Process for making films from nonwoven webs

• US 9,163,205 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Sivik, Mark Robert, Denome, Frank William, Gordon, Gregory Charles, Trokhan, Paul Dennis, Dreher, Andreas Josef, Hamad-Ebrahimpour, Alyssandrea Hope, Michael, John Gerhad
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLLSCHLAGER, JEFFREY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/229,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20120048769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15707 Mechanical treatment, e.g. notching, twisting, compressing, shaping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15739 Sealing, e.g. involving cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0216 Solid or semisolid forms
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/00 Preparations for care of the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 5/00 Preparations for care of the hair
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/006 Pressing and sintering powders, granules or fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/22 of articles of indefinite length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/24 Calendering
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/48 Endless belts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2001/08 Cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2003/00 Use of starch or derivatives as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2029/00 Use of polyvinylalcohols, polyvinylethers, polyvinylaldehydes, polyvinylketones or polyvinylketals or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0073 Solution
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/042 Water soluble or water disintegrable containers or substrates containing cleaning compositions or additives for cleaning compositions
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 10/02 Heat treatment heating for finishing D02J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06C 15/00 Calendering, pressing, ironing, glossing or glazing textile fabrics for making patterns or designs D06C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06C 15/02 between co-operating press or calender rolls
• CPC Class Codes: D06C 2700/16 Singeing of fabrics or yarns

Abstract

A process for making a film from a nonwoven web by converting the nonwoven web into a film and films and unit dose products made therefrom are provided.

Claims

1. A process for making a non-porous film from a nonwoven web, the process comprising the steps of:

a. providing a filament-forming composition comprising one or more filament-forming materials and one or more active agents;

b. spinning the filament-forming composition into a plurality of inter-entangled filaments comprising the one or more filament-forming materials and the one or more active agents that are releasable from the filament when exposed to conditions of intended use, wherein the total level of the one or more filament-forming materials present in the filament is 50% or less by weight on a dry filament basis and the total level of the one or more active agents present in the filament is 50% or greater by weight on a dry filament basis;

c. collecting the plurality of the inter-entangled filaments on a collection device to form a nonwoven web comprising the inter-entangled filaments; and

d. converting the nonwoven web into a non-porous film.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of converting the nonwoven web into a film comprises the step of subjecting the nonwoven web to a force.

3. The process according to claim 2 wherein the force comprises a compressive force.

4. The process according to claim 3 wherein the compressive force applies from about 0.2 MPa to about 10 MPa to the nonwoven web.

5. The process according to claim 3 wherein the compressive force applies from about 30 to about 350 pli to the nonwoven web.

6. The process according to claim 2 wherein the nonwoven web is subjected to the force for a time period of at least 20 milliseconds.

7. The process according to claim 2 wherein the nonwoven web is subjected to the force at a temperature of at least 100°

C.

8. The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of converting the nonwoven web into a film comprises subjecting the nonwoven web to a temperature of at least 180°

C.

9. The process according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the filament-forming materials is a polar solvent-soluble polymer selected from the group consisting of:

polyvinyl alcohol, starch, starch derivatives, cellulose derivatives, hemicellulose, hemicellulose derivatives, proteins, sodium alginate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, chitosan, chitosan derivatives, polyethylene glycol, tetramethylene ether glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, hydroxymethyl cellulose, and mixtures thereof.

10. The process according to claim 9 wherein the polar solvent-soluble polymer comprises polyvinyl alcohol.

11. The process according to claim 9 wherein the polar solvent-soluble polymer comprises starch or starch derivative.

12. The process according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the-filament-forming materials comprises a water-soluble polymer.

13. The process according to claim 1 wherein the filaments further comprise a plasticizer.

14. The process according to claim 13 wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of:

polyethylene glycol, glycerol, sorbitol and mixtures thereof.

15. The process according to claim 1 wherein the process further comprises the step of subjecting the nonwoven web to one or more pre-conditioning steps.

16. The process according to claim 15 wherein the step of subjecting the nonwoven web to one or more pre-conditioning steps occurs prior to the step of converting the nonwoven web into a film.

17. The process according to claim 15 wherein the one or more pre-conditioning steps comprises a step of subjecting the nonwoven web to moisture.

18. The process according to claim 17 wherein the step of subjecting the nonwoven web to moisture results in the nonwoven web exhibiting a moisture level of at least 4% by weight of the nonwoven web.

19. The process according to claim 1 wherein the film is a water-soluble film.

20. The process according to claim 19 wherein the water-soluble film comprises one or more fabric care active agents.

21. The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of converting the nonwoven web into a film comprises using a nonwoven web carrier to impart a three-dimensional structure into the film.

22. The process according to claim 21 wherein the nonwoven web carrier is selected from the group consisting of:

patterned wells, platen, texturized plates, woven belts, emboss rolls, patterned rolls, and mixtures thereof.

23. The process according to claim 1 wherein the nonwoven web is attached to an insoluble substrate.

24. The process according to claim 1 wherein the nonwoven web comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of:

colorants, pearlescents, pigments, and mixtures thereof.

25. The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of converting the nonwoven web into a film comprises the step of adding an additive selected from the group consisting of:

colorants, pearlescents, pigments, and mixtures thereof to the nonwoven web.

26. The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of converting the nonwoven web into a film comprises the step of adding an additive selected from the group consisting of:

colorants, pearlescents, pigments, and mixtures thereof to the film.

27. The process according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the active agents is selected from the group consisting of:

antioxidants, UV agents, dispersants, disintegrants, antimicrobial agents, antibacterial agents, oxidizing agents, reducing agents, handling/release agents, perfume agents, and mixtures thereof.

28. The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of converting the nonwoven web into a film comprises the step of adding an active agent selected from the group consisting of:

antioxidants, UV agents, dispersants, disintegrants, antimicrobial agents, antibacterial agents, oxidizing agents, reducing agents, handling/release agents, perfume agents, surfactants, bleaching agents, enzymes, builders, chelants, softening agents, dye transfer inhibiting agents, dissolution aids, ingestible active agents, color agents, and mixtures thereof to the nonwoven web.

29. The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of converting the nonwoven web into a film comprises the step of adding an active agent selected from the group consisting of:

antioxidants, UV agents, dispersants, disintegrants, antimicrobial agents, antibacterial agents, oxidizing agents, reducing agents, handling/release agents, perfume agents, surfactants, bleaching agents, enzymes, builders, chelants, softening agents, dye transfer inhibiting agents, dissolution aids, ingestible active agents, color agents, and mixtures thereof to the film.

30. The process according to claim 1 wherein two or more of the filaments comprise different compositions.

31. The process according to claim 30 wherein the nonwoven web comprises two or more different layers that comprise filaments comprising different compositions such that the resulting film comprises two or more different layers comprising different compositions.

32. The process according to claim 1 wherein the nonwoven web exhibits a BET surface area of at least 0.15 m²/g.