 Yeos 0)/r upper Surface layer. where: 0017. In another aspect of the invention, the more wettable 0005 P-pressure required to push fluid through the tube: Zones of the absorbent material have elements in a pattern 0006 y=fluid surface tension; which are all connected, the elements of the pattern essen 0007 0=advancing contact angle; and tially isolating the less wettable Zones from each other. Like 0008 r pore radius. wise, in another aspect of the invention, the less wettable See Dutkiewicz, J., Nonwoven Structures for Absorption of Zones have elements in a pattern which are all connected, the Body Fluids, sub-chapter 2.1. Basic Structural Properties of elements of the pattern essentially isolating the more wettable Absorbent Networks, pages 7-37 (published by Edana, Brus Zones from each other. sels, Belgium) (2003). This equation can be used to describe 0018. In the absorbent material of the present invention, web wetting (0<90°, P is positive) or web water repellency the less wettable Zones of the upper Surface layer contain a (0>90°, P is negative). In the case of water repellency, the polyvalent metalion salt of a fatty acid. In one embodiment of fluid will not wet the web unless a pressure of P is applied to the invention, the more wettable Zones of the absorbent mate push the fluid into the web. rial contain a polyvalent metal ion salt of a fatty acid and 0009 From the equation, barrier quality is predicted to be where the concentration of the polyvalent metal ion salt of a enhanced by increasing the contact angle with a water-repel fatty acid is greater in the less wettable Zones. lent finish. In other words, the pores of the web should be 0019. The present invention also provides for absorbent rendered as hydrophobic as possible. materials where the less wettable Zones of the upper surface 0010 Apparent contactangles can be increased by surface layer are located on protrusions which project above the roughness on the macroscale and microscale. Application of surface of the material and the more wettable Zones are a waterproofing agent that causes microscopic pore Surface located in indentations which project below the surface of the roughness will lead to an increase in apparent contact angle, material. In another embodiment, the absorbent material has thus improving barrier quality. an upper less wettable layer and adjacent thereto a lower more 0011. From the equation, barrier quality is predicted to be wettable layer, where the upper less wettable layer has pro enhanced by reducing the size of the interfiber pores. Ideally, trusions which project above the surface of the material and the web should be as strong as possible. As pressure builds, are at a greater distance from the lower layer than indentations weakness in the web will cause deformation, and deformation which project below the surface of the upper layer and which increases r, thus lowering pressure P. Web strength can be are closer to the lower layer. enhanced, for example, by increasing the amount of binder in 0020.