JP2013007131A - Method for producing nonwoven fabric - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a nonwoven fabric, which hardly lowers breaking strength of the nonwoven fabric and stably produces the nonwoven fabric having excellent texture even though using a general spun-bonded nonwoven fabric and the like, and further not only stably produces the nonwoven fabric having excellent texture but also produces the nonwoven fabric at a high speed, and thereby can reduce cost.SOLUTION: The method for producing the nonwoven fabric comprises: a step of applying a softening agent to the spun-bonded nonwoven fabric or a laminated nonwoven fabric formed of a layer of the spun-bonded nonwoven fabric and a layer of a melt-blown nonwoven fabric; and a step of subjecting a plurality of portions in the nonwoven fabric to partial stretching processing respectively.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing a nonwoven fabric.

  As a technique for improving the texture of a nonwoven fabric, for example, a method of processing a nonwoven fabric using a needle punch or a nip roller after applying a drug is known.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing a nonwoven fabric that imparts a silicone-based oil when needle punching is performed. Patent Document 2 also includes a step of creating an energy gradient by adding silicone or a fluorinated material having low interfacial energy to a nonwoven web, and applying a tensile force to the nonwoven web to partially weaken the nonwoven web. A method of forming a nonwoven web having a tearing process is described.
Moreover, although it is expensive, it is known that kneading a softener in advance with a resin makes the fiber supple and the touch is greatly improved.

JP 2000-336567 A Japanese National Patent Publication No. 11-504684

  However, since the manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric described in Patent Document 1 is processed using a needle punch, the manufacturing speed is slow and it is difficult to suppress the cost. Moreover, since the nonwoven fabric manufacturing method described in Patent Document 2 is pulled until the nonwoven fabric web is partially torn, if a general-purpose spunbond nonwoven fabric is used for the nonwoven fabric web, partial tearing can be stably performed. It is difficult and causes a decrease in the breaking strength of the nonwoven fabric.

  Therefore, the subject of this invention is providing the manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric which can manufacture the nonwoven fabric which is hard to cause the fall of the breaking strength of a nonwoven fabric using a general purpose spun bond nonwoven fabric, etc., and can feel stably. is there. Moreover, the subject of this invention is providing the manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric which can manufacture a nonwoven fabric with a good touch stably, without giving the softening agent kneading | mixing process, and can suppress cost at high manufacturing speed. is there.

  The present invention provides a nonwoven fabric comprising a step of applying a softening agent to a spunbond nonwoven fabric or a laminated nonwoven fabric of a spunbond layer and a meltblown layer, and a step of partially stretching each of the plurality of portions of the nonwoven fabric. A manufacturing method is provided.

  According to the method for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention, it is possible to produce a nonwoven fabric that is less likely to cause a decrease in the breaking strength of the nonwoven fabric and that has a good touch comfortably using a general-purpose spunbond nonwoven fabric or the like. In addition, according to the method for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention, a nonwoven fabric having a good touch can be stably produced without applying a softener kneading process, and the production speed can be increased and the cost can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a preferred processing apparatus used in the method for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a partially stretched portion of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 viewed obliquely. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the partially stretched portion shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the raised portion of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 viewed from an oblique direction. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a method for measuring the number of raised constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric produced by the processing apparatus shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric of this invention is demonstrated based on the preferable embodiment, referring drawings.
The nonwoven fabric will be described below with reference to the orientation direction of the constituent fibers and generally the direction along the fiber orientation direction as the MD direction or longitudinal direction, and the direction orthogonal thereto as the CD direction or width direction. Moreover, in the following description, the direction which conveys the nonwoven fabric of MD direction (longitudinal direction) and the direction which conveys a sheet | seat by rotating a roll to the circumferential direction mean the same direction, and CD direction (width direction) of a nonwoven fabric. And the roll rotation axis direction means the same direction. Moreover, the Z direction in a figure is a thickness direction of the nonwoven fabric 5 to convey.
1 to 4 schematically show an embodiment of a processing apparatus (hereinafter also simply referred to as a processing apparatus) used in the method for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a softener application unit 2 and a partial stretch processing unit 3 disposed on the downstream side of the softener application unit 2. A brushed portion 4 disposed on the downstream side of the portion 3 is provided.

  The softener application part 2 is a part which applies a softener to a nonwoven fabric, and in the processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a spunbond nonwoven fabric or a spunbond layer and a meltblown layer It arrange | positions at the upper part (position above a Z direction) of the strip | belt-shaped nonwoven fabric 5 which consists of laminated nonwoven fabrics. As shown in FIG. 1, the softener application unit 2 supplies the softener 21 by compressed air to the nozzle 22 that discharges the softener 21 to the tip of the softener application unit 2 and the softener application unit 2. A supply path (not shown) and a storage tank (not shown) that is connected to the supply path (not shown) and stores the softening agent 21 are provided.

The softening agent 21 used in the method for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention has a function of making the nonwoven fabric hydrophilic, increasing the surface energy of the nonwoven fabric, and softening the nonwoven fabric by being applied to the nonwoven fabric. Examples of the softening agent 21 include fatty acid amide compounds, silicone compounds, higher alcohols, various surfactants, and mixtures thereof. Among these, as the softening agent 21, fatty acid amide compounds, modified silicone compounds, and higher alcohols are preferably used.
Examples of fatty acid amide compounds include fatty acid monoamide compounds, fatty acid diamide compounds, saturated fatty acid monoamide compounds, unsaturated fatty acid diamide compounds, and the like. Specifically, lauric acid amide, myristic acid amide, palmitic acid amide, stearic acid amide, Behenic acid amide, oleic acid amide, erucic acid amide, montanic acid amide, N, N′-methylene-bis-lauric acid amide, N, N′-methylene-bis-myristic acid amide, N, N′-methylene-bis -Palmitic acid amide, N, N'-methylene-bis-behenic acid amide, N, N'-methylene-bis-oleic acid amide, N, N'-methylene-bis-erucic acid amide, N, N'-ethylene -Bis-oleic acid amide, N, N'-ethylene-bis-erucic acid amide and the like. From the viewpoint of improving the touch, erucic acid amide is preferable.
Examples of the silicone compound include modified silicone compounds and silicone polymers, and examples of the modified silicone compound include amino-modified silicone, diamino-modified silicone, and polyether-modified silicone. From the viewpoint of improving touch, amino-modified silicone and diamino-modified silicone are preferable.
Examples of the higher alcohol include lauryl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, and linoleyl alcohol. Stearyl alcohol is preferable from the viewpoint of touch.
As the surfactant, anionic, cationic, zwitterionic and nonionic surfactants can be used. Examples of anionic surfactants include alkyl phosphate sodium salt, dialkyl phosphate sodium salt, dialkyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt, alkylbenzene sulfonate sodium salt, alkyl sulfonate sodium salt, alkyl sulfate sodium salt, secondary alkyl sulfate sodium salt, and the like. Can be mentioned. (All alkyls preferably have 8 to 22 carbon atoms.)
Examples of the cationic surfactant include alkyl (or alkenyl) trimethyl ammonium halide, dialkyl (or alkenyl) dimethyl ammonium halide, alkyl (or alkenyl) pyridinium halide, etc., and these compounds have 6 to 6 carbon atoms. Those having 18 alkyl or alkenyl groups are preferred. Examples of the halogen in the halide compound include chlorine and bromine.
Examples of the zwitterionic surfactant include alkyl (C1-30) dimethylbetaine (, alkyl (C1-30) amidoalkyl (C1-4) dimethylbetaine, alkyl (C1 30) Betaine-type zwitterionic surfactants such as dihydroxyalkyl (1-30 carbon atoms) betaine, sulfobetaine-type amphoteric surfactants, alanine type [alkyl (1-30 carbons) aminopropionic acid type, alkyl (C1-C30) iminodipropionic acid type, etc.] Amphoteric surfactant, glycine type [alkyl (C1-C30) aminoacetic acid type, etc.] amino acid type amphoteric surfactant, such as amphoteric surfactant, alkyl ( Examples thereof include aminosulfonic acid type amphoteric surfactants having 1 to 30 carbon atoms and taurine type.
Examples of nonionic surfactants include polyhydric alcohol fatty acid esters such as glycerin fatty acid ester, poly (preferably n = 2 to 10) glycerin fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester (all preferably 8 to 8 carbon atoms of fatty acid). 22), amino-modified silicone and the like.
In the present invention, the softener 21 can be used alone or in combination of two or more selected from the above-mentioned compounds.

  In addition to the above-mentioned compounds, the softening agent 21 is applied to a non-woven fabric to increase the surface energy of the non-woven fabric and to prevent the non-woven fabric from being softened. Agents, antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, fragrances and the like can also be blended.

The softener application part 2 is preferably spray-coated at 0 ° C. or higher, and more preferably spray-coated at 10 ° C. or higher, from the viewpoint of uniformly coating the nonwoven fabric 5.
The softening agent 21 applied by the softening agent application part 2 is not particularly limited in its application basis weight, but from the viewpoint of improving the texture of the nonwoven fabric by increasing the surface energy of the nonwoven fabric to make the nonwoven fabric softer. %, Preferably from 0.1 to 10 wt% from the viewpoint of non-stickiness and high effect of improving the touch. This application amount can be obtained from the difference in weight between the application object before and after applying the softening agent 21 (see the following formula).
Application amount (wt%) = weight after application (g) ÷ weight before application (g) × 100-100

Moreover, from the viewpoint of uniformly applying the softening agent 21 to the nonwoven fabric 5, the distance between the nozzle 22 of the softening agent application unit 2 and the nonwoven fabric 5 being conveyed is preferably 1 mm to 500 mm, in order to suppress unevenness. More preferably, it is 5 mm to 100 mm. In addition, like the processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, when the raising part 4 is comprised, the softening agent 21 is apply | coated to the side raised by the convex roll 41 of the raising part 4 mentioned later. Thus, it is preferable that the softening agent application part 2 is arranged.

  The partial stretch processing part 3 is a part that performs partial stretch processing on each of a plurality of locations of the nonwoven fabric 5 to which the softening agent 21 is applied. In the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. A pair of concave and convex rolls 31 and 32 are provided. The “partial stretching” process referred to here is a method of processing so as to have an unstretched part and a stretched part, rather than subjecting the entire nonwoven fabric to a stretching process due to a speed difference between rolls generally performed. . The unstretched portion is a portion of the nonwoven fabric that has not been subjected to a stretching treatment, and “not subjected to a stretching treatment” means that the stretching treatment is not actively performed.

  As for a pair of uneven | corrugated rolls 31 and 32, one roll 31 has the some convex part 310 on the surrounding surface, and the other roll 32 protrudes in the position corresponding to the convex part 310 of one roll 31 on the surrounding surface. It has the recessed part 320 into which the part 310 enters. A pair of uneven | corrugated rolls 31 and 32 are metal cylindrical shapes, such as aluminum alloy or steel. The processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a so-called steel matching embossing roller 33 including a pair of concave and convex rolls 31 and 32 each having a convex portion 310 and a concave portion 320 that are meshed with each other. As shown in FIG. 3, in the steel matching embossing roller 33, a plurality of convex portions 310 provided on the peripheral surface of the roll 31 and a plurality of concave portions 320 provided on the peripheral surface of the roll 32 are engaged with each other. The plurality of convex portions 310 are uniformly and regularly arranged in the rotation axis direction and the circumferential direction of the roll 31. The pair of rolls 31 and 32 rotate when a driving force from a driving means (not shown) is transmitted using a gear (not shown). The pair of rolls 31 and 32 may be rotated by meshing with one of the rotating shafts by transmitting a driving force from a driving means (not shown), but they are stretched at the center of each other. From the viewpoint of effective partial stretching, it is preferable to transmit the driving force using a gear separately from the meshing. The rotational speed (circumferential speed V2) of the pair of rolls 31 and 32 is controlled by a control unit (not shown) provided in the processing apparatus 1. Here, the circumferential speed V2 of the rolls 31 and 32 is obtained as a circumferential speed from the number of rotations of the roll, where (the outer diameter of the tooth tip of the roll 31−the depth of engagement D) is a diameter.

  The shape of the convex portion 310 on the peripheral surface of the roll 31 may be a circle, a quadrangle, an ellipse, a diamond, or a rectangle (long in the conveyance direction or a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction) when viewed from above, but the breaking strength of the nonwoven fabric 5 is reduced. A circular shape is preferable from the viewpoint of a small amount. In addition, examples of the shape of the convex portion 310 viewed from the side include a trapezoid, a quadrangle, and a benton shape. The trapezoid is preferable from the viewpoint of less rubbing during roll rotation, and the base angle of the trapezoid is 70 degrees to 89 degrees. More preferably it is.

The partially stretched portion 3 has an improvement effect such as high flexibility on the nonwoven fabric 5 before processing, and from the viewpoint of maintaining the breaking strength of the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ after stretching, each of a plurality of portions of the nonwoven fabric 5 has a mechanical stretch ratio of 1.05. It is preferable that the film is stretched to -20 times, and more preferably, 2 to 10 times. Here, the mechanical stretching ratio means a value obtained by the meshing shape of the convex portion 310 of the roll 31 and the concave portion 320 of the roll 32 that performs the stretching process on the nonwoven fabric 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the mechanical stretching ratios at each of the plurality of locations are the distance between the protrusions 310 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the roll 31 (pitch P ₁ ), and between the protrusions 310 adjacent to each other in the rotation axis direction of the roll 31 Distance (pitch P ₂ ), depth D of engagement between each convex portion 310 of roll 31 and each convex portion of roll 32, and circumferential distance of apex of convex portion 310 in roll 31 (dot diameter A ₁ ) Based on the distance (dot diameter A ₂ ) in the rotation axis direction of the convex vertex of the roll 31, the following mathematical formula 1 and mathematical formula 2 are used. When the shape of the convex portion 310 of the roll 31 is different from the shape of the convex portion of the roll 32, the dot diameter A ₁ is obtained as an average value of the distances in the circumferential direction of the apexes of the roll 31 and the roll 32. Similarly, the dot diameter A _{2 is} also obtained as an average value of the distances in the rotation axis direction of the vertices of the rolls 31 and 32. Further, the same can be obtained when the shape of the upper surface of the dot is a circle, an ellipse, or a polygon other than the rectangle. The mechanical stretch ratio at this time is the stretch ratio of the portion with the highest stretch ratio (the portion where the convex portion 310 of the roll 31 and the convex portion of the roll 32 are closest). This is the machine draw ratio. However, the mechanical draw ratio is similarly determined even if it is not a roll shape, for example, a flat plate type or a caterpillar type described in JP-A-2007-22066.

Machine stretch ratio in the circumferential direction

Mechanical stretch ratio in the direction of the rotation axis

  In addition, it is only necessary that the mechanical stretching ratio in any one of the circumferential direction and the rotation axis direction satisfy the mechanical stretching ratio in the above range.

The pair of concavo-convex rolls of the partially stretched portion 3 has a mechanical stretch ratio in the above range, and is 10% to 80% with respect to the total area of the supplied nonwoven fabric 5 in order to reduce the decrease in breaking strength of the nonwoven fabric obtained after processing. It is preferable to perform a partial stretching process on the% portion, and it is more preferable to perform a partial stretching process on the 40% to 80% portion. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of portions of the nonwoven fabric 5 subjected to the partial stretching process are portions that are stretched by meshing with the respective convex portions 310 of the roll 31 and the respective concave portions 320 of the roll 32. It means a portion extended by the edge 310a in each convex part 310 of the roll 31 and the edge 320a at the beginning of the depression in each concave part 320 of the roll 32. The nonwoven fabric part which hits on the convex surface (top surface) of each convex part is not easily subjected to the stretching action. Therefore, the portion subjected to the partial stretching process with respect to the total area of the nonwoven fabric 5 is the total area of the supplied nonwoven fabric 5, except for the total area obtained by summing the areas of the top surfaces of the respective convex portions 310 of the roll 31, It means a portion excluding the total area obtained by summing the areas of the bottom surfaces between adjacent convex portions 310 in the roll 31. As an effective stretch effect applied to the nonwoven fabric, the total stretch ratio of the nonwoven fabric is obtained by multiplying the area ratio of the stretched portion by the stretch ratio of the nonwoven fabric applied to the stretched portion, and the unstretched portion (substantially stretched). (Including the portion that is not performed) and the unfolded area ratio is obtained by adding the unfolded area ratio. Moreover, the draw ratio of the nonwoven fabric concerning the stretched part is divided into a nonwoven fabric stretch ratio in the circumferential direction (MD direction) and a nonwoven fabric stretch ratio in the rotation axis direction (CD direction). That is, it is obtained by the following formula (1).

Total stretch ratio of nonwoven fabric = {Stretch ratio of nonwoven fabric in circumferential direction (MD direction) × Stretch area ratio of nonwoven fabric in MD direction} + {Stretch ratio of nonwoven fabric in rotational axis direction (CD direction) × Rotational axis direction of nonwoven fabric (CD Direction) stretched area ratio} + {stretch ratio of unstretched part (including part that is not substantially stretched) (1 ×) × unstretched area ratio of nonwoven fabric}
= {Mechanical stretch ratio in the circumferential direction (MD direction) × Stretch area ratio in the MD direction of the nonwoven fabric × (Roll peripheral speed / feeding speed)} + {Mechanical stretch ratio in the rotational axis direction (CD direction) × CD direction of the nonwoven fabric Stretching area ratio x (nonwoven fabric width after passing through roll / original nonwoven fabric width before passing through roll)} + {stretching ratio of unstretched part (including part that is not substantially stretched) (1 time) x unstretched nonwoven fabric Area ratio} (1)

  Here, since the stretch ratio of the nonwoven fabric in the circumferential direction (MD direction) varies depending on the supply speed ratio of the nonwoven fabric, the mechanical stretch ratio in the circumferential direction includes the feed speed described later and the circumferential speed of the roll 31 (or roll 32). It is a value multiplied by the ratio (roll peripheral speed / supply speed). The roll circumferential speed is obtained as a circumferential speed from the rotation speed of the roll, with the distance between the axes of the roll 31 and the roll 32 as a diameter. Since the width of the nonwoven fabric stretch ratio in the rotation axis direction (CD direction) is reduced due to wrinkling of the nonwoven fabric, the width change ratio of the nonwoven fabric before and after passing through the roll 31 and roll 32 (roll) The value obtained by multiplying the width of the nonwoven fabric after passing through / the width of the nonwoven fabric before passing through the roll). When stretching is performed in both the MD direction and the CD direction (when the nonwoven fabric is stretched in an oblique direction), it is obtained as a combined sum of the MD direction and the CD direction with the machine stretching ratio as a vector. Moreover, when the shape of a convex part is circular etc. seeing from the upper part, it calculates | requires as an integral value of the mechanical draw ratio in each point. When the total stretch ratio of the nonwoven fabric is in the following range, the fiber between the thermocompression bonding part and the thermocompression bonding part of the original nonwoven fabric becomes thin due to partial stretching, and the peripheral part of the thermocompression bonding part (thermocompression bonding part and fiber In the vicinity of the boundary), a break (fissure) is formed by the stretching action, the fibers are easily cut at the portion when raising, and the thermocompression bonding portion is deformed by stretching, and the thermocompression bonding portion itself becomes soft, so that Peeling at the crimping portion hardly occurs and the raised fiber is shortened, and it is easy to raise and a nonwoven fabric excellent in touch can be obtained. The total stretch ratio of the non-woven fabric is preferably 1.3 to 4 times from the viewpoint that a decrease in breaking strength is reduced by the partial stretching process as compared with the original non-woven fabric before stretching, and a good touch can be obtained. More preferably, it is 5 to 3 times. The ratio of the area ratio of the thermocompression bonding part of the nonwoven fabric to the total stretching ratio (area ratio of the thermocompression bonding part of the nonwoven fabric (%) / (total stretching ratio (times) × 100)) is preferably 0.02 to 0.12. More preferably, it is 0.04 to 0.10 in that the thermocompression bonding portion is appropriately broken while maintaining the breaking strength, and the amount of raising is increased. The original nonwoven fabric has thermocompression bonding portions that are regularly dispersed in the plane direction, and the thermocompression bonding portion includes not only the crimping portion of the constituent fiber by heat but also the crimping portion of the constituent fiber by ultrasonic waves. Meaning.

In order to set the mechanical stretching ratio to the above range and the portion to be subjected to partial stretching processing to the above range, as shown in FIG. 3, each convex portion 310 of the roll 31 extends from the peripheral surface of the roll 31 to the apex of the convex portion 310. The height h is preferably 1 to 10 mm, and more preferably 2 to 7 mm. The distance (pitch P ₁ ) between the convex portions 310 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction is preferably 0.01 to 20 mm, more preferably 1 to 10 mm, and the distance between the convex portions 310 adjacent to each other in the rotation axis direction. The distance (pitch P ₂ (not shown)) is preferably 0.01 to 20 mm, and more preferably 1 to 10 mm. There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the shape of the top surface of each convex part 310 of the roll 31, For example, circular, a polygon, an ellipse etc. are used, and the area of the top surface of each convex part 310 is 0.01-500 mm < ² >. It is preferable that it is 0.1 to 10 mm ² . Moreover, it is preferable that the area of each bottom face between each adjacent convex part 310 is 0.01-500 mm < ² >, and it is still more preferable that it is 0.1-10 mm < ² >. It edge portion of the convex portion 310 is R-shaped, preferably from the viewpoint of not easily open nonwoven hole during machining, 0.2Mm～0.5 × dot diameter A ₁ or 0.5 × dots as R value it is preferable that the diameter a _2. In this case, the area of the surface of the convex portion 310 is an intermediate point of R (projecting the convex portion from the upper surface). Similarly, the partial mechanical stretch ratio is determined from the midpoint.

Furthermore, the relationship between the pitch of the thermocompression bonding part (heat-bonding part by embossing etc.) of the nonwoven fabric 5 mentioned later and the pitch of the convex part 310 of a pair of rolls 31 and 32 (pitch / the thermocompression bonding part of a nonwoven fabric / If the pitch of the convex portion is 0.05 to 0.7, more preferably 0.1 to 0.4, there is a high possibility that the thermocompression bonding portion of the nonwoven fabric is present in the stretched portion. Therefore, the thermocompression bonding part is deformed and softened, and the weakening point due to stretching is easily formed in the peripheral part of the thermocompression bonding part of the nonwoven fabric. It is preferable in that it is difficult to form pills and a good touch is obtained. Here, the preferable range of the ratio of the pitch of the thermocompression bonding portion of the nonwoven fabric 5 and the pitch of the convex portions 310 of the pair of rolls 31 and 32 is the pitch of the thermocompression bonding portion in the MD direction of the nonwoven fabric and the pair of rolls 31 and 32. Any of the ratio of the pitch P _{1 in} the circumferential direction of the convex portion 310 and the ratio of the pitch of the thermocompression bonding portion in the CD direction of the nonwoven fabric to the pitch P _{2 in} the rotational axis direction of the convex portion 310 of the pair of rolls 31 and 32 It is sufficient if one is satisfied, but it is preferable that both are satisfied.

  Each concave portion 320 of the roll 32 is arranged at a position corresponding to each convex portion 310 of the roll 31 as shown in FIGS. In order to set the mechanical stretching ratio within the above range and the portion subjected to partial stretching processing within the above range, as shown in FIG. 3, the depth D of engagement between the convex portions 310 of the roll 31 and the convex portions of the roll 32 is as shown in FIG. The length of the portion where each convex portion 310 and each concave portion 320 overlap is preferably 0.1 to 10 mm, and more preferably 1 to 8 mm. When the nonwoven fabric 5 is supplied between the top portion of the convex portion 310 of the roll 31 and the bottom portion of the concave portion 320 of the roll 32, the nonwoven fabric 5 does not become hard when the gap is widened so as not to sandwich the nonwoven fabric 5. preferable.

  Moreover, the partial extending | stretching process part 3 is equipped with the conveyance rolls 34 and 35 which convey the nonwoven fabric 5 in the upstream and downstream of the steel matching embossing roller 33, as shown in FIG. The conveyance speed V1 of the nonwoven fabric 5 is controlled by a control unit (not shown) included in the processing apparatus 1. Here, the conveyance speed V <b> 1 of the nonwoven fabric 5 means a speed on the surface of the nonwoven fabric 5 drawn out from the roll of the nonwoven fabric 5.

  The processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is further provided with the raising process part 4 as mentioned above. The raised part 4 is a part for raising the constituent fibers 41 of the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ subjected to the partial stretching process. In the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. Is provided with a convex roll 41. The convex roll 41 has a metallic cylindrical shape such as an aluminum alloy or steel. The convex roll 41 rotates when a driving force from a driving means (not shown) is transmitted to its rotating shaft. The rotational speed (circumferential speed V4) of the convex roll 41 is controlled by a control unit (not shown) provided in the processing apparatus 1. Here, the circumferential speed V4 of the convex roll 41 means the speed on the surface of the convex roll 41, like the circumferential speed V2 of the rolls 31 and 32.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, the raised processing unit 4 includes transport rolls 42 and 43 that transport the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ on the upstream side and the downstream side of the convex roll 41. The conveyance speed V3 of the stretched nonwoven fabric 5 'is controlled by a control unit (not shown) provided in the processing apparatus 1. Here, the transport speed V3 of the stretched nonwoven fabric 5 'means the speed on the surface of the nonwoven fabric 5' supplied to the convex roll 41, similarly to the transport speed V1 of the nonwoven fabric 5 before stretching.

Each convex portion 410 of the convex roll 41 preferably has a height from the peripheral surface of the convex roll 41 to the apex of the convex portion 410 of 0.01 to 3 mm, and more preferably 0.01 to 1 mm. . The distance (pitch) between the convex portions 410 adjacent in the circumferential direction is preferably 0.01 to 50 mm, more preferably 0.01 to 3 mm, and the distance between the convex portions 410 adjacent to each other in the rotation axis direction. The distance (pitch) is preferably 0.01 to 30 mm, and more preferably 0.01 to 3 mm. The density of the convex portions is 500 to 5000 pieces / cm ^2, which is preferable in that the number of points of action of raising is increased, and a nonwoven fabric having a large amount of raising can be obtained. There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the shape of the top surface of each convex part 410 of the convex roll 41, For example, circular, a polygon, an ellipse etc. are used, and the area of the top surface of each convex part 410 is 0.001-20 mm < ² >. It is preferable that it is 0.01-1 mm < ² >.

  In the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, from the viewpoint of raising the constituent fibers 41 of the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ subjected to the partial stretching process more efficiently, as shown in FIG. It is preferable that the position of the downstream transport roll 43 is set high, and the stretched nonwoven fabric 5 ′ is in contact with the contact surface of the convex roll 41 at a holding angle α of 10 to 180 °. More preferably, the contact angle α is 30 to 120 °. In addition, in the processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, although the position of the convex roll 41 and the conveyance roll 43 is changed so that it may become the holding angle (alpha), it does not need to change.

  As described above, the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a control unit (not shown), and the control unit drives the peripheral speed V2 based on the driving means of the pair of rolls 31 and 32, and drives the convex roll 41. The peripheral speed V4 based on the means, the conveyance speed V1 of the nonwoven fabric 5 based on the detection of the tension by the tension detector, and the speed control of the conveyance speed V3 of the stretched nonwoven fabric 5 ′ based on the detection of the tension by the tension detector are predetermined. Control according to the operation sequence.

  Next, an embodiment of the method for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention will be described using the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment described above with reference to FIGS.

  The method for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention includes a step of applying a softener to a spunbond nonwoven fabric or a laminated nonwoven fabric of a spunbond layer and a meltblown layer, and a step of subjecting each of a plurality of portions of the nonwoven fabric to partial stretching. In this embodiment, first, the softening agent 21 is applied to the nonwoven fabric 5 composed of a spunbond nonwoven fabric and a laminated nonwoven fabric of a spunbond layer and a meltblown layer. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the band-shaped nonwoven fabric 5 as a raw material is unwound from a roll, and the nozzle of the softener application unit 2 is positioned above the nonwoven fabric 5 being conveyed in the Z direction. From 22, the softener 21 is applied continuously. At this time, the softening agent may be adjusted to a predetermined concentration and dissolved in a solvent such as water.

  Next, in the method for manufacturing the nonwoven fabric of this embodiment, partial stretching is performed on each of a plurality of locations of the nonwoven fabric 5 to which the softening agent 21 is applied. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a pair of rolls 31 of a steel matching embossing roller 33 included in the partially stretched processing section 3 is formed by transporting the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric 5 to which the softening agent 21 is applied, using the transport rolls 34 and 35. , 32 and the nonwoven fabric 5 is partially stretched. Specifically, the non-woven fabric 5 conveyed by the conveying rolls 34 and 35 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and a plurality of convex portions 310 included in one roll 31 and a plurality of concave portions included in the other roll 32. The sheet is sandwiched between 320 and stretched in the conveying direction and in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction at each of a plurality of locations of the nonwoven fabric 5 by the partial stretching process. Thus, by performing a drawing process in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and the conveyance direction, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the breaking strength of the nonwoven fabric 5 for each direction. In addition, when performing a partial extending | stretching process, it is preferable to perform a partial extending | stretching process to the nonwoven fabric 5 at the temperature of 50 degrees C or less. Here, the temperature of 50 ° C. or lower means that the rolls 31 and 32 are not actively subjected to temperature, and when the nonwoven fabric 5 is stretched, it is at room temperature. In other words, when the non-woven fabric 5 is stretched, the non-woven fabric 5 is hardened by causing heat fusion between the non-woven fabric constituent fibers, so that the melting point of any type of constituent fiber resin is higher. Means low temperature. In addition, the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction is the same direction as the rotation axis direction of the roll described above.

In this embodiment, in order to satisfactorily perform partial stretching, the supply speed V1 when the nonwoven fabric 5 is supplied between the pair of concavo-convex rolls 31, 32 and the peripheral speed of the pair of concavo-convex rolls 31, 32 shown in FIG. The relationship with V2 is preferably V1> V2, more preferably a value of V1 / V2 of 1.05 or more, and particularly preferably a value of V1 / V2 of 1.1 or more. In addition, it is preferable that the value of V1 / V2 is smaller than 10 from a viewpoint which does not produce looseness in the nonwoven fabric 5 conveyed. By making V1 / V2 small, the amount of raising is increased and the touch is improved.
In the case of overall stretching such as uniaxial stretching that is generally performed instead of partial stretching as in the present embodiment, the peripheral speed of the smooth roll is larger than the supply speed, so that V1 / V2 is For example, in the case of a normal spunbonded nonwoven fabric, if the total stretch ratio of the nonwoven fabric is 1.3 times or more (as determined by V2 / V1 in the case of uniaxial stretching), the nonwoven fabric is torn. Therefore, although the total draw ratio of the nonwoven fabric cannot be increased, in this embodiment, even if there is a total draw ratio of the nonwoven fabric of 1.3 times or more, the nonwoven fabric is not easily broken.

  In the method for manufacturing the nonwoven fabric of this embodiment, next, the nonwoven fabric 5 'that has been subjected to the partial stretching process is subjected to a raising process for raising the constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric 5'. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ that has been partially stretched is transported by the transport rolls 42 and 43 to the convex roll 41 having the convex portion 410 provided on the peripheral surface. The constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ subjected to the partial stretching process are raised from the surface of the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ by the convex roll 41 shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, from the viewpoint of efficiently raising the constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ from the surface of the nonwoven fabric 5 ′, as shown in FIG. It is preferable to rotate in the reverse direction with respect to the conveyance direction. Thus, when rotating in the reverse direction, the value of V4 / V3 is 0.3 to 10, preferably V4> V3, and the value of V4 / V3 is 1.1 to 10. More preferably, it is particularly preferably 1.5 to 5 because sufficient raising can be achieved and the fiber is less entangled with the roll. By rotating in the reverse direction and there is a difference in peripheral speed, the amount of raising is increased and the touch is improved. When the convex roll 41 is not in the reverse direction but in the forward direction with respect to the transport direction of the stretched nonwoven fabric 5 ′, the transport speed V3 of the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ partially stretched and the convex Regarding the relationship with the peripheral speed V4 of the roll 41, the value of V4 / V3 is preferably 1.1 to 20, more preferably 1.5 to 10, and particularly preferably 2 to 8.

  As the nonwoven fabric 5 to be processed, a spunbond nonwoven fabric or a laminated nonwoven fabric of a spunbond layer and a meltblown layer can be used, and a spunbond nonwoven fabric is preferable from the viewpoint of being inexpensive, having high breaking strength, and being thin. Can be used. In the case of the laminated nonwoven fabric, the nonwoven fabric is preferably a nonwoven fabric in which a spunbond layer is disposed on the surface and / or the back surface of the meltblown layer. The laminated nonwoven fabric of the spunbond layer and the meltblown layer is preferably composed entirely of fibers made of polypropylene resin containing 50% by weight or more of recycled polypropylene resin.

Nonwoven 5, and inexpensive, good touch feeling is obtained, the processing from the proper perspective, its basis weight is preferably from 10 to 100 g / m ^2, still to be 10 to 25 g / m ² preferable. The plurality of heat-bonding portions that are the thermocompression-bonding portions of the nonwoven fabric 5 are, for example, those formed intermittently by thermocompression bonding such as embossed convex rolls and flat rolls, those formed by ultrasonic fusion, Examples include those formed by intermittently applying hot air and partially fusing. Among these, those formed by thermocompression bonding are preferable in that they are easily raised. The shape of the heat fusion part is not particularly limited, and may be any shape such as a circle, a rhombus, and a triangle. The ratio of the total area of the heat-sealed portion to the surface area of one surface of the nonwoven fabric 5 is preferably 5 to 30%, and more preferably 10 to 20%, from the viewpoint that it is difficult to produce pills.
When using a spunbond nonwoven fabric, the plurality of heat-bonded portions by embossing of the spunbond nonwoven fabric preferably have an area of each heat-fused portion of 0.05 to 10 mm ² , and 0.1 to ¹ mm ^2. More preferably. The number of the heat-fusible portion is preferably 10 to 250 pieces / cm ^2, more preferably 35 to 65 pieces / cm ^2. The shape of the heat fusion part is not particularly limited, and may be any shape such as a circle, a rhombus, and a triangle. The ratio of the total area of the heat-sealed portion to the surface area of one surface of the spunbonded nonwoven fabric is preferably 5 to 30%, and more preferably 10 to 20%.
The spunbond nonwoven fabric may be a single layer or a laminate of a plurality of layers.

  In the case of using a spunbond nonwoven fabric, the constituent fibers constituting the spunbond nonwoven fabric are made of a thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin includes polyolefin resin, polyester resin, polyamide resin, acrylonitrile resin, vinyl resin, vinylidene. Based resins and the like. Examples of the polyolefin resin include polyethylene, polypropylene, and polybuden. Examples of the polyester resin include polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate. Nylon etc. are mentioned as a polyamide-type resin. Examples of the vinyl resin include polyvinyl chloride. Examples of the vinylidene resin include polyvinylidene chloride. Modified products and mixtures of these various resins can also be used. The fiber diameter of the constituent fibers is preferably 5 to 30 μm, and more preferably 10 to 20 μm before partial stretching.

  As explained above, according to the nonwoven fabric manufacturing method of the present embodiment in which the nonwoven fabric is manufactured using the processing apparatus 1, the step of applying the softening agent 21 to the nonwoven fabric 5 and the partial stretching process at each of a plurality of locations of the nonwoven fabric 5. Therefore, using a general-purpose nonwoven fabric, the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ having a good touch can be stably produced without applying a softener kneading process. In addition, since the entire nonwoven fabric 5 is not subjected to stretching treatment and is subjected to partial stretching processing so as to have an unstretched portion and a stretched portion, it is difficult to cause a decrease in breaking strength of the nonwoven fabric. Moreover, since it has the process of apply | coating the softening agent 21 to the nonwoven fabric 5, and the process of performing a partial extending | stretching process, the nonwoven fabric 5 'which can be touched stably can be manufactured continuously, and manufacturing speed is high. You can speed up and keep costs down. The reason for this is that the present inventors have made it possible to make small scratches on the fiber by stretching the fiber in the partial stretching step, and the softener is applied in the softener application step, so that only the softener is applied. Then, what improved only the slipperiness of the surface seems to be because the effect of affecting the suppleness of the fiber was added by soaking into the inside of the fiber. Thus, according to the method for producing a nonwoven fabric of this embodiment, the technology that has been considered to be realized only by kneading the softening agent can be realized by application without kneading the softening agent. A touch equivalent to or better than the touch obtained with this kneading technique can be obtained. In the past, it was known that the softening agent kneading technology was particularly effective with soft copolymer resins such as ethylene propylene resin. However, with cheap propylene resin, kneading technology alone is relatively soft to the touch. It was hard to hope for improvement. However, according to the production method of the present invention, even the nonwoven fabric using these inexpensive propylene resins can greatly improve the touch.

  In addition, it is considered that a person feels that the touch has improved by feeling that the whole nonwoven fabric has become soft due to the flexibility of the fibers. From such a viewpoint, the two steps (actions) of the softening agent coating step and the partial stretching step are essential. Preferably, the softening agent is applied first, and the softening agent is uniformly attached to the fiber surface. Then, by performing a partial stretching process, it is possible to promote the effect that the softening agent that has been stretched and attached to the surface of the fibers more uniformly penetrates, and the touch is further improved.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the raising process is further given to the nonwoven fabric 5 'which performed the partial extending | stretching process. As described above, since the raising process is performed after the pre-processing for performing the partial stretching process, the raising of the constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ is easy because the raising process is easily performed and the thermal fusing is difficult. A soft, non-woven fabric 5 ″ is obtained. Further, the obtained nonwoven fabric 5 '' is partially stretched at each of a plurality of locations of the nonwoven fabric 5 before processing, and is not subjected to the partially stretched processing at portions other than the plurality of locations. The strength can be maintained, and the decrease in the strength of the nonwoven fabric can be reduced. In particular, when a nonwoven fabric having a high breaking strength, such as a spunbond nonwoven fabric, is used as the nonwoven fabric 5 as a raw material, the conveyance speed can be increased and the production cost of the nonwoven fabric 5 '' can be reduced. it can. In addition, in this embodiment, since the partial extending | stretching process is performed using the roll which consists of a pair of rolls 31 and 32, and also the raising process is performed using the roll which consists of the convex roll 41, manufacture of nonwoven fabric 5 '' The speed can be increased and the manufacturing cost of the nonwoven fabric 5 ″ can be reduced.

In particular, when the above-described spunbonded nonwoven fabric is used as the nonwoven fabric 5, the original spunbonded nonwoven fabric has a breaking strength value of 10 to 30 N / 50 mm at a basis weight of 20 g / m ² , and is raised. The value of the breaking strength of the spunbonded nonwoven fabric obtained later is 5 to 20 N / 50 mm, and the decrease in the strength of the nonwoven fabric can be reduced to 50% or less. As described above, the value of the breaking strength of the spunbonded nonwoven fabric obtained after the raising process is substantially the same as the value of the breaking strength of the original spunbonded nonwoven fabric. The breaking strength preferably satisfies the above range in either the X direction or the Y direction of the original spunbond nonwoven fabric or the spunbond nonwoven fabric obtained after processing, and satisfies the above range in both directions. Further preferred. The breaking strength is measured by the following method.

[Measurement method of breaking strength]
The original spunbonded nonwoven fabric or the spunbonded nonwoven fabric obtained after raising is cut into rectangular measurement pieces having dimensions of 200 mm in the X direction (width direction and CD direction) and 50 mm in the Y direction (longitudinal direction and MD direction). The cut out rectangular measurement piece is used as a measurement sample. The measurement sample is attached to a chuck of a tensile tester (for example, Tensilon tensile tester “RTA-100” manufactured by Orientec Co., Ltd.) so that the X direction is the tensile direction. The distance between chucks is 150 mm. The measurement sample is pulled at 300 mm / min, and the maximum load point until the sample breaks is defined as the breaking strength in the X direction. Further, a rectangular measurement piece having a size of 200 mm in the Y direction (longitudinal direction, MD direction) and 50 mm in the X direction (width direction, CD direction) is cut out, and this is used as a measurement sample. This measurement sample is attached to the chuck of a tensile tester so that the Y direction is the tensile direction. The breaking strength in the Y direction is obtained by the same procedure as the measuring method for breaking strength in the X direction described above.

In particular, when the above-described spunbonded nonwoven fabric is used as the nonwoven fabric 5, the constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric raised from the surface of the spunbonded nonwoven fabric obtained after the raising process are short, and it is difficult to impair the appearance. Here, the constituent fiber raised from the surface of the nonwoven fabric means a fiber in which the tip of the raised constituent fiber is positioned 0.2 mm or more above the surface of the nonwoven fabric.
In the case of using a spunbond nonwoven fabric, the reason why the constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric raised from the surface of the spunbond nonwoven fabric are short is that the present inventor has stretched the spunbond nonwoven fabric by the steel matching embossing roller 33 of the partially stretched processed portion 3. In addition, a weakened point is formed in the heat-bonded portion of the spunbond nonwoven fabric, and then the surface is processed by the convex roll 41 of the raised portion 4, so that the structure of the spunbond nonwoven fabric is formed from the heat-bonded portion in which the weakened point is formed. It is presumed that the continuous long fiber, which is a fiber, is broken and a fiber cut from the heat-sealed portion is formed.
In the nonwoven fabric of the raised constituent fibers, the number of the raised constituent fibers is preferably 10 / cm to 80 / cm, and preferably 20 / cm to 50 / cm from the viewpoint of texture. More preferable from the viewpoint. If it is 80 fibers / cm or more, the raised constituent fibers are hard depending on the fiber, and the texture is not necessarily good. Also, the raised constituent fibers are easily caught by the hand etc. This is because it is easy to break, to get hurt by catching the hand, and to cause new problems. The number of the raised constituent fibers is measured as follows.

[Method for measuring the number of raised constituent fibers]
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a method for measuring the number of raised constituent fibers. Sampling and measurement are performed at 22 ° C. and 65% RH. First, a 20 cm × 20 cm measurement piece is cut out from the nonwoven fabric to be measured with a sharp razor, and the measurement sample 104 is folded in a mountain shape so that the raised side faces outward as shown in FIG. Form. Next, this measurement sample 104 is placed on an A4 size black mount, and as shown in FIG. 5 (b), an A4 size black mount in which holes 107 of 1 cm in length and 1 cm in width are further formed. Put on. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5B, the fold 105 of the measurement sample 104 is arranged so as to be seen from the hole 107 of the upper black mount. For both mounts, “Kenran (black) continuous weight 265 g” of Fuji Kyowa Paper Co., Ltd. was used. Thereafter, a weight of 50 g is placed on each side of the upper mount hole 107 at a position spaced 5 cm outward along the fold line 105 so that the measurement sample 104 is completely folded. Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, the inside of the hole 107 of the mount is observed at a magnification of 30 using a microscope (VHX-900 manufactured by KEYENCE), and the measurement sample 104 has a fold 105 to 0. Measure the number of raised fibers that are raised above the imaginary line 108 formed at the position translated parallel by 2 mm. In the nonwoven fabric to be measured at this time, when the width of the raised portion is 1 cm or more, three 20 cm × 20 cm measurement pieces are cut out and measured so as to include the raised portion. Moreover, when the width | variety of the site | part to which the raising process was performed is 1 cm or less, it measures by cutting out the measurement piece of 20 cm x 20 cm at random. The above operation is measured for three sheets of the nonwoven fabric to be measured, and an average of a total of nine places is taken as the number of raised constituent fibers.

  Moreover, when counting the number of raised constituent fibers, for example, when there is a fiber that crosses the imaginary line 108 twice 0.2 mm above the fold 105, such as a fiber 106a shown in FIG. The fibers count as two. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 5C, there are four fibers that cross the imaginary line 108 once and one fiber 106a that crosses the imaginary line 108 twice, but there are 2 fibers 106a that cross twice. Counted as a book, the number of raised constituent fibers is 6.

  Unlike the flocking, the nonwoven fabric with raised constituent fibers obtained by the method for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric of this embodiment using the processing apparatus 1 does not have an operation of attaching new fibers using an adhesive or the like to the nonwoven fabric. The risk of adversely affecting the skin can be reduced by the chemicals used such as adhesives. Moreover, problems such as peeling of the flocked fiber during use and exposure of the adhesive surface do not occur. Further, for example, a spunbonded nonwoven fabric, which is one of the nonwoven fabrics used in absorbent articles, is thin, and is difficult to break in general raising processing, but according to the nonwoven fabric manufacturing method using the processing apparatus 1 Thus, a raised (spunbond) nonwoven fabric having a high raised density and a good texture can be obtained.

  The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric of this invention is not restrict | limited at all to the manufacturing method of the above-mentioned embodiment, It can change suitably.

For example, in the processing apparatus 1 used in the method for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a softening agent is applied to the nonwoven fabric 5 and then subjected to partial stretching processing. You may apply | coat a softening agent, after giving a partial extending | stretching process. Moreover, in the processing apparatus 1 used for the manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, the steel matching embossing roller 33 which consists of a pair of uneven | corrugated rolls 31 and 32 in the partial extending | stretching process part 3. As shown in FIG. However, it may replace with the steel matching embossing roller 33, and may provide a pair of tooth space roll by which the tooth space which mutually meshes was provided in the surrounding surface. In this case, the pair of tooth space rolls may be engaged with the conveyance direction, or may be engaged with the direction intersecting the conveyance direction. In the case of a pair of tooth gap rolls that mesh in the direction intersecting the transport direction, even if the amount of pressing is increased, the pair of tooth gap rolls can be rotated, so that a machine stretch ratio can be high, and a non-woven fabric that has a good touch is obtained. It is done. More preferably, the unstretched portion is intermittently distributed, so that the strength of the nonwoven fabric is less reduced and wrinkles are less likely to occur at the time of processing. Also, stretching is added in both the MD direction and the CD direction, and the touch is excellent. Steel match embossing roller is good.
Furthermore, in order to give design properties, it is also preferable to raise in a striped pattern or to partially raise the pattern in a pattern.

  Moreover, in the processing apparatus 1 used for the manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4, although the raising process part 4 is provided, it does not need to be provided. Moreover, even if it is a case where the raising process part 4 is provided, in the processing apparatus 1, as shown to FIG. 1, FIG. 4, the raised roll provided with the convex part 410 in the surrounding surface at the raising process part 4 41, but instead of the convex roll 41, it may be provided with a pair of tooth groove rolls provided on the peripheral surface with meshing teeth that mesh with each other, a knurled roll, a sprayed roll, a card wire But you can. Moreover, you may provide the roll which provided the raw material with frictional resistance in the surrounding surface. Examples of the friction-resistant material provided on the peripheral surface of the roll include rubber and sandpaper. Furthermore, the partial stretching and raising process may be performed continuously or sequentially. According to the method for producing a nonwoven fabric of this embodiment, after raising, even if the fiber that has been raised by being wound up as a nonwoven fabric raw material is once crushed, when it is subsequently wound up, it can be touched by hand, unwinding machine, etc. There is also a merit that raised fibers that are crushed by simply passing through the guide roll occur, and a non-woven fabric and an absorbent article having a good touch can be obtained.

  The range of use of the nonwoven fabric 5 ′ produced by the nonwoven fabric production method of the present embodiment and the nonwoven fabric 5 ″ further subjected to raising is mainly composed of at least a part of absorbent articles such as disposable diapers and sanitary napkins. It is suitably used for members. Examples of the constituent member of the absorbent article include a top sheet, a back sheet, a sheet constituting an exterior body, and a three-dimensional gather forming sheet. In addition, the range of use of the nonwoven fabrics 5 'and 5' 'is also suitably used for cleaning sheets.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the examples.

[Example 1]
Propylene resin is used for the resin, the fabric weight is 13g / m ² , fiber diameter is 16μm, and the area ratio of thermocompression bonding part (heat fusion part by embossing) is 13%. Spunbond and meltblown laminated nonwoven fabric (spunbond-meltblown-spunbond) Was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric (hereinafter abbreviated as spunbond A). In the above-described processing apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, without using the raised processing portion 4 (FIG. 4), first, a softener solution was applied using a spray, and then a partial stretching process was performed. The nonwoven fabric of Example 1 was obtained. In the application of the softening agent solution, erucic acid amide (cis-13-docosenic acid amide manufactured by Wako) was used as the softening agent 21. The erucic acid amide was added to 7.5 g of erucic acid amide in 150 g of ethanol, stirred at 50 ° C. for 20 minutes, and then allowed to stand for 1 hour to room temperature (25 ° C.) (hereinafter, this softener solution is referred to as an erucic acid amide solution). . Next, in the partial extending | stretching process part 3, each convex part 310 in the roll of the used steel matching embossing roller 33 is 2.8 mm in height, and each convex part 310 of the roll 31 and each convex part of the roll 32 are used. The depth D of meshing with the part was 2.7 mm. The mechanical stretch ratio is 2.9 times, the distance between the convex portions 310 adjacent in the rotation axis direction (pitch P ₂ ) is 7 mm, and the distance between the convex portions 310 adjacent in the circumferential direction (pitch P). ₁ ) was 7 mm. The peripheral speed V2 of the steel match embossing roll was 10 m / min, and the nonwoven fabric conveyance speed V1 was 13 m / min. The total draw ratio of the nonwoven fabric was 1.7 times. The ratio of the pitch of the thermocompression bonding portion of the nonwoven fabric to the pitch of the convex portion of the uneven roll (pitch of the thermocompression bonding portion of the nonwoven fabric / pitch of the convex portion) is 0.41 in the MD direction (roll circumferential direction), and the CD direction (roll (Rotational axis direction) was 0.24. The ratio of the area ratio of the thermocompression bonding portion of the nonwoven fabric to the total stretch ratio of the nonwoven fabric was 0.076.

[Example 2]
The same spunbond A as in Example 1 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. First, the softener solution was applied using a spray, and then a non-woven fabric of Example 2 was obtained which was subjected to partial stretching. In the application of the softener solution, diamino-modified silicone (KF-860 made by Shin-Etsu Silicone) was used as the softener 21. 7.5 g of diamino-modified silicone was dissolved in 150 g of hexane and stirred at room temperature for 20 minutes to obtain a solution (hereinafter, this softener solution was referred to as diamino-modified silicone solution). Other than that was carried out similarly to Example 1, and obtained the nonwoven fabric of Example 2. FIG.

[Example 3]
The same spunbond A as in Example 1 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. First, the softener solution was applied using a spray, and then a non-woven fabric of Example 3 was obtained which was subjected to partial stretching. In the application of the softening agent solution, stearyl alcohol (manufactured by Kao) was used as the softening agent 21. Stearyl alcohol was put in 150 g of hexane, 7.5 g was stirred at 50 ° C. for 20 minutes, and then allowed to stand at room temperature for 1 hour to obtain a solution at room temperature (25 ° C.). To do). Other than that was carried out similarly to Example 1, and obtained the nonwoven fabric of Example 3. FIG.

[Example 4]
The same spunbond A as in Example 1 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. Under the same conditions as in Example 1, first, an erucic acid amide solution was applied and partially stretched by spraying, and further a napping process was performed to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Example 7. In the raised processing part 4, the height of each convex part 410 of the used convex roll 41 was 0.07 mm at the maximum, and the convex roll whose density of protrusions was about 2000 pieces / cm ² was used. The convex roll was rotated at a speed four times in the opposite direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the nonwoven fabric. The hugging angle was 60 degrees. Each conveyance speed was 13 m / min. As described above, the nonwoven fabric of Example 4 was obtained by combining erucic acid amide coating, partial stretching and raising.

[Example 5]
The same spunbond A as in Example 1 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. Under the same conditions as in Example 2, first, a diamino-modified silicone solution was applied and partially stretched by spraying, and further a napping process was performed to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Example 8. The raising conditions were the same as in Example 4, and the nonwoven fabric of Example 5 was obtained.

[Example 6]
The same spunbond A as in Example 1 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. Under the same conditions as in Example 3, first, a stearyl alcohol solution was applied by spraying and partially stretched to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Example 6 which was further brushed. The raising conditions were the same as in Example 4, and the nonwoven fabric of Example 6 was obtained.

[Example 7]
A resin of ethylene propylene copolymer is used as the resin, and a laminated nonwoven fabric of spunbond and meltblown (spunbond-) having a basis weight of 15 g / m ² , a fiber diameter of 15 μm, and an area ratio of thermocompression bonding part (heat fusion part by embossing) of 18%. Meltblown-spunbond) was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric (hereinafter abbreviated as spunbond B). In the same manner as in Example 1, first, the erucic acid amide solution was applied using a spray, and then a non-woven fabric of Example 7 was obtained in which partial stretching was performed. The ratio of the area ratio of the thermocompression bonding portion of the nonwoven fabric to the total stretch ratio of the nonwoven fabric was 0.106. Other than that was carried out similarly to Example 1, and obtained the nonwoven fabric of Example 7. FIG.

[Example 8]
The same spunbond B as in Example 7 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. First, a diamino-modified silicone solution was applied using a spray, and then a non-woven fabric of Example 8 was obtained which was subjected to partial stretching. Other than that was carried out similarly to Example 7, and obtained the nonwoven fabric of Example 8.

[Example 9]
The same spunbond B as in Example 7 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. First, a stearyl alcohol solution was applied using a spray, and then a non-woven fabric of Example 9 having been subjected to partial stretching was obtained. Other than that was carried out similarly to Example 7, and obtained the nonwoven fabric of Example 12.

[Example 10]
The same spunbond B as in Example 7 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. The order of Example 7 was changed, partial stretching was first performed, and then an erucic acid amide solution was applied using a spray to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Example 10. Otherwise in the same manner as in Example 7, the nonwoven fabric of Example 10 was obtained.

[Example 11]
The same spunbond B as in Example 7 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. The order of Example 8 was changed, partial stretching was first performed, and then a diamino-modified silicone solution was applied using a spray to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Example 11. Otherwise in the same manner as in Example 8, the nonwoven fabric of Example 11 was obtained.

[Example 12]
The same spunbond B as in Example 7 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. The order was changed from that in Example 9, and partial stretching was performed first, and then a stearyl alcohol solution was applied using a spray to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Example 12. Other than that was carried out similarly to Example 9, and obtained the nonwoven fabric of Example 12.

[Example 13]
The same spunbond B as in Example 7 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. Under the same conditions as in Example 7, first, an erucic acid amide solution was applied and partially stretched by spraying, and further a napping process was performed to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Example 13. In the raised processing part 4, the height of each convex part 410 of the used convex roll 41 was 0.07 mm at the maximum, and the convex roll whose density of protrusion was about 2000 pieces / cm < ² > was used. The convex roll was rotated at a speed four times in the opposite direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the nonwoven fabric. The hugging angle was 60 degrees. Each conveyance speed was 13 m / min. As described above, the nonwoven fabric of Example 13 was obtained by combining erucic acid amide coating, partial stretching and raising.

[Example 14]
The same spunbond B as in Example 7 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. Under the same conditions as in Example 8, first, a diamino-modified silicone solution was applied and partially stretched by spraying, and further a raised fabric was obtained to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Example 14. The raising process was performed in the same manner as in Example 13 to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Example 14.

[Example 15]
The same spunbond B as in Example 7 was used for the original raw material nonwoven fabric. Under the same conditions as in Example 9, first, a stearyl alcohol solution was applied by spraying and partially stretched to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Example 15 which was further subjected to raising. The raising conditions were the same as in Example 13, and the nonwoven fabric of Example 15 was obtained.

[Comparative Example 1]
The spunbond A of Example 1 was used as the nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 1.

[Comparative Example 2]
The same spunbond A (nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 1) as in Example 1 was used as the original raw material nonwoven fabric. The erucic acid amide solution was applied using a spray to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 2.

[Comparative Example 3]
The same spunbond A (nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 1) as in Example 1 was used as the original raw material nonwoven fabric. The diamino modified silicone solution was applied using a spray to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 3.

[Comparative Example 4]
The same spunbond A (nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 1) as in Example 1 was used as the original raw material nonwoven fabric. The stearyl alcohol solution was apply | coated using the spray and the nonwoven fabric of the comparative example 4 was obtained.

[Comparative Example 5]
The same spunbond A (nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 1) as in Example 1 was used as the original raw material nonwoven fabric. Only a partial stretching process was performed under the same conditions as in Example 1 to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 5.

[Comparative Example 6]
The spunbond B of Example 10 was used as the nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 6.

[Comparative Example 7]
The same spunbond B (nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 6) as in Example 7 was used as the original raw material nonwoven fabric. The erucic acid amide solution was applied using a spray to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 7.

[Comparative Example 8]
The same spunbond B (nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 6) as in Example 7 was used as the original raw material nonwoven fabric. The diamino modified silicone solution was applied using a spray to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 8.

[Comparative Example 9]
The same spunbond B (nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 6) as in Example 7 was used as the original raw material nonwoven fabric. The stearyl alcohol solution was apply | coated using the spray and the nonwoven fabric of the comparative example 9 was obtained.

[Comparative Example 10]
The same spunbond B (nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 6) as in Example 7 was used as the original raw material nonwoven fabric. Only a partial stretching process was performed under the same conditions as in Example 1 to obtain a nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 10.

Performance evaluation [Sensory evaluation of touch]
About the nonwoven fabrics obtained in Examples 1 to 15 and Comparative Examples 1 to 10, Spunbond A (nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 1) was used as a reference (2 points), and Spunbond B (nonwoven fabric of Comparative Example 7) was used as a reference ( 3 points), and further 10 sensory evaluations (approaching 10 points) using the air-through non-woven fabric used for the outer layer body of Walkers (Registered Trademark) of Merry's pants made by Kao Corporation as a reference (10 points) The average value of 3 sheets for each nonwoven fabric was calculated by rounding off to the nearest whole number, and the results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[Amount of softener applied]
About the nonwoven fabric obtained by Examples 1-15 and Comparative Examples 1-10, after making it dry for 1 hour or more, the 25-sheet x 20-cm weight was measured. Thereafter, the coating amount was obtained by rounding off the first decimal place with reference to a non-processed nonwoven fabric, and the results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

As is clear from the results shown in Table 1, the nonwoven fabrics of Examples 1 to 6 were nonwoven fabrics excellent in touch compared to the nonwoven fabrics of Comparative Examples 1 to 5. In Comparative Examples 2 to 4 in which only the softener application is not performed without partial stretching processing, the touch is not improved at all, and in Comparative Example 5 in which only the partial stretching processing is performed without applying the softening agent, the touch is only one rank up, Like the nonwoven fabrics of Examples 1 to 6, a significant improvement in touch was observed by combining softener application and partial stretching. In particular, as in the nonwoven fabrics of Examples 1 to 3, a significant improvement in touch was observed in the partial stretching after the softener application. Moreover, with respect to the comparative example 6 which combined the partial extending | stretching process and raising process without apply | coating a softening agent, like a nonwoven fabric of Examples 7-9, if a partial extending | stretching process and raising process are performed after softening agent application, It became clear that the touch improved. The non-woven fabrics of Examples 7 to 9 are touch-sensitive non-woven fabrics that are closer to the air-through non-woven fabric and have a higher cost than the spunbonded non-woven fabrics, and are expected to greatly reduce costs if used as constituent members of absorbent articles. it can.
The results shown in Table 2 also show the same results as the results shown in Table 1. That is, from the results shown in Table 2, by combining softener application and partial stretching, as in the nonwoven fabrics of Examples 10 to 15, a significant improvement in the touch is seen compared to the nonwoven fabrics of Comparative Examples 8 to 10, In particular, as in the nonwoven fabrics of Examples 10 to 12, in the partial stretching process after application of the softening agent, a further significant improvement in touch was observed.
From the results shown in Tables 1 and 2, it can be expected that if the softener application and the partial stretching process are performed, the touch of various nonwoven fabrics can be improved regardless of the type of the nonwoven fabric.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Processing apparatus 2 Softening agent application part 21 Softening agent 22 Nozzle 3 Partial extending | stretching process part 31,32 Unevenness roll 310 The convex part 310a which has in the surrounding surface of the roll 31 The edge 320 in the convex part 310 The recessed part 320a which has in the peripheral surface of the roll 32 Edge at the beginning of dent in 320 33 Steel matching embossed roller 34, 35 Conveying roll 4 Raised processing part 41 Convex roll 410 Convex part 42, 43 Conveying roll 5 on the peripheral surface of convex roll 41 Non-woven fabric 5 ′ before processing Non-woven fabric 5 '' Non-woven fabric with partially stretched and brushed

Claims (7)

  A method for producing a nonwoven fabric comprising a step of applying a softening agent to a spunbond nonwoven fabric or a laminated nonwoven fabric of a spunbond layer and a meltblown layer, and a step of partially stretching each of a plurality of portions of the nonwoven fabric.   The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric of Claim 1 which apply | coats the said softening agent to the said spun bond nonwoven fabric or the said laminated nonwoven fabric, and performs the said partial extending | stretching process after that.   The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric of Claim 1 or 2 which gives the raising process which raises the constituent fiber of this nonwoven fabric to the nonwoven fabric to which the said partial extending | stretching process was given.   The method for producing a nonwoven fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an amino-modified silicone, a diamino-modified silicone, a fatty acid amide compound, or a higher alcohol is used as the softening agent. The partial stretching process is performed using a pair of concave and convex rolls,
One roll has a plurality of convex portions on the peripheral surface, and the other roll has a concave portion in which the convex portion enters the peripheral surface at a position corresponding to the convex portion of the one roll.
The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric of any one of Claims 1-4 which supply the said nonwoven fabric between a pair of said uneven | corrugated rolls, and perform the said partial extending | stretching process to this nonwoven fabric.   The nonwoven fabric manufactured with the manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric of Claims 1-5.   An absorbent article using the nonwoven fabric according to claim 6 as at least a part of constituent members.

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