Method and apparatus for producing cotton wool products

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a wadding product, in particular for producing wadding pads for cosmetic purposes, comprising the following steps: preparing a preliminary non-woven mat which is made at least predominantly of cotton fibers, compacting said preliminary non-woven mat by using a plurality of hot high-pressure gas jets. For the apparatus it is provided that the device for compacting ( 2, 12′, 14, 15, 15′, 16, 16 ′) the preliminary non-woven mat ( 7 ) comprises a device for subjecting the preliminary non-woven mat ( 7 ) to hot gas at a high pressure.

1 . A method for producing a wadding product for cosmetic purposes, said method comprising the following steps:
 preparing a preliminary nonwoven mat which is made at least predominantly of cotton fibers, and   compacting said preliminary nonwoven mat by using a plurality of hot high-pressure gas jets.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the preliminary nonwoven mat is made of 100% cotton fibers. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the preliminary nonwoven mat is made largely of cotton fibers and of a portion of further thermoplastic natural fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said further natural fibers are made of polylactides and polylactic acids. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the compacting is performed by steam needling with superheated steam. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the temperature of the hot steam is about 220 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the application of hot steam is performed at a pressure of 10-25 bar. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application of hot gas and hot steam is performed in a pressed, precompacted state of the preliminary nonwoven mat. 
     
     
         9 . A device for producing wadding products for cosmetic purposes, said device comprising:
 means for making a preliminary nonwoven mat which at least for the major part consists of cotton fibers,   downstream of said means, a means for compacting said preliminary nonwoven mat, for performing the method according to  claim 1 , wherein   the means for compacting the preliminary nonwoven mat comprises a means for treating the preliminary nonwoven mat with high-pressure hot gas.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said means for compacting the preliminary nonwoven mat is a steam needling device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said steam needling device has a means for suctional removal. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said steam needling device cooperates with a needling drum. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said steam needling device has a steam generator and an superheater. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said steam generator is connected to a heat exchanger in thermal contact with said means for suctional removal. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said heat exchanger is coupled to a line arranged downstream of said means for suctional removal.