Importance

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Abstract

The present invention provides a nonwoven fabric of a multilayer construction including a first fibrous web layer which defines one outer surface of the nonwoven fabric and a second fibrous web layer which defines the opposite outer surface of the fabric. The first fibrous web layer comprises bicomponent or biconstituent fibers which include both a relatively higher fusion point first polymer and a lower fusion point second polymer. The second fibrous web layer comprises fibers of the relatively higher fusion point first polymer. A plurality of fusion bonds serve to bond the fibers of the first web and the fibers of the second web to form a coherent multilayer fabric. The first and second fibrous webs may be bonded directly to one another by the fusion bonds. Alternatively, one or more intermediate layers may be located between the outer first and second fibrous webs. The first fibrous web layer is a 'bico-rich' layer containing from 10 to 100 percent by weight of the bicomponent or biconstituent fibers. In comparison with the first web, the second web is a 'bico-lean' layer and may be formed entirely of mono-component fibers, or from a mixture of bico- and mono-component fibers. If bico fibers are present, they are in a proportion significantly less than in the bico-rich layer. Consequently, the first web has a thermal fusing temperature which is less than that of the second web.

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First Claim