Methods of making fiber bundles and fibrous structures

• US 6,409,883 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Sorebo, Heather A., Lindsay, Jeffrey D., Chen, Fung-jou, Hamilton, Wendy L., Reeves, William G., Damay, Emmanuelle C., Makolin, Robert J., Hansen, Patsy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silverman, Stanley S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Halpern, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/548,117
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 162/52, 162/9, 162/56, 162/18, 162/28, 162/111, 162/112, 428/283
• US Class Current: 162/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15203 Properties of the article, e.g. stiffness or absorbency chemical aspects A61L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15634 Making fibrous pads between sheets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53 characterised by the absorbing medium A61F13/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15463 Absorbency
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530007 being made from pulp
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530087 with debonding agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53016 having special shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530445 by defining a target or acquisition or vulnerability zone
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530627 in flakes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530708 characterized by the absorbency properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/28 Polysaccharides or their derivatives A61L15/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/34 Oils, fats, waxes or natural resins A61L15/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/50 Lubricants; Anti-adhesive agents
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/00 Compositions of cellulose, modified cellulose or cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 9/005 organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 9/007 by mechanical or physical means

Abstract

A method of making fiber bundles and fibrous structures. The efficacy of a fiber bundle in handling complex fluids may be improved by subjecting an aqueous suspension of fibers at high consistency to elevated energy input with sufficient working of the fibers. The fibrous structures prepared according to the methods herein include at least one fiber bundle and at least one debonding agent. The fiber bundle includes at least one particulate material consisting essentially of entangled fibers.

Claims

1. A method of making fibrous structures, the method comprising (a) forming an aqueous suspension of fibers having an inlet consistency of at least about 20 weight percent, (b) adding a debonding agent to the aqueous suspension and (c) subsequently passing the aqueous suspension through a disperser with an energy input of at least about 90 kW-h/T of dry fiber to form fibrous structures that are extruded from the disperser, wherein the fibrous structures exhibit a complex fluid retention capacity that is at least about 20 percent greater than the complex fluid retention capacity exhibited by an otherwise substantially similar fibrous structure that does not include a debonding agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of at least about 1 centimeter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of at least about 3 centimeters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of about 5 to about 10 centimeters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 20 to about 50 dry weight percent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 25 to about 45 dry weight percent.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 30 to about 40 dry weight percent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fibrous structures are dried.

9. A method of making fibrous structures, the method comprising (a) forming an aqueous suspension of fibers having an inlet consistency of at least about 20 weight percent, (b) passing the aqueous suspension through a disperser with an energy input of at least about 90 kW-h/T of dry fiber to form fiber bundles that are extruded from the disperser and (c) adding a debonding agent to the extruded fiber bundles to form fibrous structures, wherein the fibrous structures exhibit a complex fluid retention capacity that is at least about 20 percent greater than the complex fluid retention capacity exhibited by an otherwise substantially similar fibrous structure that does not include a debonding agent.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of at least about 1 centimeter.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of at least about 3 centimeters.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of about 5 to about 10 centimeters.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 20 to about 50 dry weight percent.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 25 to about 45 dry weight percent.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 30 to about 40 dry weight percent.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the fibrous structures are dried.

17. A method of making fibrous structures, the method comprising (a) forming an aqueous suspension of fibers having an inlet consistency of at least about 20 weight percent, (b) passing the aqueous suspension through a disperser with an energy input of at least about 90 kW-h/T of dry fiber and (c) adding a debonding agent to the aqueous suspension as it passes through the disperser to form fibrous structures that are extruded from the disperser, wherein the fibrous structures exhibit a complex fluid retention capacity that is at least about 20 percent greater than the complex fluid retention capacity exhibited by an otherwise substantially similar fibrous structure that does not include a debonding agent.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of at least about 1 centimeter.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of at least about 3 centimeters.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of about 5 to about 10 centimeters.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 20 to about 50 dry weight percent.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 25 to about 45 dry weight percent.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 30 to about 40 dry weight percent.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the fibrous structures are dried.

25. A method of making fibrous structures, the method comprising (a) forming an aqueous suspension of fibers having an inlet consistency of at least about 20 weight percent, (b) passing the aqueous suspension through a disperser with an energy input of at least about 90 kW-h/T of dry fiber to form fiber bundles that are extruded from the disperser, (c) drying the extruded fiber bundles and (d) subsequently adding a debonding agent to the extruded fiber bundles to form fibrous structures, wherein the fibrous structures exhibit a complex fluid retention capacity that is at least about 20 percent greater than the complex fluid retention capacity exhibited by an otherwise substantially similar fibrous structure that does not include a debonding agent.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of at least about 1 centimeter.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of at least about 3 centimeters.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the disperser has a volume-to-working surface area ratio of about 5 to about 10 centimeters.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 20 to about 50 dry weight percent.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 25 to about 45 dry weight percent.

31. The method of claim 45, wherein the inlet consistency is from about 30 to about 40 dry weight percent.