Process of making a cleaning implement comprising functionally active fibers

1. A method of forming a cleaning implement containing functionally active fibers comprising:

a) forming a mixture of at least one polymer and at least one functional active, said at least one polymer is at least partially water-soluble, at least partially ethanol-soluble, at least partially glycerol-soluble, or combinations thereof, said at least one polymer including a polymer selected from the group consisting of natural gums, alginates, chitosan, modified cellulose ethers, poly (acrylic acids), poly (propane sulfonics), poly (vinyl acetate), modified starch, poly (vinyl alcohol), poly (diallyldimethylammonium chlorides), poly (sulfonated polysterenics), poly (vinyl methyl ether), poly (vinyl ethyl ether), poly (ethylene oxide), poly (propylene oxide), p-AMPs, carboxyvinyl polymer, or mixtures thereof, said at least one functional active including a substance reacts or interacts with a surface to clean, sanitize, disinfect, sterilize, bleach, remove stains, or combination thereof;

b) injecting said mixture at a controlled flow rate;

c) ejecting said mixture and simultaneously exposing said the ejected mixture to an electric field having a potential of over about 1.0 kV to cause said ejected mixture to form fine fibers, said fibers having an average diameter of less than about 1000 nanometers; and,

d) collecting said fibers on a collector; and

e) forming said fibers into a cleaning implement;

wherein said cleaning implement consists of: functionally active fibers having a diameter of less than about 1000 nanometers.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said electric field has a potential of about 2-100 kV.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said mixture is injected through at least one nozzle, said control flow rate through each nozzle is about 0.1-40 micro-liters per minute.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 , wherein said mixture is injected through at least one nozzle, said control flow rate through each nozzle is about 10-30 micro-liters per minute.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein a distance said ejected mixture travels through said electric field is about 1-100 cm.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein a distance said ejected mixture travels through said electric field is about 2-10 cm.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said mixture has a viscosity of about 100-100000 cps at 25° C.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said at least one polymer includes poly (acrylic acids), poly (propane sulfonics), poly (diallyldimethylammonium chlorides), or mixtures thereof.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said at least one polymer includes poly (acrylic acids).

10. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said at least one functional active includes an additive selected from the group consisting of organic acids, inorganic acids, aldehydes, ketones, simple straight chain mono-functional alcohols, mono-functional ethers, esters, organic bases, alkali metal hydroxides, carbonates, silicates, oxidizing agents, bleaching agents, terpenes, commercially formulated liquid cleaners, quaternary ammonium compounds, biguanides, p-AMPS, poly-L-lysine, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, propyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, other higher molecular weight straight chain mono-functional alcohols, dimethyl ether, methyl ethyl ether, diethyl ether, other higher molecular weight mono-functional ethers, methyl acetate, ethyl acetates, propyl acetate, amyl acetate, other higher molecular weight esters, or mixtures thereof.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said at least one functional active includes 1,3-dichloro-5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin, 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, 2-butoxyethanol, 3-bromo-1-chloro-5,5-dimethyl-hydantoin, alkyl (C12-16) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides, alkyl (C12-16) dimethylbenzyl n-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide, alkyl (C12-14) dimethylethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides, alkyl alcohol ethoxylates, alkylbenzenesulfonate, alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, alkyl polyglucoside, ammonium chloride, alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, ammonium hydroxide, amine oxide, amyl acetate, benzyl chloro phenol, boric acid, bromochloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, chlorhexidine digluconate, chlorothalonil, chlorhexidine gluconate, citric acid, cocoamidopropyl betaine, d-tran allethrin, dicamba, dichloro meta xylenol, didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, diethanol-amine, diethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, dimethyl ether, dimethyl salt, dimethyltetradecylamine oxide, estenvalerate, ethoxylated alcohol, ethyl acetates, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, glycolic acid, glutaraldehyde, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen peroxide, isopropanol, isopropylamine salt of glyphosphate, lambda cyhalothrin, linear alcohol ethoxylates, mecoprop-p dimethylamine salt, lauramine oxide, lauryldimethylamine oxide, methyl ethyl ether, methyl acetate, monoethanolamine, myristamine oxide, n-alkyl (C12-18) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides, n-alkyl(C12-14) dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides, n-alkyl (C12-16) dimethylbenzyl n-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximides, n-alkyl dimethyl aryl ammonium chloride, n-butyl ether, n-propoxypropanol, nonylphenol ethoxylates, ortho phenyl phenol, oxalic acid, para chloro meta xylenol, polydimethylsiloxane, poly(hexamethylenebiguanide) hydrochloride, polyhexa-methylene biguanide, poly-L-lysine, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, propyl acetate, propylene glycol, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, quaternary fatty amine ethoxylate, salts of tall oil acid, sodium alkyl aryl sulfonate, sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate, sodium carbonate, sodium citrate, sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl ether sulfate, sodium metasilicate, sodium olefin sulfonate,sodium percarbonate, sodium xylene sulfonate, t-butyl ether, tralomethrin, triethanolamine, and/or tween 20 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate), or mixtures thereof.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 , wherein said at least one functional active includes a bleaching agent, quat, biguanide, metallic salts, or mixtures thereof, said bleaching agent including a compound selected from the group consisting of peroxide, CaOCl2, NaOCl, or mixtures thereof, said metallic salts including a salt selected from the group consisting of silver metal salts, copper metal salts, or mixtures thereof

13. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein a total amount of said functional active in said mixture is up to about 20 weight percent of said mixture.

14. A method of forming a cleaning implement containing functionally active fibers comprising:

a) forming a mixture of at least polymer and at least one functional active; said at least polymer and at least one functional active forming a stable and homogenous phase; said at least one polymer is not water-soluble nor at least partially water-soluble, at least partially ethanol-soluble, at least partially glycerol-soluble, or combinations thereof; said at least one polymer includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of poly (acrylic acids), chitosan, xanthan gum, alginates, poly (vinyl acetate), modified starch, poly (vinyl alcohol), poly (diallyldimethylammonium chlorides), p-AMPs, 2-Propenoic acid homopolymer, Carbopol 940™, agar, poly (ethylene oxide), or mixtures thereof; said at least one functional active includes wherein said at least one functional active includes 1,3-dichloro-5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin, 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethyl-hydantoin, 2-butoxyethanol, 3-bromo-1-chloro-5,5-dimethyl-hydantoin, alkyl (C12-16) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides, alkyl (C12-16) dimethylbenzyl n-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide, alkyl (C12-14) dimethylethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides, alkyl alcohol ethoxylates, alkylbenzenesulfonate, alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, alkyl polyglucoside, ammonium chloride, alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, ammonium hydroxide, amine oxide, amyl acetate, benzyl chloro phenol, boric acid, bromochloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, chlorhexidine digluconate, chlorothalonil, chlorhexidine gluconate, citric acid, cocoamidopropyl betaine, d-tran allethrin, dicamba, dichloro meta xylenol, didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, diethanolamine, diethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, dimethyl ether, dimethyl salt, dimethyltetradecylamine oxide, estenvalerate, ethoxylated alcohol, ethyl acetates, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, glycolic acid, glutaraldehyde, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen peroxide, isopropanol, isopropylamine salt of glyphosphate, lambda cyhalothrin, linear alcohol ethoxylates, mecoprop-p dimethylamine salt, lauramine oxide, lauryldimethylamine oxide, methyl ethyl ether, methyl acetate, monoethanolamine, myristamine oxide, n-alkyl (C12-18) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides, n-alkyl(C12-14) dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides, n-alkyl (C12-16) dimethylbenzyl n-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximides, n-alkyl dimethyl aryl ammonium chloride, n-butyl ether, n-propoxypropanol, nonylphenol ethoxylates, ortho phenyl phenol, oxalic acid, para chloro meta xylenol, polydimethylsiloxane, poly(hexamethylenebiguanide) hydrochloride, polyhexamethylene biguanide, poly-L-lysine, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, propyl acetate, propylene glycol, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, quaternary fatty amine ethoxylate, salts of tall oil acid, sodium alkyl aryl sulfonate, sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate, sodium carbonate, sodium citrate, sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl ether sulfate, sodium metasilicate, sodium olefin sulfonate,sodium percarbonate, sodium xylene sulfonate, t-butyl ether, tralomethrin, triethanolamine, and/or tween 20 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate), or mixtures thereof; a total amount of said functional active in said mixture is up to about 20 weight percent of said mixture; said mixture has having a viscosity of about 1000-10000 cps at 25° C.;

b) injecting said mixture through a nozzle at a control flow rate of about 10-30 micro-liters per minute;

c) ejecting said mixture and simultaneously exposing said the ejected mixture to an electric field having a potential of about 2-12 kV to cause said ejected mixture to at least partially form fine fibers, said fibers having an average diameter of less than about 1000 nanometers, said mixture traveling a distance of about 2-10 cm when exposed to said electric field; and,

d) collecting said fibers on a collector;

e) forming a cleaning a cleaning implement consisting of: said fibers; and

f) dissolving said fibers in water and/or alcohol to release said functional active to a surface to be cleaned, sanitized and/or disinfected.

15. The method as defined in claim 14 , wherein the surface to be cleaned is a hard surface.