초록 ▼

Fibrous sorbent media or pads are formed from non-woven mats of thermoplastic fibers, preferably polypropylene fibers, having a mean diameter between about 0.5 microns and about 25 microns. The mats have a weight between about 2 ounces/yd.sup.2 and about 25 ounces/yd.sup.2 ; a thickness of at least

Fibrous sorbent media or pads are formed from non-woven mats of thermoplastic fibers, preferably polypropylene fibers, having a mean diameter between about 0.5 microns and about 25 microns. The mats have a weight between about 2 ounces/yd.sup.2 and about 25 ounces/yd.sup.2 ; a thickness of at least 1/20 of an inch; an oil absorbency ratio of at least 5 to 1 or a water absorbency ratio of at least 5 to 1. The sorbent media have first and second major surfaces with abrasion resistant, liquid permeable, integral skins and fibrous cores. The liquid permeable skins of the media are formed by melting fibers at and immediately adjacent the major surfaces of the mats to form thermoplastic melt layers which are subsequently solidified into the skins on the major surfaces of the mats. For many applications, the thermoplastic fibers of the mats are point bonded together at spaced apart locations to increase the integrity of the mats.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A method of forming a fibrous sorbent media of thermoplastic fibers, comprising:air laying a mat of thermoplastic fibers having a mean fiber diameter between about 0.5 microns and about 25 microns; the mat having a weight between about 2 ounces/yd.sup.2 and about 25 oun

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A method of forming a fibrous sorbent media of thermoplastic fibers, comprising:air laying a mat of thermoplastic fibers having a mean fiber diameter between about 0.5 microns and about 25 microns; the mat having a weight between about 2 ounces/yd.sup.2 and about 25 ounces/yd.sup.2 and a thickness of at least 1/20 of an inch; and the mat having first and second major surfaces;melting the thermoplastic fibers at and immediately adjacent the first and second major surfaces of the mat to form thermoplastic melt layers on the first and second major surfaces of the mat; subsequently cooling the thermoplastic melt layers to form liquid permeable, integral thermoplastic skins on the first and second major surf aces of the mat and a fibrous layer intermediate the thermoplastic skins; andsubsequent to the formation of the integral thermoplastic skins on the first and second major surfaces of the mat, penetrating the first major surface of the mat with unheated pins at spaced apart locations to point bond the thermoplastic fibers of the mat together to increase the integrity of the mat by heating the thermoplastic fibers at the spaced apart locations solely through the application of pressure to the thermoplastic fibers at the spaced apart locations.