Flushable wipe and method of forming the same

Abstract

A single or multi-ply flushable and dispersible wet wipe including a wet laid fibrous web imprinted using a structuring fabric, a binder composition comprising poly(vinyl) alcohol, poly(vinyl) acetate, poly (ethylene) (vinyl) alcohols, poly (ethylene) (vinyl) acetate, copolymers of vinyl acetate-ethylene, or combinations thereof, and one or more additives. In an exemplary embodiment, the fibrous web is wetted by a wetting solution comprising 0.1% to about 10% by weight of one of the following: (1) boric acid; and (2) boric acid and a mono or divalent salt.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A single or multi-ply flushable and dispersible wet wipe comprising:
 a wet laid fibrous web imprinted using a structuring fabric;   a binder composition comprising poly(vinyl) alcohol, poly(vinyl) acetate, poly (ethylene) (vinyl) alcohols, poly (ethylene) (vinyl) acetate, copolymers of vinyl acetate-ethylene, or combinations thereof; and   one or more additives;   the fibrous web being wetted by a wetting solution comprising 0.1% to about 10% by weight of one of the following: (1) boric acid; and (2) boric acid and a mono or divalent salt.   
     
     
         2 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the average fiber length is below 5 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the average fiber length is below 4 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein porosity of the wipe is below 40 cfm. 
     
     
         5 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein MD tensile strength of the wipe is between 30 N/m to 250 N/m. 
     
     
         6 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein MD tensile strength of the wipe is between 50 N/m to 150 N/m. 
     
     
         7 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein CD tensile strength of the wipe is between 30 N/m to 250 N/m. 
     
     
         8 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein CD tensile strength of the wipe is between 50 N/m to 150 N/m. 
     
     
         9 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein caliper of the wipe is between 300 to 1500 microns. 
     
     
         10 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein caliper of the wipe is between 400 to 1250 microns. 
     
     
         11 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the wipe comprises natural fibers, semisynthetic fibers, synthetic fibers or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The wet wipe of  claim 11 , wherein the natural fibers comprise fibers of a type selected from the group consisting of: softwood fibers, hardwood fibers, elephant grass, nettle, buntal, buri, soybean protein, milvet milk, abaca, bagasse, bamboo, coir, cotton, flax, linen, hemp, jute, kapok, kenaf, pina, raffia, ramie, sisal, and oxidized natural fibers to increase acid group content greater than 5.5 meq/100 g. 
     
     
         13 . The wet wipe of  claim 11 , wherein the semisynthetic fibers comprise fibers of a type selected from the group consisting of: reconstituted cellulose, acrylic, aramid, nylon, olefin, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, or ethylene vinyl alcohol or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web comprises softwood fibers and hardwood fibers. 
     
     
         15 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web comprises softwood fibers and alternate natural fibers. 
     
     
         16 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web comprises softwood fibers and modified rayon fibers. 
     
     
         17 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web comprises softwood fibers and renewable polymeric fibers. 
     
     
         18 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web comprises softwood fibers and water based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web comprises softwood fibers, renewable polymeric fibers and PVA fibers. 
     
     
         20 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web comprises softwood fibers, modified rayon fibers, renewable polymeric fibers, water-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers and alternate natural fibers. 
     
     
         21 . The wet wipe of  claim 16 , wherein the modified rayon fibers comprise viscose rayon or reconstituted cellulose fibers at an inclusion rate of 10 to 50% by weight. 
     
     
         22 . The wet wipe of  claim 21 , wherein the viscose rayon or reconstituted cellulose fibers have a length between 0 and 20 mm. 
     
     
         23 . The wet wipe of  claim 21 , wherein the viscose rayon fibers are shaped fibers. 
     
     
         24 . The wet wipe of  claim 23 , wherein the viscose rayon fibers have a tri-lobal or star-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         25 . The wet wipe of  claim 21 , wherein the reconstituted cellulose fibers are shaped fibers. 
     
     
         26 . The wet wipe of  claim 25 , wherein the reconstituted cellulose fibers have a tri-lobal or star-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         27 . The wet wipe of  claim 18 , wherein the water based PVA fiber are added at an inclusion rate of 10 to 50% by weight. 
     
     
         28 . The wet wipe of  claim 18 , wherein the water based PVA fiber length is between 4 and 20 mm. 
     
     
         29 . The wet wipe of  claim 18 , wherein the water based PVA fibers are shaped fibers. 
     
     
         30 . The wet swipe of  claim 29 , wherein the water based PVA fibers have a tri-lobal or star-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         31 . The wet wipe of  claim 17 , wherein the renewable polymeric fibers comprise polylactic acid (PLA) fibers. 
     
     
         32 . The wet wipe of  claim 31 , wherein the PLA fiber length is between 4 mm to 20 mm. 
     
     
         33 . The wet wipe of  claim 31 , wherein the PLA fiber inclusion rate is between 0 and 50% by weight. 
     
     
         34 . The wet wipe of  claim 31 , wherein the PLA fibers are shaped fibers. 
     
     
         35 . The wet wipe of  claim 34 , wherein the PLA fibers have a tri-lobal or star-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         36 . The wet wipe of  claim 15 , wherein the alternate natural fibers comprise abaca, bamboo, coir, flax, linen, kapok, pina, raffia, ramie, sisal, nettle, buntal, buri, cotton, kenaf, elephant grass, jute, hemp, bagasse fibers or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein additives are incorporated between 0-5% on the weight of bone dry fiber. 
     
     
         38 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the additives comprise urea formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, poly amide poly amine epichlorohydrin, polyethlyenimine, starch and starch derivatives, aldehyde functionalized starches, chitosan, aldehyde functionalize polyacrylamides, glyoxalated polyacrylamide, glyoxalated copolymer, carboxyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl amine, polyamide resins, polyacrylamide resins, galactomannan gums such as guar guam and locus bean gum, acrylic emulsions, styrene-butadiene latexes, vinyl acetate polymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, vinyl chloride polymers, vinylidene chloride polymers, vinyl chloride-vinylidene copolymers, acrylo-nitrile copolymers, ethylene-acrylic copolymers, latex emulsions, acrolein copolymers or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the additives comprise starch and starch derivatives, aldehyde functionalized starches, chitosan, aldehyde functionalize polyacrylamides, glyoxalated polyacrylamide, glyoxalated copolymers, carboxyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl amine, polyamide resins, polyacrylamide resins, galactomannan gums such as guar guam and locus bean gum, acrylic emulsions, styrene-butadiene latexes, vinyl acetate polymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, vinyl chloride polymers, vinylidene chloride polymers, vinyl chloride-vinylidene copolymers, acrylo-nitrile copolymers, ethylene-acrylic copolymers, latex emulsions, acrolein copolymers or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         40 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the additives comprise starch and starch derivatives, aldehyde functionalized starches, chitosan, aldehyde functionalize polyacrylamides, glyoxalated polyacrylamide, glyoxylated copolymers, carboxyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl amine, polyamide resins, polyacrylamide resins, galactomannan gums or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , where the additives comprise starch and starch derivatives, aldehyde functionalized starches, chitosan, aldehyde functionalize polyacrylamides, glyoxalated polyacrylamide, glyoxylated copolymers, carboxyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl amine, polyamide resins, polyacrylamide resins or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         42 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein an enzyme based material is added to a slurry used to form the fibrous web at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 2% on the bone dry weight of fibers. 
     
     
         43 . The wet wipe of  claim 42 , wherein the enzyme based material requires a dose of hydrogen peroxide initiator or ammonium per sulfate. 
     
     
         44 . The wet wipe of  claim 42 , wherein the enzyme based material comprises oxidoreductase enzymatic systems. 
     
     
         45 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the slurry contains fillers. 
     
     
         46 . The wet wipe of  claim 45 , wherein the fillers comprise calcium carbonate particles, clay particles, talc particles or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         47 . The wet wipe of  claim 46 , wherein the fillers are included at addition rates of 0.1% by weight to 1% by weight. 
     
     
         48 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , further comprising a cleansing solution. 
     
     
         49 . The wet wipe of  claim 48 , wherein the cleansing solution comprises glycol based cross-linking chemistry including anhydrides and epoxy groups. 
     
     
         50 . The wet wipe of  claim 48 , wherein the cleansing solution comprises cyclo-dextrins with ability to release fragrances. 
     
     
         51 . The wet wipe of  claim 48 , wherein the cleansing solution comprises concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.5% of Aloe E or shea butter. 
     
     
         52 . The wet wipe of  claim 48 , wherein the cleansing solution makes up 40% to 80% by weight of the wipe. 
     
     
         53 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the basis weight of the wet wipe is 20 gsm to 100 gsm. 
     
     
         54 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , further comprising super absorbent polymers or encapsulated polymers as filler materials. 
     
     
         55 . The wet wipe of  claim 1 , further comprising softener.