DE602004008253T2 - floorcloth - Google Patents

Abstract

A scouring material comprises a three-dimensional non-woven web of entangled fibres bonded to one another at their mutual contact points by a pre-bond resin and a plurality of abrasive particles are adhered to the fibres of the bonded web by a make-coat resin. A majority by weight of the fibres comprise natural fibres and the bonded web has a maximum density of 50 kg/m<3>. A method of making a scouring material comprises the steps of: 1) forming a three-dimensional nonwoven web of natural fibres contacted with dry particulate material that includes fusible binder particles, 2) exposing the web to conditions that cause the binder particles to form a flowable liquid binder, and then solidifying the liquid binder to form bonds between the fibres of the web and thereby provide a pre-bonded web and 3) applying abrasive particles to the pre-bonded web and bonding the abrasive particles to the fibres of the pre-bonded web by at least a make-coat resin to provide the scouring material.

Description

The present invention relates to fibrous nonwoven scouring materials, especially, but not exclusively, suitable for domestic use are.

BACKGROUND

Home-use scouring materials are produced in many forms, such as nonwoven webs (e.g., low density scouring nonwoven webs that are used in the art) US-A-2 958 593 are described). Following manufacture, a web of abrasive material can be cut into individual pieces of a size suitable for hand use (for example, the individual rectangular sponges that are in use) US-A-2 958 593 or it may be left to the end user to divide the web, as needed, into pieces of a convenient size (such as in WO 00/006341 and US-A-5 712 210 described).

Other domestic scrubbing sponges formed using nonwoven web materials are known, for example, the sponges used in U.S. Pat US-A-2 327 199 . 2 375 585 and 3 175 331 are described. Nonwoven sponges for more general abrasive applications are also known and include, for example, the sponges available under the trademark "Scotch-Brite" from 3M Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.

preferred fibrous nonwoven scouring materials are open materials of low density, which have a relatively high void volume. Scouring materials of this type have an effective cleaning effect on (since the cavities Withhold material, that removed from a surface which is being cleaned), but are easily self-permeable easy rinsing clean it in water or other cleaning fluid so that it can can be reused. Nevertheless, many scouring materials are in the domestic Environment are intended for limited reuse only, after which they are thrown away. From a hygiene point of view is the disposal of such products before they become contaminated, to be recommended as they are frequent for cleaning kitchen work surfaces as well be used by cooking and eating utensils. With increasing anxiety the consumer over However, environmental issues are increasingly reluctant, disposable to use unless they know that they can be recycled or to break down quickly without harmful To produce by-products. Because of this, there is a growing Interested in the use of products based on natural Materials based, for the domestic ones Cleaning.

Abrasive materials the exclusively are made of vegetable natural fibers are known and include for example, traditional scouring agents that are fibrous Part of pumpkins or palm leaves be formed. Such scouring materials build in one environmentally friendly way, but suffer from the disadvantage of that if they are made in a traditional way, they are not mass produced to a uniform standard can. About that In addition, natural vegetable fibers have little or no elasticity (in Unlike the curled ones synthetic fibers used to make nonwoven abrasive / abrasives materials), so even when processed into a more uniform nonwoven web It is difficult to incorporate abrasive minerals into the web without to crush the fibers and as a result, to compact the web to an undesirable level. Consequently are domestic Scouring materials, which are made of natural fibers, for the consumer usually less attractive than those made of synthetic fibers are formed.

Outside the area of domestic scouring products is in WO 01/28741 It has been proposed to use fibers (both natural and synthetic) and also foam materials in the manufacture of holey abrasive article substrates for use in a clean room environment (such as found in the manufacture of semiconductor devices). The fibers, when used, are preferably synthetic and can be formed into a nonwoven web to which a presize resin can be applied. The abrasive particles are attached to the holey substrate by a base binding resin.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a scouring material comprising a three-dimensional nonwoven web of entangled fibers bonded together by a presize resin at their mutual points of contact wherein at least 80 percent by weight of the fibers comprise natural fibers and the consolidated web has a maximum density of 50 kilograms. m ³ (preferably 30 kg / m ³ ) comprises. Several abrasive particles adhere to the fibers of the consolidated web through a base binding resin.

The present invention also provides a method of making a scouring material comprising the steps of: 1.) forming a three-dimensional nonwoven web of natural fibers contacted with dry particulate material comprising fusible binder particles, 2) the Subjecting web to conditions which cause the binder particles to form a flowable liquid binder and then solidifying the liquid binder to form bonds between the fibers of the web thereby providing a preconsolidated web and 3) applying abrasive particles to the pre-consolidated web and bonding the abrasive particles to the fibers of the preconsolidated nonwoven web through at least one basebond resin to provide the abrasive material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Just As an example, now scouring materials according to the invention and methods for their production with reference to the attached Drawings described, wherein.

1 is a view of a scouring pad according to the invention;

2 illustrated as a diagram and on an enlarged scale, the structure of a scouring pad according to the invention;

3 a schematic illustration of a method for producing the scouring material of 1 is and

4 a modification of part of the method of 3 illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The The present invention is directed to the problem of a scouring material to be able to provide an effective cleaning action in the domestic one Provide environment, and at the end of its effective life can be thrown away in the knowledge that it is in an environmentally friendly Fashion degrades.

The The present invention provides a scouring material comprising a open, voluminous, comprises three-dimensional nonwoven web of felted fibers, the through at their mutual points of contact a Vorhaftharz are glued together, with a majority on Weight basis of the fibers comprises natural fibers. Several abrasive particles adhere to the fibers of the consolidated web through a base binding resin at.

The terms "open" and "bulky" indicate that the consolidated web is of relatively low density and has a network of many, relatively large, interconnected voids containing the major amount (more than 50, preferably substantially more than) 50%) of the volume occupied by the web. In the context of the present invention, the terms indicate that the consolidated web has a density of not more than 50 kg / m ³ , preferably not more than 30 kg / m ³ . The consolidated web preferably has a minimum thickness of 5 mm.

It It has been found that a scouring material according to the invention is able to provide an effective scouring effect, despite the fact that the natural fibers of which it is composed mainly is traditionally associated with nonwoven materials, the a volume with few cavities and / or have a low abrasive effect. After use The scouring material can be thrown away in the knowledge that the fibers (which are the main component of the material) are in degrade in an environmentally friendly manner.

Referring to the figures, the generally rectangular scouring pad is 1 in 1 intended for hand use and comprises a three-dimensional nonwoven web of felted fibers 3 (please refer 2 ) which are glued together at their mutual points of contact. The consolidated web preferably has a minimum thickness of 5 mm and a maximum density of 50 kg / m ³ (in particular 30 kg / m ³ ). on.

The fibers 3 of the sponge 1 are at their mutual points of contact 5 glued together by a presize resin, as described below, and the sponge additionally contains abrasive particles 7 which adhere to the fibers by a base binding resin as also described below.

The fibers 3 comprise at least 80% by weight of natural fibers, preferably vegetable fibers such as coconut, sisal and hemp fibers. Other natural fibers that could be used include cotton, jute, flax and wool fibers. When synthetic fibers are present, they may be made of any suitable material including polyesters (eg, polyethylene terephthalate), polyamide (eg, hexamethylene adipamide, polycaprolactum, and aramids), polypropylene, acrylic (formed from a polymer of acrylonitrile), rayon, cellulose acetate, polyvinylidene chloride. Vinyl chloride copolymers and vinyl chloride-acrylonitrile copolymers and carbon fibers and glass fibers. The fibers used may be virgin fibers or waste fibers recovered from clothing blending, carpet making, fiber manufacturing or textile processing and so on.

The Vorhaftharz, through which the fibers 3 at their mutual points of contact 5 are glued together, is selected to be the abrasive material of good strength and what provides thermal / thermal resistance. The binder materials may be selected from certain thermosetting resins which include formaldehyde-containing resins such as phenol-formaldehyde, phenol-containing novolac resins, and especially those with added crosslinking agent (eg, hexamethylenetetramine), phenoplasts, and aminoplasts; unsaturated polyester resins; Vinylesterharze; alkyd resins; allyl; furan resins; epoxy resins; Polyurethanes and polyimides include. The binder materials may also be selected from certain thermoplastic resins which include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene; Polyester and copolyester resins; Vinyl resins such as polyvinyl chloride and vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers; polyvinyl butyral; cellulose acetate; Acrylic resins comprising polyacrylic and acrylic copolymers, such as acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers; and polyamides (eg, hexamethylene adipamide, polycaprolactum) and copolyamides. The Vorhaftharz 5 is preferably an epoxy resin or a polyurethane or a copolyamide resin.

mixtures the above thermosetting and thermoplastic resins also be used.

The abrasive particles 7 may be of any type known to be suitable for use in scouring pads, taking into account the nature of the surfaces to be cleaned and the desired abrasive action. Among the suitable abrasive materials are particles of inorganic materials, for example, alumina comprising ceramic alumina, heat treated alumina, and white-fused alumina; and silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, alumina, zirconia, diamand, cinder, cubic boron nitride, silicon nitride, garnet, and combinations of the foregoing materials. It is contemplated that abrasive agglomerates may also be used in the invention, such as those described in U.S. Pat U.S. Patent Nos. 4,652,275 and 4,799,939 are described. Suitable abrasive particles also include softer, less aggressive materials, such as thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer particles, and comminuted natural products, such as crushed nutshells. Suitable polymeric materials for the abrasive particles include polyamide, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polymethacrylic acid, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, polystyrene, and melamine-formaldehyde condensates. The abrasive particles preferably have a particle size small enough to permit penetration of the particles into the interstices of the fibrous nonwoven web 1 to enable.

The Base binding resin can be any resin known for this is for the use as a basic bond in abrasives suitable to be, this includes water-based resins. Preferred binders include phenolic resins (especially, for example, harder for themselves abrasive scouring materials) and latex resins (in particular for example for Scouring materials for scratch-free bathroom cleaning).

A first method for producing the scouring sponge of 1 is in 3 and will now be described. A method of this kind is also described in our co-pending patent application of the same date ( UK Application No. 0309393.7 ).

If the chosen fibers 3 provided in bales, the latter are opened first. The fibers then become nonwoven forming equipment 12 feeding them into a drained, open, bulky, three-dimensional nonwoven web 13 be formed. A preferred type of nonwoven web is an airlaid web, as in FIG US-A-2 958 593 in this case, the web-forming equipment 12 a commercially available "Rando-Webber" device, as may be obtained from Rando Machine Co., Macedon, NY, and the lengths of the fibers 3 preferably in the range of 3 to 30 cm. The train 13 is preferably formed with a minimum thickness of 5 mm and a maximum density of 50 kg / m ³ (in particular 30 kg / m ³ ).

The nonwoven web 13 is then in a powder coating booth 14 where it passes through a particulate Vorhaftharz 15 is contacted, which consists of a fluidizing hopper 16 provided. Optionally dry particle additives (such as pigment powder and flow aids), which at this stage on the nonwoven web 13 can be applied with the resin particles 15 in the hopper 16 be mixed. The nonwoven web 13 gets through the powder coating booth 14 on a grounded, electrically conductive, open-mesh conveyor 17 transported and the particulate resin 15 it is made of an electrostatic powder spray gun 18 of a type known for use in powder coating applications overlying the web. The resin particles 5 penetrate under the combined effects of electrostatic attraction, gravity and the stream of atomizing air from the spray gun 18 in the entire thickness of the web 13 one. Any resin powder passing through the web 13 and the conveyor belt 17 falls, is at the bottom of the cabin 14 collected and can be reused.

If desired, the web can 13 now turned around and for a second time through the powder coating booth 14 be transported to the amount of resin powder 15 , which is placed in the orbit at this stage, increase.

The Vorhaftharz 15 in the web is then activated as described below to form adhesive bonds between the fibers of the web and thereby provide a preconsolidated web onto which abrasive particles are subsequently applied. The resin particles 15 Therefore, they should be selected in view of the nature of the nonwoven web fibers and the subsequent processing steps to which the preconsolidated web will undergo, as well as the desired properties of the scouring material to be produced.

Particulate resins suitable for use in bonding nonwoven webs are known and include thermosetting and thermoplastic powders that are activated by heat, and powders that are otherwise activated (for example, by moisture). Particulate materials suitable for bonding nonwoven webs for various purposes are, for example, in US-A-4 053 674 . 4,457,793 . 5,668,216 . 5,886,121 . 5,804,005 . 5 9767 244 . 6 039 821 . 6,296,795 . 6,458,299 and 6,472,462 described. The particulate binder materials suitable for use in the production of abrasive materials are those which provide the abrasives with good strength and water / heat resistance and are capable of being activated without damaging the nonwoven web fibers. Preferred binder materials, as described above, are particulate epoxy, polyurethane and copolyamide resins.

The resin particles 15 should be of a size suitable for use in the spray gun 18 is appropriate, and should be small enough to ensure that they are in the spaces between the fibers of the web 13 can penetrate. They preferably have a particle size of not more than 200 microns. To minimize waste, the amount of resin particles should be 15 on the train 13 in the powder coating booth 14 is applied to the minimum amount that is consistent with providing adequate bonding of the web.

The powder-containing nonwoven web 19 from the cabin 14 is then exposed to conditions that liquefy the resin particles to a flowable state, followed by curing of the resin to form adhesive bonds between the nonwoven web fibers. For example, when the resin is a heat-activated thermosetting material (for example, a powdered epoxy resin), the web becomes 19 through the oven 20 in which it is heated, first to liquefy the resin to coat the nonwoven web fibers and then to cure the resin so that it bonds the fibers together at their mutual points of contact. As another example, if the resin is a thermoplastic material, the web becomes 19 through the oven 20 to merely liquify the resin to coat the nonwoven web fibers, thereafter allowing the web to cool so that the resin solidifies and adheres the nonwoven web fibers together at their points of contact. In any case, the resin should be chosen so as to ensure that the web is not damaged by the temperatures to which it is exposed at this stage.

If the preconsolidated fleece 21 It is cooled by a first spray booth 22 wherein one surface of the web is slurry 23 the abrasive particles 7 , mixed with a liquid base binding resin, which is then passed through the web through an oven 24 is hardened, splashed. The train then passes a second spray booth 25 wherein the other face of the web is coated with the same abrasive resin slurry, which is then in a second oven 26 is hardened, splashed. Preferred abrasive particles are corundum and polyvinyl chloride particles and preferred resins are phenolic and latex resins, although other abrasive materials and base bond resins mentioned above can be used. Additives, such as fillers and pigments, may also be used in the abrasive resin slurry, if desired.

In an alternative to the arrangement just described, the second spray booth becomes 25 and the second oven 26 omitted and instead the track 21 turned over when the oven 24 has left, and will again through the spray booth 22 conveyed so that the other side of the web with the slurry 23 can be splashed. The web will then pass through the oven for a second time 24 passed.

In either case, the resulting abrasive nonwoven web can then (following storage, if required) be incorporated into the scouring pads 1 , as in 1 shown to be converted.

Various other modifications may be made to the method described above and in 3 is illustrated. For example, the web forming equipment could 12 one that produces a dry laid web by carding and quilting rather than air laying, and the powder coating booth 14 For example, equipment other than that known to be suitable for achieving uniform distribution of the powdery resin throughout the web (for example, equipment including a metering roll (eg, a knurled-roll powder applicator), powder sprays or screens, or a fluidized bed or similarly used, successfully used).

It is also possible to modify the way in which the abrasive particles 7 on the pre-consolidated fleece 21 be applied. For example, instead of blending the abrasive particles with a liquid binder composition to form a slurry, the liquid binder composition may be applied to the preconsolidated web alone (e.g., by spraying or roller coating), followed by the abrasive particles in a dry state Surface of the web can be dripped, speckled, sprayed or the like, for example, by conveying the web under an abrasive particle dispenser. The binder composition is then cured to bond the abrasive particles to the fibers of the web. As a further alternative, the abrasive particles may be mixed with a powdery resin binder, the mixture then being applied in dry form to the preconsolidated nonwoven web.

As a further modification, an additional resin layer may be applied to the web after the abrasive particles 7 have been attached. This optional resin layer (also known as a cover bond) serves to consolidate the nonwoven scouring material and increase its wear resistance.

In another modified version of the procedure, which is in 3 is illustrated, the particulate Vorhaftharz 15 with the nonwoven web fibers 1 prior to forming the nonwoven web in the web forming equipment 12 mixed. In this case, the powder coating booth 14 omitted. In yet another modified version becomes the powder coating booth 14 through the equipment in 4 which illustrates a powder scattering unit 30 and a powder impregnation unit 31 includes, replaced. In this case, the web is running 13 from the web forming equipment 12 in the unit 30 into, where the particulate Vorhaftharz 15 (together with any optional dry particle additives) evenly from a dispenser 32 is distributed over the upper surface of the web. Any resin that happens to fall through the web will be at the bottom of the unit 30 collected and can be reused. The web then runs into the impregnation unit 31 into where they are between two electrode plates 33 passes through which an AC voltage is applied: the effect of this is the resin powder 15 spread over the entire thickness of the web, followed by the web to the oven 20 is running, as in 1 , to brush 34 contacting the upper and lower surfaces of the web are located downstream of the impregnation unit 31 to remove any excess resin powder that can be collected and reused.

A method of the kind that is in 4 is illustrated in EP-A-0 914 916 described while another alternative method of contacting a fibrous web with a powder in EP-A-0 025 543 is described.

The use of a particulate adhesive resin 15 As described above, this makes it possible to have an open, consolidated nonwoven web 21 low density, despite the fact that the web is made from fibers that are much less elastic than the crimped synthetic fibers normally used to form fibrous nonwoven webs for abrasive and abrasive materials in general. The particulate resin 15 can in the unconsolidated fleece 13 be distributed without any pressure on the web is applied. A compressive force on the unconsolidated fleece 13 as it would occur if the resin were applied to the web in liquid form by roll coating or even by spraying would cause the web to be compressed and make it less effective or even ineffective for use as a base for a nonwoven web. Make scouring material. Once the fibers pass through the particulate resin 15 are glued, is the web 21 however, able to withstand the compressive forces generated during the application of the abrasive particles 7 and the base binding resin can occur.

The Method for producing the scrubbing materials according to the invention are more detailed in the following non-limiting Examples are described. All parts are parts by weight and all are percentage Shares are weight percentages unless otherwise specified.

EXAMPLES

• The examples used the following materials, equipments and test methods.
• materials
• Epoxy resin powder: "Beckrypox AF4 "black thermosetting Tieftemperaturhärtungspulver (average particle size 35 microns) of Dupont from Montbrison, France.
• Copolyamide resin powder: "Vestamelt 350 P1 "thermoplastic Powder 0-80 microns from Degussa from Marl, Germany.
• Powder flow additive: "Aerosil 200" hydrophilic pyrogenic Silica powder from Degussa of Marl, Germany.
• Sisal fiber: cut fiber by Caruso from Ebersdorf, Germany.
• Coconut fiber: cut fiber from Caruso in Ebersdorf, Germany.
• Polyvinyl chloride particles: "Etinox 631 "from Aiscondel, Spain.
• Corundum particles: brown molten alumina of very fine grain size (mean Particle size about 50 microns) from Pechiney, France.
• Latex resin: "Styrofan ED609 "from BASF, Spain.
• Crosslinking agent: (i) Cymel 303 and (ii) Cymel 307 from Dyno Cytec, Norway.
• Phenolic resin: "7983SW" from Bakelite AG from Iserlohn-Letmathe, Germany.

equipment

• fiber opener: available by Laroche from Cours La Ville, France.
• "Rando Webber": an airlaid nonwoven web forming machine, available by Rando Machine Co. of Macedon, NY, USA.
• Railway humidifier: a water spray head of a kind used for room humidification is used, available from Hydrofog from Chanteloup les Vignes, France.
• Powder coating equipment: "Versaspray II" electrostatic (s) Spray gun (s) from Nordson of Westlake, Ohio, USA in a powder coating booth (also available from Nordson) and in Direction of a 30 cm wide horizontal metallic open mesh conveyor belt which was electrically grounded. The / each gun was with a 2.5 mm flat spray nozzle fitted. The powder coating booth was equipped with a fluidizing Hopper, to contain powder (the hopper with a venturi pump equipped to deliver the powder to the gun (s)), a recovery drum, to collect waste powder at the bottom of the cabin; and an air control unit for Regulating the supply of fluidizing air to the hopper and of flow and atomizing air to the pump and gun (s). The hopper, the pump and the recovery drum are all available from Nordson. The Powder booth incorporated features that ensure safe handling of fine powders (the Air extraction through cartridge and HEPA filters and a fire detection system included).
• Infrared oven: a "Curemaster Super "stoves with three 1 kW shortwave infrared heaters, available from Trisk from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, GB.
• Durchluftöfen: a gas oven (4 meters long) and an electric oven (2 meters long), both available from Cavitec from Münchwilen, Switzerland.
• Abrasive spray equipment: a spray booth equipped with a reciprocating spray gun, available from Charvot of Grenoble, France, and a spray booth equipped with four guns, available as a model 21 by Binks from Illinois, USA.

example 1

A 30 cm wide airlaid nonwoven web weighing 190 g / m ² was formed from the sisal fibers on the "Rando Webber" machine at a speed of 2 m / min. The fiber bales had previously been pre-opened using a Laroche fiber opener. The web was conveyed in-line through the powder coating booth on the open mesh conveyor belt, with copolyamide resin powder (mixed with 0.5% by weight of flow aid) passing through two "Versaspray II" spray guns placed one behind the other and 30 cm above the other Fixed course and inclined on opposite sides of the vertical at an angle in the range of 20 ° -30 °, was directed to the web. The resin powder was supplied to the guns from the hopper where it was fluidized to gentle bubbling using air at a pressure of 1.5 bar. The air pressure settings for the gun were 2 bar for the flow air and 1 bar for the atomizing air and the maximum voltage (100 kV) was applied. The resin powder was deposited in the web at a weight of about 60 g / m ² and any resin powder that passed through the web was collected in the recovery drum positioned below the open mesh conveyor belt. The dusted web was then heated in-line, first in the infrared oven at a temperature in the range of 150-160 ° C with the heaters positioned 3 cm above the web to pre-cure the resin powder, and then in the electric oven a temperature of 160 ° C using a low speed setting for the circulating air. The total residence time in the oven was 1 min.

The The web was then turned over and again through the powder coating booth and the ovens with the other surface transported the train at the top.

Polyvinyl chloride particles were then applied to the consolidated web in the following manner. An abrasive resin slurry was prepared by thoroughly mixing together the particles (25%) and the latex resin (68.5%) with the crosslinkers (1.2% of (i) and 5.3% of (ii)). The slurry was then transferred to the spray booth holding tank with a single spray gun. The consolidated web was passed through the spray booth at a speed of 2 m / min and on one side with the slurry from the gun reciprocated across the web to provide uniform coverage of the web with the slurry at a coat weight of To ensure about 300 g / m ² , splattered. The web was then passed through the gas oven wherein it was heated at 180 ° C for 2 minutes to cure the latex resin. The train was then turned over and again through the spray booth so that it was splattered with the slurry on the other side in the same manner. She was then passed through the gas oven again.

The resulting abrasive nonwoven web contained 150 g / m ^{2 of} the polyvinyl chloride particles and was cut into sponges of dimensions about 75 x 90 mm.

Example 2

Example 1 was repeated with the following modifications:
The nonwoven web weighed 150-170 g / m ² and was formed from the coconut fibers on the "Rando Webber" machine at a slower speed (1 m / min) to ensure that the cure time for the resin powder is increased (see later ). Before entering the powder coating machine, the web was moistened to increase its conductivity and thereby its uptake of resin powder. The web was moistened using the water spray head, which was supplied with water at a pressure of 1 bar and atomizing air at a pressure of 2.5 bar. The powder coating machine used a single "Versaspray II" spray gun to direct the epoxy powder onto the web from a distance of 30 cm. The resin powder was fluidized in the hopper of the powder coating machine using air at a pressure of 1.8 bar. The air pressure settings for the guns were 1 bar for the flow air and 0.8 bar for the atomizing air. The resin powder was deposited in the web at a weight of 250 g / m ² . The infrared heater was omitted and the dusted sheet heated only in the electric oven at a temperature of 170 ° C for 2 minutes using a low speed setting for the circulating air.

Corundum particles were then applied to the consolidated web in the following manner. An abrasive resin slurry was prepared by thoroughly mixing the particles (25%) and the phenolic resin (75%). The slurry was then transferred to the spray booth holding tank with four spray guns. The consolidated web was passed through the spray booth at a speed of 2 m / min and sprayed on one side with the slurry from the guns to provide uniform coverage of the web with the slurry at an application weight of about 230-260 g / m ² , The web was then passed through the gas oven wherein it was heated at 180 ° C for 2 minutes to cure the phenolic resin. The web was then turned over and again conveyed through the spray booth so that it was splattered with the slurry on the other side in the same manner. It was then redirected through the gas furnace to give a scrub fleece web which was cut into domestic scouring pads.

Results

rehearse the domestic one Scouring pads that from Examples 1 and 2 were used to clean used soiled dishes in a simulated home environment and it was found based on a visual assessment that they offer a behavior that is comparable to that of conventional ones synthetic scouring pads and generally better than traditional scouring pads that are made of natural fibers.

An advantage of the processes described in Examples 1 and 2 is that there are no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the formation of the preconsolidated nonwovens 21 be formed. Moreover, the energy required in these processes to produce the preconsolidated webs may be less than that required when using a liquid preshrunk resin. As a result, the environmental impact of the processes may be significantly lower than those conventionally used to produce synthetic abrasive materials.

The Scouring pads, produced by the methods of Examples 1 and 2, offer the advantage of being easier to recycle after use can be since they are formed using natural vegetable fibers. Despite this, homogeneity the scouring pads high, compared to traditional natural fiber abrasives, what is it possible makes the consumer an environmentally friendly, but comparatively to offer a standardized product. In addition, the scouring pads have the advantageous openness of both traditional natural fiber abrasives as also conventional synthetic abrasives, together with the grinding behavior the latter, up. These benefits are as a result of the fact considered that scouring sponges a comprise mechanically formed (drained) web of natural fibers, which is pre-consolidated in a way that does not entail the web is subjected to pressure (e.g., as a result of contact by rolling), which irreversibly compress the nonwoven web fibers or damage could.

It will be appreciated that while the above examples describe the manufacture of home scouring pads, other scouring materials and articles will similarly contribute to, if appropriate, corresponding changes the materials used and process steps can be produced.

Claims (11)

A scrubbing material comprising: a three-dimensional nonwoven web of entangled fibers bonded together at their mutual points of contact by a presize resin, wherein at least 80% by weight of the fibers comprise natural fibers and the consolidated web has a maximum density of 50 kg / m ³ ; and a plurality of abrasive particles adhered to the fibers of the consolidated web by a base binder resin. The abrasive material of claim 1, wherein the consolidated web has a maximum density of 30 kg / m ³ . Abrasive material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the solidified non-woven has a minimum thickness of 5 mm. Abrasive material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the natural fibers are vegetable natural fibers. Abrasive material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the preshrunk resin is a thermosetting one or thermoplastic resin. Abrasive material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base binding resin is a latex resin or a phenolic resin. Abrasive material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the abrasive particles comprise an inorganic material and a average particle size of about 50 microns. Method for producing a scouring material according to Claim 1, comprising the steps of: (i) forming a three-dimensional Nonwoven web of natural fibers made with dry particulate material, the fusible binder particles, are contacted; (Ii) expose the web to conditions that cause the binder particles a flowable liquid binder form and then solidify the liquid binder to bond between to form the fibers of the web and thereby a pre-consolidated nonwoven to provide, and (iii) applying abrasive particles on the preconsolidated nonwoven and bonding the abrasive particles with the Fibers of the preconsolidated nonwoven by at least one base binder resin, to provide the scouring material. The method of claim 8, wherein the binder particles be applied to the web without a compressive force on the web apply. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein the binder particles on the full thickness of the web under the action of an electrostatic Force to be separated. Method according to one of claims 8 to 10, wherein an electrostatic Charge is applied to the binder particles, which are then in Direction of the track be while the latter is located in an electrically grounded support surface.