JP3538462B2 - Non-woven towel with scuffed surface - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a nonwoven towel having a rubbing surface, more specifically, one surface (hereinafter referred to as a surface) is formed of a bulky hygroscopic fiber layer having a high flexibility and the other surface (hereinafter referred to as a surface). The present invention relates to a nonwoven towel having a rubbing surface made of a shrinkable fiber layer provided with a large number of nep-shaped protrusions having a sharp feeling and a moderate hardness, which is suitable for bathing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a woven towel woven by a towel loom has been widely used as a bath towel. In order to impart a massage effect and a rubbing effect to such a woven towel, a part of the pile is formed of a hard yarn such as a strong twist yarn or a monofilament yarn. (See JP-A-51-129272 and JP-A-52-10237)

[0003] In recent years, with the development of nonwoven fabric materials, nonwoven fabrics have been used as wipers and towels. (See JP-A-60-21955 and JP-A-2-26970)

[0004]

However, in order to form the rubbing portion in the woven towel, a yarn for the towel and a hard yarn for the rubbing are prepared, and two types of warp yarns are aligned and warped. Preparing for preparation and then weaving, which increases the production cost, and expects a fine friction action that removes debris even if the scuffing surface is formed with hard pile yarn. Can not.

[0005] On the other hand, towels made of non-woven fabrics have the advantages of being highly absorbent, flexible and inexpensive. However, such characteristics are not easy for hand towels such as hand towels and towels. As useful as
It is not suitable as a bath towel due to poor tensile strength and heavy bulkiness.

[0006] The present invention has a large number of wrinkles on one surface, such as fine piles having a short ridge shape and irregularly dense, soft and foamy, and the other surface is moderately hard and has good skin. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a bath towel having a roughness that does not damage the bath towel.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a heat shrinkage ratio is 5%.
By laminating a web made of hygroscopic fibers on a web layer made of high-shrinkable fibers of 0% or more, and entanglement between the constituent fibers of these two webs, and shrinking the high-shrinkable fiber layer by heat treatment The above problem was solved by forming a large number of wrinkles on the surface on the side of the hygroscopic fiber layer, hardening the layer side of the highly shrinkable fiber and forming a rough surface.

That is, the nonwoven towel having a scuffed surface according to the present invention has a maximum shrinkage (S%) of at least 5 upon heating.
On the first fibrous layer high shrinkable fiber basis weight of at least 50% by weight of 0% is fiber orientation in the longitudinal direction of 5 to 15 g / m ^2, a basis weight of 8~15g / m ² hygroscopic The second fiber layer of fibers is laminated, the fibers of the second fiber layer are entangled with the first fiber layer and both fiber layers are integrated, and this entangled nonwoven fabric is subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature not lower than the melting point of the highly shrinkable fiber. The first fiber layer is shrunk to increase the apparent thickness to three times or more of that of the entangled nonwoven fabric, and the hygroscopic property is such that the fine pile has a short ridge on the surface on the side of the second fiber layer and is irregularly densely packed. A large number of wrinkles are formed by the fibers, and a large number of NEP-like protrusions are formed on the surface on the first fiber layer side due to the shrinkage of the highly shrinkable fibers.

If the heat-shrinkable fiber cannot have a performance in which the shrinkage rate exceeds 50%, the heat-shrinkable fiber becomes a nonwoven fabric in which only crepe-like irregularities are formed, and many pile piles are irregularly densely packed in short ridges. A wrinkled bulky nonwoven fabric cannot be obtained. Even if the shrinkable fiber has a shrinkage of about 80%, if it is mixed with 50% or more of other ordinary fibers, the desired multi-wrinkled bulky nonwoven fabric cannot be obtained, and the maximum shrinkage (S
It is important to form the first fibrous layer with a fibrous web containing at least 50% by weight of high shrinkage fibers having at least 50% by weight.

As the highly shrinkable fiber, a fiber made of a polymer containing at least 70% by weight or more of an ethylene-propylene random copolymer (EP) having a melting peak temperature (Tm ° C.) of 130 <Tm <145 is preferable.

Further, the highly shrinkable fiber may be a polymer (E
P) is at least 70% by weight, and the melting peak temperature (Tm
° C) is 130 <Tm <145.
Fibers composed of a mixed polymer of butene-1 terpolymer (EPB) are preferred. Further, a small amount of an olefin-based polymer such as polypropylene (PP) may be mixed with the above-mentioned mixed polymer of EP and EPB.

When the olefin-based heat-shrinkable fiber, especially the fiber consisting of EP alone, is stretched about three times, it exhibits a heat-shrinkage of 93% within one minute at 130 ° C. just below the melting point. That is, the length becomes 7% of the original length, and EP is most easily contracted by heat as a material, and then EPB is easily contracted by heat. Therefore E
Although it is preferable to use a large amount of P, depending on the application, it may be necessary to control the high shrinkage of the EP.
%, A polymer having a smaller heat shrinkage than EP may be mixed in a range not less than 10%.

The above-mentioned melting peak temperature is a temperature at which a DSC curve at the time of performing a differential calorimetry (DSC) of a polymer shows a maximum value. Is the highest shrinkage ratio in the shrinking state while maintaining.

In general, fibers for nonwoven fabrics are produced by attaching and drying an aqueous solution of a fiber treating agent such as an antistatic agent, and are dried. Therefore, fibers having a shrinkage temperature exceeding 100 ° C. are used. When the fiber is melted, the shrinkage stress is remarkably reduced. Therefore, depending on the time of the heat shrink processing, if the fiber is devised so as not to be completely melted, the heat shrink processing temperature (T ° C is 100 ° C.).
The range of <T <= Tm + 30 is preferable.

The fibers constituting the second fiber layer are all fibers that do not melt or shrink at the heat-shrinking temperature, for example, wood fibers such as cotton and hemp, and hygroscopic chemicals such as rayon, acetate and acrylic fibers. Although it is most suitable for the toweling to be made of fibers, synthetic fibers that do not melt at the heat shrinkage processing temperature may be mixed and used in part.

The apparent thickness of the nonwoven towel of the present invention after the shrinkage treatment is at least three times the thickness of the entangled nonwoven fabric of the first fiber layer and the second fiber layer before the shrinkage treatment. As described above, the surface on the second fiber layer side forms a bulky layer having a large specific volume with many dense wrinkles, and the surface on the first fiber layer side is glued by shrinkage and curing of the above-mentioned heat-shrinkable fiber. It has a hard surface as described above and has a number of nep-shaped ridges. Although the cause of the occurrence of the bumps is not necessarily clear, the fibers of the second fiber layer partially move to the first fiber layer side more than the other parts during the entanglement treatment between the fibers, and the moving fibers are moved to the first fiber layer side. It is presumed that the fiber layer became small lumps due to shrinkage of the heat-shrinkable fiber at a temperature higher than the melting point or higher.

If the apparent thickness of the nonwoven towel after the shrinkage treatment does not exceed three times the thickness of the entangled nonwoven fabric before the shrinkage treatment, the wrinkles formed on the surface become coarse, and When used as a towel, the wrinkles lie down, making it difficult to maintain bulkiness and reducing the body cleaning effect. The preferred increase in thickness after shrinkage is about 250-600% for bath towels.

As a method of entanglement between the fibers of the first fiber layer and the second fiber layer, the basis weight of the laminated fiber web is 15 to 1
The water jet method (also referred to as a spunlace method) using a high-pressure water stream is most convenient for those having a low basis weight of about 00 g / m ² , and in the case of a laminated fiber web having a high basis weight of about 100 to 300 g / m ² . The needle punch method may be used in addition to the water jet method using a high-pressure water flow. The shrinking process by the heat treatment after the fiber entanglement may be performed with as few constraints as possible, or the entangled nonwoven fabric may be over-feeded toward the heat treatment machine in accordance with a desired shrinkage ratio.

However, in order to obtain the nonwoven towel of the present invention having a large number of wrinkles due to hygroscopic fibers, the fine pile of which has a short ridge shape and irregularly dense, the basis weight of the laminated fibrous web is 15 times. Approximately 200 g / m ² , and it is advantageous that the laminated web is entangled with fibers by a water jet method using a high-pressure water stream, and then heat-treated. That is, the entangled nonwoven fabric to be subjected to shrinkage heat treatment preferably has a basis weight of 100 g / m ² or less. In the entangled nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 25 to 60 g / m ^2, a large number of wrinkles which are particularly preferable as a toweling are formed on the surface of the second fiber layer. Can be formed.

Further, the ratio of the first fiber layer to the second fiber layer cannot be unconditionally determined due to factors such as the use, configuration, and basis weight. However, in order to increase wrinkles, the ratio of the first fiber layer is higher than that of the second fiber layer. Less is better. The shrinking process causes wrinkles in the second fiber layer of the entangled nonwoven fabric, and at the same time, the first fiber layer becomes a higher-density fiber state, so that a fiber density difference is formed in the thickness direction of the nonwoven fabric. This strengthens the stiffness of a large number of fine pile-like wrinkles, and enhances the cleansing effect of the body.

[0021]

The nonwoven towel according to the present invention has a first fiber layer containing highly shrinkable fibers and a two-fiber layer composed of hygroscopic fibers which are integrated by inter-fiber entanglement. Since the entire first fiber layer shrinks and the fiber density also increases, the second fiber layer is rolled up and shrunk and deformed, resulting in a large number of fine pile loops irregularly densely packed in short ridges on the second fiber layer side. Wrinkles are formed. The wrinkles are formed by an irreversible action, and the bulky deformation of the second fiber layer is fixed. Even if tension is applied, the wrinkles do not grow and do not easily disappear.

Therefore, for example, when the second fiber layer is made of rayon, it becomes a nonwoven towel which is rich in flexibility and excellent in water retention, and a large number of wrinkles formed in the second fiber layer are formed of soap. Improves foaming and performs skin-friendly cleaning action. And the first fiber layer hardened by heat shrinkage has moderate hardness and a rough surface even in a wet state,
Exhibits a rubbing action without damaging the skin.

[0023]

【Example】

Preparation of fiber As shown in Table 1, after spinning into fiber by using ethylene propylene copolymer (EP), applying a fiber treatment agent such as an antistatic agent, applying a stuffing treatment agent, and then mechanically using a stuffing box. It was crimped, dried with a conveyor-type hot air penetration dryer at 60 ° C, and cut into a length of 51 mm to form staple fibers. The fiber performance of this staple fiber measured by a conventional method is as shown in Table 1. The MFR was measured at 230 ° C. Hereinafter, this fiber is referred to as PNE.

[0024]

[Table 1]

A commercially available rayon (2 denier, 51 mm) was prepared as the hygroscopic fiber.

Examples 1 to 3 Comparative Examples 1 and 2
NE was formed into a parallel web in which the fibers were oriented in the longitudinal direction, and a first fiber layer having a basis weight of 10 g / m ² was formed. The rayon was crossed by a cross layer to form a second fiber layer having a basis weight of 20 g / m ² . Then, the second fiber layer is superimposed on the first fiber layer, and the constituent fibers of the first fiber layer and the second fiber layer are entangled by a water jet method (water pressure 40 kg / cm ² ). One, two
Both have a basis weight of 30 g / m ² and an apparent thickness of 0.57 mm
Entangled nonwoven fabric.

Thereafter, the entangled nonwoven fabric was heat-treated at the processing temperature shown in Table 2 for 1 minute to shrink the first fiber layer, thereby forming a nonwoven towel. For this heat treatment, a conveyor type hot air penetration type dryer was used.

As shown in Table 2, the non-woven fabric after the shrink treatment was heat-treated at a temperature not lower than the melting point of PNE in Examples 1 to 3, and the apparent thickness of the shrink-treated towel was reduced by the shrink treatment. It has more than three times the previous entangled nonwoven fabric,
As shown in FIG. 2, the surface of the second fiber layer (2) of the toweling (1) has a large number of wrinkles (3) (3) (3) (3) such that fine pile loops are irregularly densely packed in short ridges. ), And the surface on the first fiber layer (4) side has a remarkable crispness due to the hardening of the shrinkable fibers, and a number of NEP-like bumps (5) (5) based on the shrinkage of the highly shrinkable fibers. ) Had been formed. But P
In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, which were heat-treated at a temperature lower than the melting point of NE, the apparent thickness was less than three times that of the entangled nonwoven fabric,
Many wrinkles were formed on the second fiber layer side, but the spacing between the wrinkles was large, the specific volume was large and the waist was weak, and a raised material with a scuffing effect was formed on the surface of the second fiber layer side Was not done.

Each of the nonwoven fabrics of the above Examples and Comparative Examples was cut to the size of a bath towel, and overcast to give a nonwoven towel. Table 2 shows the strength and elongation, the lathering property and the crepe function of each nonwoven towel.

[0030]

[Table 2]

[0031]

As described above, the nonwoven towel of the present invention
The first fiber layer (4) is composed of a first fiber layer (4) and a second fiber layer (2). The basis weight including 5% by weight is a layer in which fibers are oriented in the length direction of 5 to 15 g / m ² , and the second fiber layer (2) has a basis weight of 8 to 20 g / m 2.
A layer of ² of hygroscopic fiber, the first fiber layer (4) second fiber layer (2) is entangled fibers in the first fibrous layer of the second fiber layer are laminated both fiber layers on top of are integrated, the entangled nonwoven fabric is highly shrinkable fibers the first fibrous layer by heat treatment near the melting point or higher temperatures (4) been contracted apparent thickness is increased to more than 3 times the entanglement nonwoven, second Since fine piles are formed in a short ridge shape on the surface on the side of the fiber layer (2) and a large number of wrinkles (3) are formed by hygroscopic fibers that are irregularly densely packed, the second fiber layer ( 2) The side surface is more flexible than conventional woven towels, and the hygroscopic fibers are bent and densely packed, increasing the water absorption and water retention, and the foaming of the soap becomes extremely good.

Further, the nonwoven toweling (1) of the present invention is particularly shrunk greatly in the vertical direction, has an apparent thickness of 2 mm or more, and has a high shrinkage property on the back side of the first fiber layer (4). Not only is the hard surface densified by the shrinkage of the fiber, but also a large number of nep-shaped bumps (5) based on the shrinkage of the highly shrinkable fiber are formed. Demonstrate function.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state of wrinkles on the surface of a second fiber layer of the towel of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view in the thickness direction of the towel of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Non woven toweling 2. Second fiber layer 3. Many wrinkles 4. First fiber layer 5. Numerous bumps

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A47K 7/02 A47K 10/02 D04H 1/46 D04H 1/48

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A high-shrinkable fiber having a maximum shrinkage (S%) of at least 50% by heating at least 50% by weight.
5-15 g / m of fiber weight oriented in the length direction
^On the first fiber layer of No. ² , the basis weight of the hygroscopic fiber is 8
２０20 g / m ² of the second fiber layer is laminated, the fibers of the second fiber layer are entangled with the first fiber layer, and both fiber layers are integrated,
The entangled nonwoven fabric by heat treatment by high shrinking temperature higher than the melting point near the fiber apparent is the first fiber layer shrinks thickness is increased to more than 3 times the entanglement nonwoven, fine on a surface of the second fiber layer side A large number of wrinkles are formed by a hygroscopic fiber such that the pile has a short ridge shape and irregularly densely packed, and a large number of NEP-shaped protrusions on the surface on the first fiber layer side due to the shrinkage of the highly shrinkable fiber. A nonwoven towel having a rubbing surface, characterized in that a towel is formed. 2. The high shrinkage fiber has a melting peak temperature (Tm).
The nonwoven towel having a scuffed surface according to claim 1, comprising a polymer containing at least 70% by weight of an ethylene-propylene random copolymer (EP) having a temperature of 130 <Tm <145. 3. Highly shrinkable fibers comprising at least 70% by weight of the polymer (EP) according to claim 2 and ethylene-propylene-butene-1 ternary having a melting peak temperature (Tm ° C.) of 130 <Tm <145. The nonwoven towel having a scuffed surface according to claim 1, comprising a mixed polymer with a copolymer (EPB). 4. The said nonwoven towel has an apparent thickness of 2 to 4.
It is 5 mm, the nonwoven towels specific volume with a Akasuri surface according to claim 1, wherein a 10 to 20 cm ³ / g.