Non-Woven Fabric and Method for Fabricating the Same

Abstract

A non-woven fabric includes a filament fiber web and a composite fiber web that is entangled with the filament fiber web and that includes composite staple fibers and cellulose fibers. The composite staple fibers and the cellulose fibers are fusion-bonded together. A method of fabricating a non-woven fabric includes: (a) air laying and thermally treating composite staple fibers and cellulose fibers so as to form a composite fiber web, the composite staple fibers and the cellulose fibers in the composite fiber web being fusion-bonded together, and (b) disposing the composite fiber web between two filament fiber webs followed by subjecting to water-jet treatment such that the composite fiber web and the filament fiber webs are entangled with each other.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-woven fabric comprising:
 a filament fiber web; and   a composite fiber web that is entangled with the filament fiber web and that includes composite staple fibers and cellulose fibers, said composite staple fibers and said cellulose fibers being fusion-bonded together.   
     
     
         2 . The non-woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein said filament fiber web includes filament fibers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyethylene terephthalate fibers, rayon, cotton fibers and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The non-woven fabric of  claim 2 , wherein said filament fibers have lengths ranging from 10 mm to 76 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The non-woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein said filament fibers are present in an amount ranging from 10 wt % to 80 wt % based on the total weight of said non-woven fabric. 
     
     
         5 . The non-woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein said composite staple fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene-polypropylene fibers, polyethylene-polyethylene terephthalate fibers, low temperature poly lactic acid-high temperature poly lactic acid fibers, maleic anhydride modified polyethylene-polypropylene fibers, maleic anhydride modified polyethylene-polyethylene terephthalate fibers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The non-woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein said composite staple fibers have lengths ranging from 1 mm to 10 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The non-woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein said composite staple fibers are present in an amount ranging from 1 wt % to 20 wt % based on the total weight of said non-woven fabric. 
     
     
         8 . The non-woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein said cellulose fibers are present in an amount ranging from 5 wt % to 60 wt % based on the total weight of said non-woven fabric. 
     
     
         9 . The non-woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein said cellulose fibers have lengths ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm. 
     
     
         10 . A method of fabricating a non-woven fabric, comprising:
 (a) air laying and thermally treating composite staple fibers and cellulose fibers so as to form a composite fiber web, the composite staple fibers and the cellulose fibers in the composite fiber web being fusion-bonded together; and   (b) disposing the composite fiber web between two filament fiber webs followed by subjecting to water-jet treatment such that the composite fiber web and the filament fiber webs are entangled with each other.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the filament fiber web includes filament fibers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyethylene terephthalate fibers, rayon, cotton fibers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the filament fibers have lengths ranging from 10 mm to 76 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the filament fibers are present in an amount ranging from 10 wt % to 80 wt % based on the total weight of said non-woven fabric. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the composite staple fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene-polypropylene fibers, polyethylene-polyethylene terephthalate fibers, low temperature poly lactic acid-high temperature poly lactic acid fibers, maleic anhydride modified polyethylene-polypropylene fibers, maleic anhydride modified polyethylene-polyethylene terephthalate fibers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the composite staple fibers have lengths ranging from 1 mm to 10 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the composite staple fibers are present in an amount ranging from 1 wt % to 20 wt % based on the total weight of said non-woven fabric. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cellulose fibers are present in an amount ranging from 5 wt % to 60 wt % based on the total weight of said non-woven fabric. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cellulose fibers have lengths ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm.