JP2002526297A - Process for producing laminates of non-aged films and non-aged nonwoven webs and products made from the laminates - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: The present invention relates to an in-line continuous method for producing a laminate of a film and a nonwoven web, wherein the film and the nonwoven web are produced simultaneously, so that the laminate is immediately formed into a laminate. When done, they are nascent or unaged. In the method of the present invention, the film is also formed in-line when the nonwoven web is formed, and the newly formed film and nonwoven web are immediately formed into a laminate. Here, the laminate is formed from a "non-aged" film and a "non-aged" nonwoven web. As used herein, the term "non-aged" is synonymous with "as-new" and means that the film and nonwoven web are immediately formed into a laminate, e.g., both film and nonwoven webs are laminated. It is not pre-wound before being formed into an article.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a laminate using a non-aged film and a non-aged nonwoven web, and a product produced from the laminate. More particularly, the present invention relates to an in-line continuous method of manufacturing a laminate, wherein the film and the nonwoven web are made simultaneously and then immediately formed into a laminate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The benefits of combining the barrier properties of a film with the nonwoven fabric-like properties for a variety of medical, personal care, and commercial applications have long been recognized in the art. I have. Laminates are traditionally made using both aged films and aged nonwoven webs, as well as aged films and nonaged nonwoven webs, or conversely, unaged films and aged nonwoven webs. It is manufactured using a web. As an example, a typical prior art method is to wind a preformed film first on a roll and then rewind the roll of that film while laminating to a nonwoven web while the nonwoven is being made. It would then be necessary to form a laminate.
There are many technical obstacles to continuously producing either films or nonwoven webs. Furthermore, combining complex methods such as film production and non-woven web production will depend on the simultaneous solution of the technical problems of both systems. The inherent difficulties posed by reliability theory for each method, as will be discussed in detail below, actually result in those skilled in the art moving away from such combinations as not expecting any benefits of particular product characteristics. Would.

In addition, conventional methods of rewinding either preformed films or nonwoven webs have technical problems to overcome. One of the previously used rewinding methods
One problem relates to the additional steps required when one roll of aged film is used up and needs to be replaced with a new roll of aged film. A splice is needed to attach the tip of the second roll to the end of the first roll of film. In continuous processing, splicing must be performed without stopping the machine, but splicing is difficult because the rolls are usually rotating at high speed. At least two methods are known for splicing. In one method, a festoon is used to provide a zero speed splice to wind up the film sag. The sheet of film is, for example, wrapped around a vertically extending festoon bar. When the splice is initiated, the festoon is lowered, causing the roll speed to approach zero. This method eliminates roll movement of the aged film and facilitates splicing. A disadvantage of this method is that it requires the purchase, maintenance, and operation of additional expensive equipment (eg, festoon).

Another method of splicing is commonly known as "ongoing splicing" and requires splicing while the roll is rotating. In this method, the rotation speed of the first roll is reduced and the speed of the second roll is increased to make the surface speeds of the two rolls coincide with each other, and the splicing is performed. This "ongoing lap splice" method can be a more cost-effective method and does not require expensive festoon purchases, maintenance, and operation. However, as is known to those skilled in the art, particularly long rolls are used and 400 to 1500 feet per minute (fpt) (or 122 to 45 feet).
When a roll speed of (7 meters / minute) is utilized, "splicing in progress" is even more difficult. Splices can be achieved by a number of methods known to those skilled in the art. One is to attach the two film sheets together with tape. One disadvantage of the tape method is that the position of the tape section must be monitored and later removed so as not to interfere with film properties such as air permeability.

A further disadvantage of rewinding a preformed or aged film is that adjacently wound films stick together (otherwise known as film blocking) and the rolls are unwound. When breached, it creates a breach. actually,
Each film layer has an affinity for the next film layer, and prefers a state in which the film layers are adhered together without being rewound. Both the nature of the material used to form the film and the compressive force of winding on a film roll tend to cause the layers to stick together, leading to tearing of the film when unwound. Such tears cause a lack of uniformity of the product, which reduces the barrier properties. Further, the film may tear completely, in which case the process must be stopped for re-splicing of the film. And also, it is not uncommon to use rolls with a maximum width of 120 inches (3.05 meters) and a maximum weight of 3000 pounds (1360 kilograms). According to those skilled in the art, handling such rolls is difficult and, to say the least, cumbersome.

The present invention avoids these and other difficulties by producing both non-aged nonwoven webs and non-aged films in-line. In addition to overcoming the difficulties discussed above, there are advantages to using the in-line continuous process of the present invention. One advantage is that non-aged films do not have the opportunity to undergo complete crystallization before being laminated to the nonwoven. If the film is wound on a roll and aged in the warehouse for 48 hours, or for a few weeks, longer, the film temperature drops and the film crystallizes. The non-aged film of the present invention is more amorphous, which means it is softer and easier to orient. In addition, amorphous properties may allow lower basis weights to be used in either the pre-stretched film and / or the resulting laminate. In this way, the barrier properties and breathability of the film may be retained or possibly improved, while reducing the overall cost associated with manufacturing the film and the resulting laminate.

[0007] All of these disadvantages of the known prior art methods are eliminated by the method of the present invention, in which a non-aged film is produced simultaneously with a non-aged nonwoven web and immediately forms a laminate in an in-line continuous process. Such laminates have shown unexpected improvements in peel strength and water column pressure, making them particularly useful in applications processing into absorbent articles. This processing has generally been satisfied with problems associated with delamination. These problems have been ameliorated by using a laminate made by the method of the present invention. The concept of using in-line continuous processing in the manufacture of laminates has previously been shown as a possibility. For example, PCT Publication No. WO 96/19346 awarded to the present applicant.
I want to see the issue. However, like the model of an airplane depicted before the successful flight of the Wright brothers, the concept of creating the in-line continuous process of the present invention was given real life only by the concentrated efforts of the good people over the long term. there were. Further, laminates made by the method of the present invention exhibit unexpected properties, as discussed in more detail below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an in-line continuous processing method for producing a laminate of a film and a non-woven web, wherein the step of forming a non-aged film and simultaneously forming the non-aged non-woven web. Laminating the oriented non-aged film and non-aged nonwoven web within 1 to 60 seconds of forming the oriented non-aged film and non-aged nonwoven web to form a laminate. A method comprising:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an in-line continuous processing method for producing a laminate of a film and a nonwoven web, wherein the film and the nonwoven web are produced simultaneously. Thus, when formed immediately into laminates, they are nascent or unaged. The formation in such an in-line continuous process has not been known so far. In the method of the present invention, the film is also formed in-line when the nonwoven web is formed, and the newly formed film and nonwoven web are immediately formed into a laminate. Here, the laminate is formed from a "non-aged" film and a "non-aged" nonwoven web. As used herein, the term "unaged" is synonymous with "green," wherein the film and nonwoven web are immediately formed into a laminate, for example, a film and a nonwoven web. None of the nonwoven webs is pre-wound before being formed into a laminate.

The term “nonwoven or web” as used herein refers to a web having a structure of individual fibers or strands woven in a manner that is not apparent, such as a knitted fabric. Nonwovens or webs can be formed in a number of ways, such as, for example, meltblowing or spunbonding. The basis weight of nonwoven fabrics is commonly expressed in ounces of material per square yard (osy) or grams per square meter (gsm), and commonly used fiber diameters are usually given in microns. (Note that to convert osy to gsm, multiply osy by 33.91.)

Referring to FIG. 1, a non-aged film 10 of the present invention can be made from a polymer that can be formed into a film and then bonded to a non-aged nonwoven web 30. The term "polymer" as used herein is generally, but not limited to, homopolymers such as block, graft, random and alternating copolymers, copolymers such as terpolymers, and mixtures and mixtures thereof. Including deformation. Further, unless otherwise specifically limited, the term "polymer" shall include all possible geometrical arrangements of the molecule. These configurations include, but are not limited to, isotactic, syndiotactic, and irregular symmetries. Such polymers include, but are not limited to, extrudable thermoplastic polymers such as polyolefins or mixtures of polyolefins. More particularly, useful polyolefins include polypropylene and polyethylene. Other useful polymers include polypropylene and low density polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,777,073 to Chess and assigned to Exxon Chemical Patents, Inc. And copolymers with high-density polyethylene. Additional polymers useful in the present invention include flexible polyolefins. As used herein, the term "flexible polyolefin" refers to, for example, U.S. Pat.Nos., Assigned to Hetzler and Jacobs and assigned to the assignee, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. No. 5,910,136 refers to polyolefin materials including propylene-based polymers having control regions of atactic polypropylene units to achieve the targeted crystallinity. A further description of such flexible polyolefins is provided in US Pat. No. 5,723, assigned to Sutastic and assigned to Lexen Corporation.
, 546.

[0012] Other useful polymers for the non-aged films herein include elastomeric thermoplastic polymers. Such polymers include polyurethane,
In addition to copolyetherester, polyamide, polyether block copolymer, and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), copoly (styrene / ethylene-butylene), styrene-poly (ethylene-propylene) -styrene, styrene-poly (
Ethylene-butylene) -styrene, polystyrene poly (ethylene-butylene),
Included are those made from block copolymers, such as block copolymers having the general form ABA 'or AB, such as polystyrene, poly (styrene / ethylene-butylene / styrene). Specifically, the elastomeric thermoplastic polymer may include, for example, polyester elastomeric materials such as those available under the trade name Hytrel® from E.I. Dupont de Nemours and Company, for example, Polyester block amide copolymers available in various grades from Elf Atochem, Inc. of Glen Rock, NJ, under the trade name Pevacs (R), and from, for example, BF Goodrich & Co. Or a polyurethane elastomeric material available from Morton Shiokol Corporation under the name Mothane®.

Although elastomeric polymers have been used in many applications in the past,
It is somewhat limited by its inherent properties. These materials have recently been combined with new classes of barrier, breathable, and elastic polymers. This new class of polymers has been referred to as single-site catalyzed polymers, such as "metallocene" polymers made according to metallocene processing. Such metallocene polymers are available from Exxon Chemical Patents Company of Baytown, Texas under the tradename Expol® for polypropylene-based polymers and Exact® tradename for polyethylene-based polymers. Available. The Dow Chemical Company, located in Midland, Michigan, has a polymer marketed under the name Engage®.
Preferably, the metallocene polymer is selected from a copolymer of ethylene and 1-butene, a copolymer of ethylene and 1-hexene, a copolymer of ethylene and 1-octane, and combinations thereof. A detailed description of metallocene polymers useful in the present invention and methods for their preparation is provided in PCT application WO 98/29246, assigned to Gwartney et al. And assigned to the assignee, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Please refer to.

The non-aged film 10 may be a multilayer film, and may include a core layer or “B
Layer, and one or more skin layers or "A" on either side of the core layer
Layers may be included. Any of the above-mentioned polymers are suitable for use as the core layer of the multilayer film. Any of the fillers disclosed herein are suitable for use in any film layer. The skin layer is generally made of an extrudable thermoplastic polymer and / or a film 10.
Additives that provide special properties to For example, the skin layer may be made from a polymer that provides antimicrobial activity, water vapor permeability, tackiness, and / or anti-blocking properties. The polymers are selected according to the particular attributes that are targeted. Examples of possible polymers that can be used alone or in combination include homopolymers, copolymers, and mixtures of polyolefins, as well as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).
, Ethylene ethyl acrylate (EEA), ethylene acrylic acid (EAA), ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA), ethylene butyl acrylate (EBA), polyester (PET), nylon (PA), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)
), Polystyrene (PS), polyurethane (PU), and olefinic thermoplastic elastomers made in a multi-stage reactor, the irregular copolymer of amorphous ethylene propylene is a semi-crystalline, high polypropylene monomer / low Molecularly dispersed in an ethylene monomer continuous matrix.

A suitable polymer for the “A” layer is commercially available from Himont Chemical Company of Wilmington, Del. Under the trade name “Cataroy”.
Examples of particular products include Cataloy, KS357P, KS-084P, and KS-057P. Other suitable polymers include those that are semi-crystalline / amorphous or heterophasic in their properties. Such polymers are described in European patent application EP 0444671 A3 (based on patent application 911103014.6), European patent application EP 0472946 A2 (patent application 91112).
955.9), European Patent Application EP 0400333 A2 (based on Patent Application No. 90108051.5), US Pat. No. 5,302,454 and US Pat. No. 5,368,927. ing. For a more detailed description of a film with a core layer and a skin layer, see Poma, assigned to McCormack et al. And assigned to the assignee, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
See CT WO 96/19346.

[0016] The film can be made from a breathable or non-breathable material. Further, the film can be perforated. In forming the film, the film may be co-extruded to enhance bonding and mitigate die lip formation. In the film,
Fillers such as microporous fillers, eg, calcium carbonate, opacifiers, eg, titanium oxide, and anti-blocking additives, eg, diatomaceous earth, may be filled. Fillers for generating micropores can be incorporated during orientation of the film, resulting in a breathable film. Some films are made breathable by adding filler particles to the film during film formation. Once the particle-filled film is formed, stretching or pressing is then performed to create a passage through the film. In general, to be referred to as "breathable" in the present invention, the resulting laminate must have a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of at least about 250 grams / square meter / 24 hours as measured by the following test method. There is.

As used herein, “microporous filler” includes fine particles or other material forms, which can be added to a polymer to cause chemical or hindrance to the extruded film. It is not given and means that it can be uniformly dispersed throughout the film. The microporous filler will generally be in particulate form, usually somewhat spherical in shape, and its average particle size will range from about 0.5 to about 8 microns. As used herein, "micron" means micrometer. The film typically contains at least about 30% of the microporous filler, based on the total weight of the film layer. A great advantage of the present invention is that it requires less microporogenic filler than previously used. Organic and inorganic microporous fillers may be used as long as they do not interfere with the film forming process, the breathability of the resulting film, or the bonding to other films, such as fibrous polyolefin nonwoven webs. It is considered within the scope of the invention.

Examples of microporous fillers include calcium carbonate (CaCO ₃ ), various clays, silica (SiO ₂ ), alumina, barium sulfate, sodium carbonate, talc, magnesium sulfate, titanium oxide, zeolite, aluminum sulfate , Cellulose-type powder,
Diatomaceous earth, magnesium sulfate, magnesium carbonate, barium carbonate, kaolin, mica, carbon, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum hydroxide, pulp powder, wood flour, cellulose derivatives, polymer particles, chitin and chitin derivatives are included. The microporous filler may optionally be coated with a fatty acid such as stearic acid or a fatty acid longer than starch such as behenic acid, which facilitates free flow of the particles (large amounts). Also, it is easy to disperse in the polymer matrix. The filler containing silica may also be present in an amount effective to provide anti-blocking properties.

The unaged film 10 is manufactured in a mold or blown film apparatus and can be co-extruded or embossed if necessary. Preferably, the film is manufactured by mold extrusion. For the mold extruder, the cooling mold and the mold embossing
Two types are known. A typical mold embossing extrusion is shown in FIG. 2A, where the film is extruded into a pair of mold embossing rollers. Cooling mold extrusion is preferred for the film extrusion technique of the present invention, the reasons for which are discussed below. Turning to FIG. 1, in cold mold extrusion, the polymer enters a coextrusion film unit 40 and is extruded in a core film extruder 47 and a skin film extruder 45. The polymer is co-extruded into the die head 43 and then, instead of two rolls such as mold embossed extrusion, 1
Only one chill roll 49 is used to receive the extruded film 10. An advantage of a cooling mold over mold embossing extrusion is that the cooling mold is more efficient when wide sheets of film are extruded, and can increase production rates. Also, on the smooth surface of the cooled mold extruded film, the mold emboss extrusion gives the film a woven feel. In other words, the film from the cooling mold extrusion is cast into a 160 inch (406 centimeter) die to produce a film approximately 154 inches (391 centimeters) wide at up to 400 fpm (122 meters / minute); , 500 fpm (150 meters / minute) is possible. On the other hand, mold embossed extrusion films are often 140 to 145 inches (356
368 centimeters wide and only provide a speed of only 300 fpm (91.5 meters / minute), because the distance that the material extruded from the extruder travels from the extruder to the roll is generally reduced by the cooling mold. This is because it is larger than that of the extruded material. Thus, films from cooled mold extrusion show less necking-in (reduction in width) and a more uniform gauge profile.

Further, the film 10 is stretched or oriented by passing through a film stretching apparatus 20 shown in FIG. This stretching is accomplished by reducing the gauge or thickness of the film.
Reduce from an initial gauge of 5 to 2.0 mils to a final effective gauge of 0.5 mils (12.7 microns) or less. Generally, stretching is performed in the transverse direction or the longitudinal direction. The term "longitudinal" or MD as used herein means the length in the direction in which the fabric is manufactured. "Lateral direction" or CD means the width of the fabric, i.e., generally in the direction perpendicular to the MD. In the laminate 32 including the non-aged film 10 of the present invention, the non-aged nonwoven web 30 shown in FIG. 1 can be formed by various methods including, but not limited to, spunbonding and meltblowing. Such a non-woven web can be a necked polypropylene spunbond, a corrugated polypropylene spunbond, an elastomeric spunbond, or a meltblown fabric made from an elastomeric resin. As used herein, the term "necked" refers to contracting in at least one direction by a method such as stretching or gathering.

Suitable fibers for forming the non-aged nonwoven web 30 include natural and synthetic fibers, as well as bicomponent and multicomponent polymer fibers. In laminate 32, multiple nonwoven web layers may also be used in accordance with the present invention. Examples of such materials include, for example, spunbond / meltblown composites as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,203 to Block et al., Which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Materials and spunbond / meltblown / spunbond composites are included. As used herein, the term "spunbond fiber" was created at least in a transport tube and a spin plate to produce a molten thermoplastic material as a filament from a plurality of fine, usually circular capillaries in a spinneret. Means a fine diameter fiber extruded from one or more extruders mounted on one or more banks, the diameter of the extruded filament then being, for example, by Appel et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,563 to U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki et al. And U.S. Pat.
18, U.S. Patent Nos. 3,338,992 and 3,34 to Kinney et al.
1,394, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,763 to Hartman, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,615 to Dobo et al. Spunbond fibers are generally not tacky when deposited on a collection surface. Spunbond fibers are substantially continuous, have an average diameter greater than 7 microns, and are often between about 10 and 20 microns.

As used herein, the term “meltblown fiber” refers to a process of narrowing a filament of molten thermoplastic material through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as a melted thread or filament of thermoplastic material. A fiber formed by extruding into a fast, usually hot, converging gas stream (eg, air) that reduces its diameter even to the diameter of the microfiber. Thereafter, the meltblown fibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on a collection surface to form a web in which the meltblown fibers are randomly dispersed. This method is described, for example, in US Pat.
, 849,241. Meltblown fibers are microfibers that can be continuous or discontinuous, typically having an average diameter of less than 10 microns, generally exhibiting tack when deposited on a collection surface, and providing another bonding step. May not be needed.

As used herein, the term “microfiber” refers to a small diameter fiber having an average diameter not exceeding about 75 microns, for example, from about 5 microns to about 50 microns, and more specifically. Microfibers are often from about 2 microns to about 4 microns.
It can have an average diameter of 0 microns. Another commonly used expression for fiber diameter is denier, which is defined in grams per 9000 meters of fiber, squares the fiber diameter in microns and multiplies the density in grams per cubic centimeter, It can be calculated by multiplying by 0.00707. Low denier indicates finer fibers and higher denier indicates thicker or heavier fibers. For example, the diameter of a polypropylene fiber given as 15 microns squares it, and the result is 0.8
Multiply by 9 grams / cubic centimeter and convert to denier by multiplying by 0.00707. Thus, a 15 micron polypropylene fiber would have about 1.
It becomes 42 deniers (152 × 0.89 × 0.00707 = 1.415). Outside the United States, a unit of measure for "Tex" is more commonly used, which is defined in grams per kilometer of fiber. Tex can be calculated by dividing denier by nine.

Many polyolefins can be used in the production of fibers according to the present invention, for example, fiber-forming polypropylene, such as Escoline (exxon chemical company).
(Registered trademark) PD3445 polypropylene and PF304 from Himont Chemical Company. Dow Chemical Aspan® 6811
A linear low density polyethylene, 2553 LLDPE, and 25355 and 123
Polyethylene, such as 50 high density polyethylene, is also a suitable polymer. These polyethylenes have melt flow rates of about 26, 40, 25, and 12, respectively. Many other polyolefins are commercially available.

[0025] Methods of forming films and forming nonwoven webs of fibers are generally known. Similarly, methods of forming laminates of films and nonwoven webs via a two to three stage process are also known. As shown in FIG. 2, a three-stage prior art process involves the continuous formation of an aged film 10 ′, and the resulting film is wound on a roll 14. The film 10 'may then be placed in a warehouse, typically for a maximum of 2 days to 4 weeks. The aged nonwoven web 'is formed at another stage and wound on roll 16 like a film. Each roll 14 and 16 of the aged film 10 'and the aged nonwoven web 30' are each unwound, and the film 10 'may be stretched or oriented in the film stretching unit 44 and laminated in a third stage To form a laminate 32 '. The two-stage prior art generally involves the preforming of either a rolled film or a non-woven web, which is then wound in a processing line that is simultaneously forming the opposing material. Will be returned. For example, as seen in FIG. 3, an aged film 10 ′ is preformed and wound on a roll 14. The unaged nonwoven web 30 is formed while unwinding the pre-rolled aged film 10 ', forming a laminate 32.

The actual formation of film / nonwoven web laminates through in-line continuous processing has not heretofore been known. As mentioned above, reliability theory will indicate that the yields that would be expected from the method of the present invention would be very low, which would put one skilled in the art away from promoting the present invention. . In practice, the overall processing efficiency of a typical film manufacturing process is typically on the order of 74% (raw material yield 90% and machine utilization 82%), while the overall processing efficiency for a typical spunbond (nonwoven web) process. Is usually about 89% (raw material yield 97% and mechanical utilization 92%). By combining these two processes, with the in-line continuous process of the present invention, the overall processing efficiency would be expected to be approximately 66% without anticipating the benefits of the particular product. . In fact, it has been found that the process efficiency of the present invention is at least as much as 70%, and even at least 75%, in addition to the improvement in properties exhibited by products made according to the present invention. At high production rates, such an increase in efficiency is very significant and is a function of processing conditions and parameters, as described herein.

In the method of the present invention, the non-aged film 10 is formed in-line when the non-aged nonwoven web 30 is formed and is immediately laminated. Thus, the laminate 32 comprises a “non-aged” film 10 and a “non-aged” nonwoven web 3
0 is formed. "Immediately" means non-aged film 10
And the non-aged nonwoven web 30 is not wound at all, and together the laminate 32
Is to be combined with Each layer is preferably laminated for 1 to 60 seconds after being formed, more preferably 1 to 30 seconds, and often even in the range of 1 to 10 seconds from the time each layer was made. An unexpected and surprising improvement in peel strength and water column pressure was found through this instant lamination realized by the ability to process non-aged film 10 and non-aged nonwoven web 30 simultaneously, with further emphasis and details below. Is described.

More specifically, FIG. 1 shows a general method for forming and orienting a non-aged film 10 according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a non-aged film 10 comprises:
It is formed by a co-extruded film device 40 such as the above-described mold or blow device. In general, device 40 includes one or more core film extruder 47 and skin film extruder 45,
It comprises one or more polymer extruders. The non-aged film 10 is extruded onto a cooling mold roll 49. The non-aged film 10 is fed from the co-extrusion film apparatus to the weaving means 18 (FIG. 5).
Through a longitudinal orientation machine (MOD) 20 (described in more detail below).
(Shown in more detail in FIG. 6B).
Such an apparatus 20 has a plurality of stretching rollers 46, and stretches the film 10 in the longitudinal direction of the film, which is the direction in which the film 10 moves through the processing, to thin the film 10. After exiting MOD 20, the unaged film was approximately 12 microns (0.4 microns).
7 mils).

Prior art longitudinal stretching is shown generally at 44 in FIG. 6A and generally involves the use of six stretch rollers 46 ′, which typically comprise three to four heated sections and one One or more cooling compartments are utilized. In other words, some stretching rollers will be heated and some will be cooled. In the prior art method, the nip roll 21 is also placed to maintain contact between the film and the stretching roller 46 during the stretching step under conductive heating by the stretching roller 46. The step of stretching while heating the prior art roller involves uneven heating, excessive shrinkage, and poor CD.
It is believed to result in a characteristic profile. On the other hand, FIG.
The winding of a film through a longitudinal orienter (MDO) 20 according to one embodiment is shown. The amount and type of stretching is a function of the position of the nip roll 21 with respect to the stretching roll, which can be a chrome-plated roll. The nip roll 21 is a crown roll and provides a uniform nip effect on the stretching roll 46. The nip roll 21 of the present invention is arranged to maximize the winding of the unaged film 10 around the stretch roll, for example, 270 ° around the roll diameter.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the MDO 20 comprises a nip roll 21.
Since it is stretched on leaving, it means that stretching occurs in the space between each roll, thereby avoiding the problems of the prior art. The MDO is formed with at least seven stretching rollers. Each stretch roller is 250 ° F (1 °) from ambient temperature.
21 ° C.) or can be cooled from ambient temperature to 55 ° F. (13 ° C.) and driven separately. The rotation speed of each stretching roller is 380 to 1550 fp
m (116 to 473 meters / minute). Therefore, the final aperture ratio is
It can range from 1.00 to 4.08. The MDO described is designed for maximum flexibility and allows for many different types of film processing and stretching under a number of different processing conditions, thus reducing the prior art film stretching equipment. It is much more versatile. In the non-aged film of the present invention,
It has been found that the film stress disappears at low draw ratios, which means that large draws are not required. This phenomenon has several advantages. Part 1
One advantage is that less stretching of the film means that the film is not stressed by the higher stretching ratios used in the prior art, thereby reducing film breakage and reducing film defects. The net effect is that, in addition to high yield production, processing can be performed at high speed. Another advantage, as suggested above, is that less microporous filler is required, which means that more polymer may be used in the mixture. From such a mixture, a strong film will be obtained and a thinner film may be utilized in the final laminate and the resulting article.

The weaving means 18 provides for feeding or weaving the formed non-aged film throughout the continuous process, releasing the film as soon as the film is laminated to the nonwoven web. A typical weaving means is shown in FIG. 5, where three ropes cooperate to grip the edges of the film sheet and feed the film into the process. The three ropes basically function as three fingers, with one rope in adjacent surface contact on one side of the sheet and the other two ropes in adjacent surface contact on the opposite side of the sheet. Tighten the two ropes together to hold the edge of the sheet and feed the film into the process.

When a non-aged film is being formed at some point in the machine, a nonwoven web is also being formed. Referring again to FIG. 1, a conventional nonwoven web forming device 48 such as a spunbond machine is used to form the non-aged nonwoven web 30.
The long, essentially continuous fibers 50 are deposited on a forming wire 52 into an unbonded nonwoven web 54 that is fed through a pair of bonding rolls 56 where the fibers are bonded. Is done. One or both of the rolls are often heated to assist in bonding. The heating temperature of the bonding roll 56 is 250 to 350 ° F (121 to 1
77 ° C.). In general, one of the rolls 56 is also patterned to impart a discrete bond pattern to the non-aged nonwoven web 30 with a specified bond surface area. This is known as thermal point bonding and is described more fully below. The other roll is usually a smooth anvil roll, but this roll may also be patterned if necessary. Non-aging film 10
Are fully stretched and the non-aged nonwoven web 30 is formed, the two layers are immediately brought together in this continuous process using a pair of laminating rolls or other means 58 as described above. Stacked on top of each other.

In a preferred embodiment, the smooth anvil roll comprises a non-aged nonwoven web 3
0 is placed on the side where the non-aging film will be mounted. In other words, the smooth side of the non-aged nonwoven web 30 will be attached to the non-aged film 10, which will result in better interconnection of the two layers. When the non-aged film 10 and the non-aged nonwoven web 30 are bonded by heat and / or pressure, a laminating means 58 such as a laminating roll is used. Like the bonding roll 56, the laminating roll 58 can also be heated, and point bonding by heat can be used. The temperature at which the laminating roll is heated is between 200 and 275 ° F (93 and 135 ° C).
) Range. At least one of the rolls may be patterned to create a discrete bond pattern in the indicated bond surface area of the resulting laminate 32. Generally, the maximum bond point area for a given area of the surface on one side of the laminate 32 will not exceed about 50% of the total surface area. There are a number of discrete coupling patterns that can be used, such as those described in U.S. Pat.
No., 041,203.

“Heat point bonding” involves passing a nonwoven web of fabric or fiber to be bonded between a heated calender roll and an anvil roll. The calendar rolls are patterned in some way so that the nonwoven web is not fully bonded throughout the nonwoven web. Many patterns for calendar rolls have been developed for aesthetics as well as functionality. As those skilled in the art will appreciate below, the coupling pins are typically tapered and wear over time,
Percentage ratios of bond areas are necessarily given as approximations or ranges. As will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the pins of the anvil will create a bond in the substrate with essentially the same dimensions and surface relationship as the pins on the anvil, and so will be referred to as "pins per square inch" and "pins per square inch." References to "number of bonds per square inch" are somewhat interchangeable. One example of a pattern is a Hansen Penning or "H &P" pattern of about 200 bonds per square inch with each point, as shown in US Pat. No. 3,855,046 to Hansen and Penning. The H & P pattern has a square, pointed or pinned area, and each pin may have a side dimension of 0.038 inches (0.965 millimeters), for example, a pattern with about 30% bonded area. Is obtained. Other common point connection patterns are extended Hansen Penning or "EH
P "bond pattern, which produces about 15% to 18% bond area, for example,
It may have square pins with side dimensions of 0.037 inches (0.94 millimeters) and a pin density of about 100 pins / square inch. Another common point connection pattern, designated "714", has a square pin connection area where each pin has a 15% to 20% connection area and about 270 pins / square inch, for example, Side dimensions 0
. It can have 023 inches. Other well-known patterns include a repeating diamond-shaped "Ramish" diamond pattern with 8% to 14% bond area and 52 pins / square inch, and about 15% to about 23% bond area. In addition to the HHD pattern with point bonds having about 460 pins / square inch, as the name implies, there is a net weave pattern that looks like, for example, a window mesh, 15% to 20%
With a bond area of 302 bonds / square inch. Another bonding pattern for spunbond face webs is the "S-shaped" weave pattern, filed by McCormack, Facure, and Smith on September 15, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 929, entitled "Nonwoven Bonding Pattern Producing Fibers with Improved Strength and Abrasion Resistance," assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
, 808. Generally, the bonded area in percentage varies widely from about 10% to about 30% of the nonwoven web area. As the laminate 32 exits the laminating roll 58, it may be wound onto roll 60 for subsequent processing. Alternatively, the laminate 32 may be continued in-line for further processing or processing.

As described in further detail below, the surprising and unexpected improvement of the present invention that provides advantages when processing laminates into articles such as body care absorbent articles is that peel strength and water column pressure are reduced. Found in the increase. A major disadvantage of currently known laminates is the tendency to delaminate before or during processing. This delamination causes various problems in commercial production and also increases waste products. As those skilled in the art know, usually, increasing either peel strength or water column pressure will result in a decrease in the other property. One advantage of the present invention is that both peel strength and water column pressure increase simultaneously.

Further, the method shown in FIG. 1 can be used to produce laminates of more than two layers. The method described above includes feeding a second aged nonwoven web 30 ′ feed 16 to a laminating roll 58 on the side of the film 10 opposite the other non-aged nonwoven web 30.
It can be modified to be sent inside. As described above with respect to the non-aged nonwoven web 30, forming a second non-aged nonwoven web in a direct in-line continuous process is also contemplated by the present invention. Such three-layer laminates are particularly useful in medical and industrial protective clothing applications. Similarly, other aged or unaged film layers may be combined.

The laminate 32 can be used in a wide variety of applications as described above, not least of which are diapers, training pants, incontinence equipment, and feminine hygiene products such as sanitary napkins. It is a component of a body care absorbent article. A typical article 80, in this case a diaper, is shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 4, the majority of such a body care absorbent article 80 comprises a liquid permeable topsheet or backing 8.
2, a backsheet or outer cover 84, and an absorber core 86 disposed between and accommodated between the topsheet 82 and the backsheet 84. The article 80, such as a diaper, may also include some type of fastening means 88, such as adhesive tape or mechanical hooks and loop-type fasteners, to hold those garments in place on the wearer.

The laminate 32 can be used to form various portions of the article, including, but not limited to, a topsheet 82 and a backsheet 84. If this laminate is used for a topsheet 82, it will probably be perforated,
Otherwise, it is made liquid permeable. When the laminate is used as the backsheet 84, it is generally advantageous to have the nonwoven side surface away from the user. Further, in such an embodiment, it may be possible to use a non-woven part of the laminate for the loop portion of the hook and loop connection of the fastening means 88. Other uses of the film / nonwoven web laminate according to the present invention include, but are not limited to, surgical drapes and gowns, cloth, barrier materials, and garments, including products such as work clothes and lab coats. Or an article of that part. The advantages and other features of the present invention are best illustrated by the following examples.

[0038] Example Sample of the present invention were prepared as described below. The following tests were performed on these samples. Peel test : In the peel test or delamination test, the laminate was tested for the amount of tension as the film layer was separated from the nonwoven web layer. The peel strength value is about 4
Using a fabric sample measuring in inches (CD) x 6 inches (MD) (102 x 152 mm), holding between 1 x 4 inch (25 x 102 mm) parallel clamps (or jaws), 12 Obtained at a constant stretching speed of ± 0.4 inch / min (300 ± 10 mm / min). The film side of the sample was covered with masking tape or other suitable material to prevent the film from tearing during the test. The masking tape was applied to only one side of the laminate so that it did not contribute to the peel strength of the sample. The sample was manually stripped of enough layer to be clamped to a location typically about 2 inches (51 millimeters). The sample is, for example,
Washington Street 2500, Canton, Mass., 2021
Instron Model T available from Instron Corporation
M or clamped to a Shintech tensile tester available from Shintech, Inc., PO Box 14226, Research Triangle Park, 27709-4226, North Carolina. The sample is then:
At 0 degrees separation, they were separated by a distance of 2 inches (51 millimeters) and the average peel strength was recorded in grams.

Tensile test : Tensile test is to determine the breaking load when a unidirectional stress is applied to the fabric, and
Elongation or strain was measured. The results were expressed in grams to break and percent stretch before break. Higher values indicate a stronger, more stretchable fabric. The term "peak load" refers to the maximum load or force required to break or tear a sample in a tensile test and is expressed in units of weight. The term "energy" refers to the total energy under the peak load versus elongation curve and is given in units of weight-length. The term "strain" or "percent stretch" refers to the increase in length of a sample during a tensile test, expressed as a percentage. Peak load, energy, and strain values were determined using a fabric sample measuring 3 inches x 6 inches (76 x 152 mm).
Obtained at a constant stretching speed of 3 inches (76 millimeters) in clamp width, 3 inches (76 millimeters) in gauge length, and 12 inches / minute (300 millimeters / minute), the entire width of the sample is tightly clamped. fixed. The test article may be, for example, 1130 Instron available from Instron Corporation, or Datton Road 109, Philadelphia, 19154, PA.
Swing-Albert Model Intellect II, available from 60 Swing-Albert Instrument Company, clamped.

Ball Burst : This test measures the burst strength of a woven fabric exhibiting a high degree of maximum elongation and is performed according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D3787-89. Burst strength is defined as the force or pressure required to rupture a woven fabric when it is spread under a force applied perpendicular to the fabric under certain conditions. The pressure was created by pressing a polished steel ball against the sample until the sample burst, using a modified Instron tensile tester for the ball burst test. The pressure was then recorded in Pondal (Newton) as its burst strength. Samples are as per ASTM procedure D
The fabric was brought into moisture equilibrium for testing in a standard atmosphere defined in 1776.

Water Vapor Permeability Test : A measure of the permeability of a fabric is the Water Vapor Permeability (WVTR), which is evaluated on the sample material according to ASTM Standard E96-80. A circular measurement sample having a diameter of 3 inches is cut out from each test material. Celgard® 2500 sheets from Celanese Separation Products of Charlotte, NC are used as controls. Celgard (registered trademark) 25
00 sheet is a microporous polypropylene sheet. Three samples are made from each material. The test dish is a 60-1 vaporometer dish, distributed by Swing-Albert Instrument Company of Philadelphia, PA. 100 milliliters of distilled water is poured into each vaporometer dish, and individual samples of test and control materials are placed on the open top of each dish. The screw cap flange is tightened to form a seal along the edge of the dish so that the accompanying test or control material is exposed to the atmosphere at an exposed area of approximately 33.17 square centimeters of a 6.5 centimeter diameter circle. . The dishes are placed in a forced air oven at a temperature of 100 ° F. (32 ° C.) for 1 hour to equilibrate. This furnace is a constant temperature furnace in which external air is circulated therein so that steam does not accumulate inside. A suitable forced draft oven is, for example, the Blue M Power Omatic 60 oven distributed by the Blue M Electric Company of Blue Island, Illinois. Once equilibration is complete, the dishes are removed from the oven, weighed, and immediately returned to the oven. 2
After 4 hours, the dishes are removed from the oven and reweighed. The water vapor permeability value of the preliminary test is calculated by the following formula: Test WVTR = (gram weight loss in 24 hours) × 315.5 grams / square meter / 24 hours The relative humidity in the furnace was not specifically controlled. . Under predetermined conditions of 100 ° F. (32 ° C.) and ambient relative humidity, the WVTR for Celgard® 2500 is defined as 5000 grams / square meter / 24 hours. Therefore, the control sample is also tested for each test and the preliminary test values are corrected for the conditions set by the following equation: WVTR = (test WVTR / control WVTR) × (5000 grams / square meter / 24) time)

Water column pressure : The measurement of the liquid barrier capacity of a fabric is a water column pressure test. By water column pressure test,
The height of the water (expressed in centimeters) that the fabric could support before a given amount of liquid passed through the fabric was measured. A higher water column pressure measurement indicates that the fabric is a better barrier to liquid passage than a fabric with a lower water column pressure. The water column pressure test was performed according to US Federal Standard 191A, Method 5514, using a Tex Test FX-3000 hydrostatic head available from Mario Industries, Inc., PO Box 1071, Concord, NC.

Standard deviation : The standard deviation used in these examples represents the value of the variance and measures the average distance between one measurement and its average. This is useful for understanding how much the data set can vary. For example, the standard deviation may be used to predict failure rates and / or determine how much variation is acceptable for the end product. For the following examples, 44 material samples were tested for each property. Twenty-two samples were taken from the edge of the laminate sheet as it exited the production line, and twenty-two were taken from the center of the laminate. This number of samples represents a statistically significant sample size.

The following equation was used for the standard deviation.

[0045]

In this equation, “n” is the number of observations. The use of n-1 as the divisor instead of the more natural n is because if n (instead of n-1) were used, a biased estimate of the population standard deviation could result. It is. The use of n-1 corrected for this bias when the sample size was small. The difference between each observation (x _i ) and the calculated mean (x bar) is used as the basis for the variability measurement. The closer these measurements are to the mean, the smaller the standard deviation. If all observations are equal,
The standard deviation will be zero. The deviation is squared, which means that the average is the "fulcrum" of the data.
(Equilibrium point between observed value larger than average and observed value smaller than average). If these deviations are not squared, their sum will be zero. Next, the value returns to the unit of the original data by opening the square to the square.

To compare the examples herein, statistics are used as follows. The description of the statistical analysis performed on these examples is as follows. One formal method of making statistical inferences from a sample to a population is through hypothesis testing. The sample distribution of statistics provides a way to substantiate or refute the hypothesis about group means. The t-test is the most common method of assessing the difference in mean between two normally distributed groups. There are two methods for the t test. The standard t-test for independent samples is based on the assumption that the variances in the two groups are the same (uniform) and a pooled standard deviation is used. If the variances of the two groups are significantly different, a t-test with separate variance estimates is used. The assumption of variance identity can be proved using the F test. The F test is used to compare the variances of two normal populations by examining the proportion of sample variance. The null hypothesis tests variance 1 = variance 2 (or variance 1 / variance 2 = 1). In a basic two sample test, the statistical hypothesis is that the two means are equal (variance 1
= Dispersion 2). The alternative hypothesis is that there is a difference (variance 1-variance <> 0). If the probability level is less than the selected alpha level (0.05),
The null hypothesis that the means are equal is rejected, and it is concluded that the means are different. The p-level reported with the t-test indicates the probability of error coming in in accepting Applicants' search hypothesis about the existence of a difference.

Example 1 In accordance with the present invention, a laminate was prepared from a non-aged film and a non-aged nonwoven web. The non-aging film has a three-layer structure, in other words, A / B /
Coextruded as a structure also known as A film. The “B” layer or core layer may be a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) manufactured by Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) and available under the trade name 3310.
4.5% by weight, 5.3% by weight low-density polyethylene (LDPE) available under the trade name 4012 manufactured by Dow, ECC International Inc., Sylacauga, Ala. 50% by weight of behenic acid-coated calcium carbonate manufactured under the trade name Filmlink® 2029 and a B900 product manufactured by Ciba Specialty Company, Tarrytown, NY Made from 2000 ppm (ppm) of the antioxidant available under the name.

The “A” layer on each side of the core layer, otherwise known as the skin or outer layer, is made of 50% ethylene vinyl acetate (trade name 768.36) manufactured by Exxon Chemical Company of Houston, Texas. 49.1% Cataloy, trade name KS357P manufactured by Montell USA, Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware;
And 5000 PPM, an antioxidant manufactured by Ciba Specialty Company and available under the trade name B900. This three-layer film was extruded by the cooling mold method as described above, and the conditions were as described below. The melt temperature at the outlet is about 365 ° F (18
5 ° C.) and about 420 ° F. (215 ° C.) for the core layer. The skin layer comprised about 2.5% by weight of the total film mixture.

(Table 1a) Film processing conditions BW means basis weight.

The film passed through a seven-roll longitudinal orientation machine (MDO) under the following conditions: The final film draw was defined as the ratio of the speed of the last roll to the first roll. The film was stretched 3.5 times and the resulting stretched film had a basis weight of 0.54 osy after stretching. The fact that the film is stretched three times means that, for example, a one meter long film is stretched to three meters long.

(Table 1b) MDO processing conditions

A non-aged nonwoven web was prepared in a spunbond process as described above using two nonwoven web forming devices, as shown in FIG. Nonwoven webs are manufactured at Union Carbide Corporation of Danbury, Connecticut and manufactured by E5
Formed from polypropylene with a melt flow rate (MFR) of 38, available under the trade name D47, and 2% by weight titanium oxide concentrate available from Standridge Color Corporation, Social Circle, Georgia.
The fibers were extruded from two extruders and two banks, pulled down to an average diameter of 15 to 20 microns and deposited on the forming wire. The speed of the forming wire is
The resulting nonwoven web is conditioned to have a basis weight of 0.5 ounces per square yard (osy) (17 grams / square meter), and then the nonwoven web is 315 ° F.
It was point bonded by heat through a bonding roll in a net weave pattern heated to (157 ° C.).

Next, the non-aged nonwoven web is conveyed under the MDO and 353 PLI (61,800 Newton / meter), upper anvil laminating roll temperature 220 using anvil and C-star pattern laminating rolls. Under heat and pressure conditions of 積 層 F (104.4 ° C.) and a laminating condition of a lower pattern laminating roll temperature of 280 ° F. (137.8 ° C.), the film is laminated on the stretched non-aged film. . The stretched non-aged film was immediately laminated to the non-aged nonwoven web in less than 5 seconds of manufacture. The laminate passed through the laminating roll with the spunbond layer on the side of the patterning roll and the film layer on the side of the smooth anvil roll. A group of statistically significant samples was tested and their properties were tabulated.
1a and Table 1b. Unless otherwise stated, the basis weights in the following numbered tables are the basis weights of the laminate.

Example 2 A laminate was prepared from a non-aged film and a non-aged nonwoven web as described in Example 1, except for the following processing conditions.

(Table 2a) MDO processing conditions The final film draw ratio was 3.23.

(Table 2b) Lamination conditions

[0058] A statistically significant sample group was tested and their properties are shown in Table 2a and Table 2b.
Is shown in

Comparative Example Laminates were prepared from aged films and non-aged nonwoven webs. Aged films were co-extruded as A / B / A and manufactured at Huntsman Packaging Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, as follows. The “B” layer was made from the same composition as in Example 1. The “A” layer was made essentially as in Example 1, but with 4% by weight Super Floss® diatomaceous earth available from Celite Corporation of Lompoc, California.
The difference was that 45.1% by weight of Cataloy was utilized. This skin layer comprised about 3.3% by weight of the total film mixture. The aged film was stored in a warehouse for 4 days and aged. The aged film was then oriented on a conventional longitudinal orientation machine manufactured by Marshall and Williams Company under the following conditions.

(Table 3a) MDO processing conditions The final film draw ratio was 4.44 times.

A non-aged spunbond nonwoven web made from the same composition as in Example 1 was then laminated to an aged film under the following conditions.

(Table 3b) Lamination conditions

A group of statistically significant samples was tested and their properties are shown in Tables 3a and 3b
Is shown in

Conclusion Tables summarizing the statistical analysis of these characteristic tables were prepared, and the following Tables 4a and 4b were prepared.
You can see it in This data shows unexpectedly improved barrier performance and lamination strength in both embodiments of the present invention, in a two-step process for both water column pressure and peel strength, respectively (Comparative Example).
It is shown in comparison with. Contrary to the generally accepted belief that when one of these properties (water column pressure and delamination) is improved, the other properties are usually worse, the method of the present invention provides both properties. To improve the material at the same time. this is,
It is very necessary for articles produced from the products of the present invention. Further, the method further produced a material having sufficient strength for use in the products described herein, which was demonstrated by sufficient tensile strength and ball bursting properties. Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be apparent that various modifications of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a process for continuously forming an in-line laminate according to the present invention from a non-aged film and a non-aged nonwoven web.

FIG. 2A is a schematic side view illustrating, in conjunction with FIGS. 2B and 2C, a prior art three-step process for forming a laminate from an aged film and an aged nonwoven web.

FIG. 2B is a schematic side view illustrating, in conjunction with FIGS. 2A and 2C, a prior art three-step process for forming a laminate from an aged film and an aged nonwoven web.

FIG. 2C is a schematic side view illustrating, in conjunction with FIGS. 2A and 2B, a prior art three-step process for forming a laminate from an aged film and an aged nonwoven web.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view illustrating a prior art two-step process of forming a laminate from an aged film and a non-aged nonwoven web.

FIG. 4 is a partial cutaway plan view of an exemplary body care absorbent article, in this case a diaper, that may utilize a film / nonwoven web laminate according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the weaving means of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a schematic side view of a prior art longitudinal orientation machine.

FIG. 6B is a schematic side view of the longitudinal orientation machine of the present invention.

[Procedural Amendment] Submission of translation of Article 34 Amendment of the Patent Cooperation Treaty

[Submission date] November 7, 2000 (2000.11.7)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Claims]

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) D04H 3/16 (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM ), AE, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, EE, E , FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, UA, UG , UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW (72) Inventor Yun Sandy Chi Chin United States Georgia 30076 Roswell Willow Stream Court 166 (72) Inventor Hetzler Kevin George United States New Jersey 07871 Sparta Boulder Ridge Crossing 20 (72) Inventor Jones Billy Ray Jr. Georgia 30131 Cumming Northern Oak Drive 2835 (72) Inventor Ha Na William Bella United States Georgia 30144 Kensault Tinderbox Lane 1256 (72) Inventor Ellington Charles Harman United States Georgia 30076 Roswell True Hedge Trace 270 (72) Inventor Morel Charles John United States Georgia 30076 Roswell Turner Road 10480 (72) Invented SKIFER Daniel Kennis Georgia, USA 30062 Marietta Tallwood Court 3608 F-term (Reference) 4C003 AA07 AA19 GA02 GA05 4F100 AK01A AK03B AK07B AK63A BA02 BA10A BA10B DG15B EA061 EC032 EH171 EH201 EJ192A01J02A BB02 CA06 CB10 CC03

Claims (30)

[Claims] 1. a) forming a film; b) simultaneously forming a nonwoven web; c) then immediately joining the film and the nonwoven web to form a laminate. And an in-line continuous method for preparing a laminate. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of forming a film comprises extruding a cast film or a blown film. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming a film comprises cooling mold extrusion. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of forming said film results in a maximum film thickness of less than about 12 microns. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the nonwoven web comprises forming one or more types of fibers selected from the group comprising spunbond and meltblown fibers. The described method. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the nonwoven web comprises bonding fibers of the nonwoven web. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of joining the film and the nonwoven web occurs within 1 to 60 seconds from the step of forming the film and the step of forming the nonwoven web. Item 1. The method according to Item 1. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of joining the film and the nonwoven web comprises a thermal bonding step. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the overall processing efficiency is at least about 70%. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the laminate has greater peel strength and water column pressure values than a similar laminate made of aged material. 11. A) forming a film; b) then immediately stretching the film to provide breathability; c) simultaneously forming a nonwoven web; d). Then immediately bonding the film and the nonwoven web to form a laminate. An in-line continuous method of preparing a laminate. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of forming the breathable film comprises a mold film extrusion or a blown film extrusion. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the breathable film comprises cooling mold extrusion. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein stretching the film comprises stretching the film to more than 1.00 times its original length and up to about 4.08 times. The described method. 15. The stretch of the film required to render the film breathable is reduced relative to the stretch required to render a similar aged film breathable. The method according to claim 14, wherein: 16. The reduced size of the step of stretching the film required to make the film is less than the stretching step required to impart breathability to a similar aged film. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein a higher speed and yield is provided during the step of stretching. 17. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of stretching the film results in a maximum film thickness of less than about 12 microns. 18. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the nonwoven web comprises forming one or more types of fibers selected from the group comprising spunbond and meltblown fibers. The described method. 19. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the nonwoven web comprises bonding fibers of the nonwoven web. 20. The step of joining the breathable film and the nonwoven web occurs within 1 to 60 seconds from the step of forming the breathable film and the step of simultaneously forming the nonwoven web. The method of claim 11, wherein: 21. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of joining the breathable film and the nonwoven web comprises a thermal bonding step. 22. The method of claim 11, wherein the overall processing efficiency is at least about 70%. 23. The laminate according to claim 11, wherein the laminate has higher peel strength and water column pressure values than a similar laminate made of aged material.
The method described in. 24. A laminate prepared by an in-line continuous process, the steps comprising: a) forming a film; b) simultaneously forming a nonwoven web; Immediately bonding the film and the nonwoven web to form a laminate. 25. The film of claim 2, wherein the film is breathable.
3. The laminate according to 3. 26. The laminate of claim 23, wherein the nonwoven web comprises one or more types of fibers selected from the group comprising spunbond and meltblown fibers. 27. The laminate of claim 23, wherein said film and said nonwoven web comprise a polyolefin. 28. The laminate of claim 23, wherein said film and said nonwoven web are thermally bonded together. 29. The laminate according to claim 23, wherein the laminate has greater peel strength and water column pressure values than a similar laminate made of aged material.
A laminate according to the above. 30. A liquid-permeable backing, a liquid-impermeable front cover, and an absorber core disposed between the liquid-permeable backing and the liquid-impermeable front cover, An absorbent article, characterized in that at least one of a liquid impermeable front cover and the liquid permeable back comprises the laminated product according to claim 23.