Fibrous elements comprising a non-hydroxyl polymer and methods for making same
Fibrous elements, such as filaments and/or fibers, and more particularly to fibrous elements that contain a non-hydroxyl polymer, fibrous structures made therefrom, and methods for making same are provided.
1. A non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element comprising a blend of a non-thermoplastic, water-soluble hydroxyl polymer, a fast wetting surfactant comprising a sulfosuccinate surfactant comprising a C 4 -C 7 aliphatic chain, and a non-hydroxyl polymer selected from the group consisting of: polyacrylamide and its derivatives; polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid and their esters; polyethyleneimine; copolymers made from mixtures of the aforementioned polymers; and mixtures thereof, wherein the non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element is produced from an aqueous solution comprising the non-thermoplastic, water-soluble hydroxyl polymer, the fast wetting surfactant, a crosslinking agent, and the non-hydroxyl polymer and wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer exhibits a weight average molecular weight of greater than 1,400,000 g/mol and a polydispersity of greater than 1.10 to 1.40, and wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer is present in the blend at a concentration greater than its entanglement concentration (Ce) and wherein the non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element is cured at a curing temperature of from about 110° C. to about 215° C.
2. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 1 wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer comprises a linear polymer.
3. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 1 wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer comprises a long chain branched polymer.
4. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 1 wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer is compatible with the non-thermoplastic, water-soluble hydroxyl polymer at a concentration greater than the non-hydroxyl polymer's entanglement concentration C e .
5. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 1 wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer comprises polyacrylamide.
6. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 1 wherein the non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element comprises from about 0.001% to about 10% by weight of the non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element of the non-hydroxyl polymer.
7. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 1 wherein the non-thermoplastic, water-soluble hydroxyl polymer comprises a polysaccharide.
8. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 7 wherein the polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of: starch, starch derivatives, starch copolymers, chitosan, chitosan derivatives, chitosan copolymers, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, cellulose derivatives, cellulose copolymers, hemicelluloses, hemicelluloses derivatives, hemicelluloses copolymers, and mixtures thereof.
9. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 1 wherein the non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element comprises a non-thermoplastic crosslinked filament.
10. A fibrous structure comprising a plurality of non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous elements according to claim 1 .
11. A single- or multi-ply sanitary tissue product comprising a fibrous structure according to claim 10 .
12. A method for making a non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element, the method comprising the steps of:
a. polymer processing a polymer melt composition comprising an aqueous solution comprising a non-thermoplastic, water-soluble hydroxyl polymer, a fast wetting surfactant comprising a sulfosuccinate surfactant comprising a C 4 -C 7 aliphatic chain, a crosslinking agent, and a non-hydroxyl polymer selected from the group consisting of: polyacrylamide and its derivatives; polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid and their esters; polyethyleneimine; copolymers made from mixtures of the aforementioned polymers; and mixtures thereof, wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer exhibits a weight average molecular weight of greater than 1,400,000 g/mol and a polydispersity of greater than 1.10 to 1.40 such that a fibrous element is formed; and
b. curing the fibrous element at a curing temperature of from about 110° C. to about 215° C. such that a non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 1 is produced.
13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the crosslinking agent is capable of crosslinking the non-thermoplastic, water-soluble hydroxyl polymer.
14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the method further comprises the step of collecting a plurality of non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous elements on a collection device to produce a fibrous structure.
15. A non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element comprising a blend of a non-thermoplastic, water-soluble hydroxyl polymer, a fast wetting surfactant comprising a sulfosuccinate surfactant comprising a C 4 -C 7 aliphatic chain, and a non-hydroxyl polymer selected from the group consisting of: polyacrylamide and its derivatives; polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid and their esters; polyethyleneimine; copolymers made from mixtures of the aforementioned polymers, wherein the non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element is produced from an aqueous solution comprising the non-thermoplastic, water-soluble hydroxyl polymer, the fast wetting surfactant, a crosslinking agent, and the non-hydroxyl polymer and wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer exhibits a polydispersity of at least 1.32 to 1.40, and wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer is present in the blend at a concentration greater than its entanglement concentration (Ce) and wherein the non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element is cured at a curing temperature of from about 110° C. to about 215° C.
16. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 15 wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer comprises a polyacrylamide.
17. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 15 wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer comprises a linear polymer.
18. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 15 wherein the non-hydroxyl polymer is compatible with the non-thermoplastic, water-soluble hydroxyl polymer at a concentration greater than the non-hydroxyl polymer's entanglement concentration C e .
19. The non-thermoplastic crosslinked fibrous element according to claim 15 wherein the non-thermoplastic, water-soluble hydroxyl polymer comprises a polysaccharide.