Granted Patent B2

US 9,765,459 · App. 13/530,432 · Granted Sep 19, 2017

Inventor: Mehdi Afshari (Midlothian, VA)

Assignee: Fiberweb, LLC

D04H1/4374B29C55/023B29C55/06B29C55/08B29C55/18B32B5/022B32B27/12B32B27/20B32B27/205B32B27/32B32B27/325C08L23/10D04H1/541B32B2270/00B32B2307/724B32B2307/7265B32B2419/00C08L53/02C08L2203/16Y10T428/24612Y10T442/678

Abstract

Claims (28)

1. An article, comprising:

a nonwoven substrate; and

a microporous breathable film supported by the nonwoven substrate, the microporous breathable film comprising a first polymer comprising at most about 99% of a total weight of the microporous breathable film and an amount of a second polymer comprising at least about 1% of the total weight of the microporous breathable film, the second polymer being immiscible with the first polymer,

wherein the second polymer has a polymer backbone similar to that of the first polymer such that at least about 5% by weight of the amount of the second polymer is blended with the first polymer, and

wherein the microporous breathable film is devoid of a pore-forming filler.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer comprises a polyolefin and the second polymer comprises a polycycloolefin, a polymethylpentene, or a copolymer thereof.

3. The article of claim 2 , wherein the second polymer comprises a poly(cycloolefin-co-olefin).

4. The article of claim 2 , wherein the second polymer comprises a poly(norbornene-co-ethylene) or a copolymer formed from ethylene and norbornene substituted with a substituent.

5. The article of claim 2 , wherein the first polymer comprises a polyethylene or a polypropylene.

6. The article of claim 5 , wherein the first polymer comprises a polyethylene selected from the group consisting of low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and copolymers thereof.

7. The article of claim 5 , wherein the film further comprises an elastomer.

8. The article of claim 1 , wherein the microporous breathable film is substantially uniform in the absence of a compatibilizer.

9. The article of claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven substrate comprises randomly disposed polymeric fibers, at least a portion of the fibers being bonded to one another.

10. The article of claim 1 , wherein the article is embossed.

11. The article of claim 2 , wherein the article has a moisture vapor transmission rate of at least about 35 g/m 2 /day when measured at 23° C. and 50 RH %.

12. A construction material, comprising the article of claim 1 .

13. The construction material of claim 12 , wherein the construction material is a housewrap or a roofwrap.

14. The article of claim 2 , wherein:

the first polymer comprises a polyethylene or a polypropylene; and the second polymer comprises a poly(cycloolefin-co-olefin).

15. The article of claim 14 , wherein the film further comprises an elastomer.

16. The article of claim 15 , wherein the microporous breathable film is supported by a nonwoven substrate comprising randomly disposed polymeric fibers, at least some of the fibers being bonded to one another.

17. The article of claim 16 , wherein:

the article has a moisture vapor transmission rate of at least about 35 g/m 2 /day when measured at 23° C. and 50 RH %;

the article has a unit weight of 1.25 osy;

the article has a tensile strength of at least about 35 pounds in at least one of the machine direction or the cross-machine direction as measured according to ASTM D5034; and

the article has a hydrostatic head of at least about 55 cm.

18. The article of claim 1 , wherein at least about 30% by weight of the amount of the second polymer is blended with the first polymer.

19. The article of claim 1 , wherein 5-30% by weight of the amount of the second polymer is blended with the first polymer.

Assignments (44)

Continuity (2)