WET-LAID NON-WOVEN FABRIC AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME

摘要

Non-woven fabrics and method and apparatus for their manufacture is disclosed. The fabric comprises chopped fibers of a synthetic polymeric thermoplastic material, which serve as binder fibers (126), and chopped fibers of a synthetic material (124) which need not be a thermoplastic which serve as fibers to be bonded. No extraneous binder materials need be present in the fabric. During manufacture, the binder fibers are uniformly dispersed in an aqueous liquid (118) with the fibers to be bonded. The fibers are wet-laid (114) to form a web which is subsequently dried. During drying, the web is physically supported to prevent fracture (180). Also, during drying (116), the web is heated sufficiently to cause the binder fiber to bond the fibers to be bonded, thereby forming the finished fabric.