Disposable wipers and towels containing 40% or more post-consumer waste
View Patent ↗A high utility (strong in both dry and wet states, highly absorbent, abrasion resistant, thick, and soft) disposable wiper or towel that contains 40% or more cellulose fibers from post-consumer waste and/or in excess of 50% pre and/or post consumer waste. The base sheet is produced in a wet-pressed, creped process and is post-treated using a DRC process. The final wiper or towel is a double re-creped, non-woven sheet having a first side and a second side. The non-woven sheet includes about 85% to about 90% by weight of-cellulose fibers. The cellulose fibers include about 40% to about 80% of cellulose fibers from post-consumer waste. The non-woven sheet includes at least about 10% to about 15% by weight of binder. The wiper meets EPA guidelines related to the level of PCW in wipers.
1. A disposable wiper or towel comprising:
a, wet-pressed, creped and double re-creped non-woven sheet having a first surface and a second surface opposite of the first surface, the non-woven sheet including about 85% to about 90% by weight of cellulose fibers, the cellulose fibers including about 40% to about 80% of cellulose fibers from post-consumer waste, the non-woven sheet including at least about 10% to about 15% by weight of binder.
2. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 1 , where the sheet has a thickness and wherein the binder penetrates into about 30% to about 60% of the sheet thickness from the first surface and penetrates into about 20% to about 50% of the sheet thickness from the second surface.
3. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 1 , wherein the wiper has a basis weight in a range of about 25 to about 55 pounds/ream.
4. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 1 , wherein the wiper has a liquid absorptive capacity of about 500% to about 700%.
5. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 1 , wherein the wiper has a bulk in the range of about 15 to about 32 (mils/ply).
6. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 1 , wherein the wiper has a ratio of wet tensile to dry tensile strength of about 55% to about 65%.
7. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 1 , wherein the binder is selected from the group of styrene butadiene rubber, acrylic or vinyl acetate homopolymer, and copolymer latex.
8. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 1 , wherein the wiper has a liquid absorptive capacity of about 500% to 650%.
9. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 1 , wherein the wiper has a bulk in the range of about 15 to 27 (mils/ply).
10. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 1 , wherein the wiper has a ratio of wet tensile to dry tensile strength of about 55% to 63%.
11. A disposable wiper or towel comprising:
a wet-pressed, creped and double re-creped non-woven sheet having a first surface and a second surface, the non-woven sheet including about 85% to about 90% by weight of cellulose fibers, the cellulose fibers including about 50% to about 80% of recycled cellulose fibers, the non-woven sheet including at least about 10% to about 15% by weight of binder.
12. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 11 , where the sheet has a thickness and wherein the binder penetrates into about 40% to about 50% of the sheet thickness from the first surface and penetrates into about 40% to about 50% of the sheet thickness from the second surface.
13. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 11 , wherein the wiper has a basis weight in a range of about 25 to about 55 pounds/ream.
14. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 11 , wherein the wiper has a liquid absorptive capacity of about 500% to about 700%.
15. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 11 , wherein the wiper has a bulk in the range of about 15 to about 32 (mils/ply).
16. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 11 , wherein the wiper has a ratio of wet tensile to dry tensile strength of about 55% to about 65%.
17. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 11 , wherein the binder is selected from the group of styrene butadiene rubber, acrylic or vinyl acetate homopolymer, and copolymer latex.
18. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 11 , wherein the wiper has a liquid absorptive capacity of about 500% to 650%.
19. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 11 , wherein the wiper has a bulk in the range of about 15 to 27 (mils/ply).
20. A disposable wiper or towel as in claim 11 , wherein the wiper has a ratio of wet tensile to dry tensile strength of about 55% to 63%.