Textile fibre reinforced absorbent material

Abstract

An absorbent material comprising a mat of dry-formed cellulose fibers integrated with an air-laid non-woven gauze of reinforcing textile fibers. A method of producing this material by air-laying textile fibers on a wire to form a non-woven gauze, whereafter a mat of cellulose fibers is formed on the textile fiber non-woven gauze. The use of the material as an absorbent structure in an absorbent product. A method of producing an absorbent structure comprised of cellulose fibers and reinforcing textile fibers in which a mat of dry-formed cellulose fibers integrated with an air-laid non-woven gauze of reinforcing fibers is defined and mat-formed. An absorbent structure obtained by this method.

1 . An absorbent material comprising a mat of dry-laid cellulose fibers integrated with an air-laid non-woven gauze comprised of reinforcing textile fibers obtained by directly dry-laying the cellulose fibers on the newly formed gauze of textile fibers so that the cellulose fibers achieve a sufficient bonding with the textile fibers without any bonding agent.  
     
     
         2 . An absorbent material according to    claim 1   , wherein the reinforcing textile fibers have a length of 10-100 mm.  
     
     
         3 . An absorbent material according to    claim 1   , wherein the reinforcing textile fibers have a length of 32-60mm.  
     
     
         4 . An absorbent material according to    claim 1   , which includes up to 10% by weight reinforcing fibers, calculated on a total weight of the absorbent material.  
     
     
         5 . An absorbent material according to    claim 4   , which contains 2-8 % reinforcing fibers.  
     
     
         6 . An absorbent material according to    claim 4   , which contains 3-6 % reinforcing fibers.  
     
     
         7 . An absorbent material according to    claim 1   , wherein the reinforcing fibers are natural fibers or synthetic fibers.  
     
     
         8 . An absorbent material according to    claim 7   , wherein the reinforcing fibers are cotton fibers, rayon fibers or polyester fibers.  
     
     
         9 . An absorbent material according to    claim 1   , wherein the weight ratio between the cellulose fiber layer and the textile fiber layer is from 20:80 to 80:20.  
     
     
         10 . An absorbent material according to    claim 9   , wherein the weight ratio is from 35:75 to 75:35.  
     
     
         11 . An absorbent material according to    claim 9   , wherein the textile fibers have a gauge of 5-30 dtex.  
     
     
         12 . An absorbent material according to    claim 11   , wherein the gauge is 10-25 dtex.  
     
     
         13 . An absorbent material according to    claim 11   , wherein the gauge is 15-20 dtex.  
     
     
         14 . An absorbent material according to    claim 4   , wherein the textile fibers have a gauge of 1-10 dtex.  
     
     
         15 . An absorbent material according to    claim 14   , wherein the gauge is 1-4 dtex.  
     
     
         16 . A method of producing an absorbent material that includes a mat of dry-laid cellulose fibers integrated with an air-laid non-woven gauze comprised of reinforcing textile fibers, comprising: 
 air-forming textile fibers with an air-doffing apparatus on a wire to form a non-woven gauze; and    directly dry-laying the cellulose fibers on the newly formed non-woven gauze of textile fibers to integrate the cellulose fibers with the non-woven gauze and form a mat wherein the cellulose fibers achieve a sufficient bonding with the textile fibers without any bonding agent.    
     
     
         17 . A method according to    claim 16   , wherein the reinforcing textile fibers have a length of 10-100 mm.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to    claim 17   , wherein the length is 20-80 mm.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to    claim 17   , wherein the length is 32-60 mm.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to    claim 16   , wherein the material contains up to 10% by weight reinforcing fibers, calculated on a total weight of the absorbent material.  
     
     
         21 . A method according to    claim 20   , wherein the material contains 3-8% reinforcing fibers.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to    claim 16   , wherein the reinforcing fibers are natural fibers or synthetic fibers.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to    claim 22   , wherein the reinforcing fibers are cotton fibers, rayon fibers or polyester fibers.  
     
     
         24 . A method according to    claim 16   , wherein the weight ratio between the cellulose fiber layer and the textile fiber layer is from 20:80 to 80:20.  
     
     
         25 . A method according to    claim 24   , wherein the weight ratio is from 35:75 to 75:35.  
     
     
         26 . A process for producing an absorbent product, comprising: 
 air-forming textile fibers with an air-doffing apparatus on a wire to form a non-woven gauze;    directly dry-laying the cellulose fibers on the newly formed non-woven gauze of textile fibers to integrate the cellulose fibers with the non-woven gauze and form a mat wherein the cellulose fibers achieve a sufficient bonding with the textile fibers without any bonding agent; and    including the mat in an absorbent product.    
     
     
         27 . A process according to    claim 26   , wherein the integrated mat of cellulose fibers and non-woven gauze is directly incorporated in an absorbent product without intermediate defiberation.  
     
     
         28 . A process according to    claim 26   , wherein the integrated mat of cellulose fibers and non-woven gauze is defibered and mat-formed into an absorbent core that is then incorporated into an absorbent product.  
     
     
         29 . An absorbent structure including cellulose fibers reinforced with textile fibers, the structure having been produced by defiberating and mat-forming an absorbent material comprising a dry-laid mat of cellulose fibers integrated with an air-laid non-woven gauze of long reinforcing textile fibers, wherein the absorbent material is obtained by directly dry-laying the cellulose fibers on the newly formed gauze of textile fibers so that the cellulose fibers achieve a sufficient bonding with the textile fibers without any bonding agent.  
     
     
         30 . A method of producing an absorbent structure including cellulose fibers and reinforcing textile fibers, comprising: 
 air-forming textile fibers with an air-doffing apparatus on a wire to form a non-woven gauze;    directly dry-laying the cellulose fibers on the newly formed non-woven gauze of textile fibers to integrate the cellulose fibers with the non-woven gauze and form a mat wherein the cellulose fibers achieve a sufficient bonding with the textile fibers without any bonding agent; and    defiberating and mat-forming the integrated mat of cellulose fibers and non-woven gauze.    
     
     
         31 . An absorbent material according to    claim 1   , wherein the reinforcing textile fibers have a length of 20-80 mm.  
     
     
         32 . A process according to    claim 26   , wherein the absorbent product is one of a diaper, sanitary napkin, tampon, panty protector, incontinence guard, bed protector, wound or sore dressing, and a saliva absorbent.