Nonwoven Material and a Method for Producing Nonwoven Material

Abstract

A nonwoven material for use as an absorbent wiping material produced by hydroentangling of a substrate web including at least one layer of fibres selected from amongst synthetic fibres, regenerated fibres and natural fibres, wherein the nonwoven material has a base level h 0 with protuberances on one side, the protuberances forming at least a first and a second surface structure respectively in the form of first and second from the base level h 0 . The first protuberances have a height h 1 from the base level h 0 and the second protuberances have a height h 2 from the base level h 0 , where h 2 is higher than h 1 , and each of the second protuberances occupies an area of the surface of the base level at least 4 times greater than each of the first protuberances. A method for producing the nonwoven material is also disclosed.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . Nonwoven material for use as an absorbent wiping material produced by hydroentangling of a substrate web comprising at least one layer of fibres selected from the group consisting essentially of synthetic fibres, regenerated fibres and natural fibres, the nonwoven material having a base level h 0  with protuberances on one side; the protuberances forming at least a first and a second surface structure respectively in the form of first and second protuberances from the base level h 0 , wherein the first protuberances exhibit a height h 1 , from the base level h 0  and the second protuberances exhibit a height h 2  from the base level h 0 , wherein h 2  is higher than h 1 , and each of the second protuberances occupies an area of the surface of the base level at least 4 times greater than each of the first protuberances. 
     
     
         18 . The nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the second side of the nonwoven material is essentially smooth. 
     
     
         19 . The nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein each of the second protuberances occupies an area of the surface of the base level at least 8 times greater than each of the first protuberances. 
     
     
         20 . The nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein each of the second protuberances occupies an area of the surface of the base level at least 8 times greater than each of the first protuberances. 
     
     
         21 . The nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the height h 1  is at least 200 μm, and the height h 2  is at least 300 μm. 
     
     
         22 . The nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein there is a difference of at least 100 μm between h 1  and h 2 . 
     
     
         23 . The nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the nonwoven material has additional protuberances with at least an additional height h 2   1  from the base level h 0 , wherein the height h 2   1  of the additional protuberance is higher than h 2  and occupies a larger area of the surface of the base level than the protuberances with the height h 2 . 
     
     
         24 . The nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the nonwoven material has additional protuberances having at least an additional height h 1   1  from the base level h 0 , wherein the height h 1   1  of the additional protuberance is lower than h 1  and occupies a smaller area of the surface of the base level than the protuberances with the height h 1 . 
     
     
         25 . The nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the fibres include pulp fibres. 
     
     
         26 . The nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the proportion of pulp fibres is higher in the protuberances than in the rest of the nonwoven material, calculated in relation to the total quantity of fibres in the protuberances and in the rest of the nonwoven material respectively. 
     
     
         27 . The nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the total density of the fibres is lower in the protuberances than in the rest of the nonwoven material. 
     
     
         28 . A method for producing a nonwoven material by hydroentangling a substrate web of fibres selected from the group consisting essentially of synthetic fibres, regenerated fibres and natural fibres, which comprises the following steps:
 a) transferring the substrate web, which comprises natural fibres having a length of less than 10 mm, to a surface-shaped carrier device comprising holes which form at least a first and a second pattern in the form of first and second holes respectively, wherein the second holes are at least 4 times larger than the first holes, and   b) hydroentangling the substrate web on the carrier device with jets of liquid under high pressure, so that the fibres of the substrate web penetrate down into the holes.   
     
     
         29 . The method as claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the second holes are at least 8 times larger than the first holes. 
     
     
         30 . The method as claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the carrier device has additional holes which are larger than the holes in the second patterns. 
     
     
         31 . The method as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the carrier device has additional holes which are larger than the holes in the second patterns. 
     
     
         32 . The method as claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the carrier device has additional holes which are smaller than the holes in the first patterns. 
     
     
         33 . The method as claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the fibres include pulp fibres. 
     
     
         34 . Absorbent wiping material, comprising at least one nonwoven material as claimed in  claim 17 .