Flushable hydroentangled moist wipe or hygiene tissue

Abstract

A flushable wipe or hygiene tissue includes a hydraulically entangled nonwoven material impregnated with a wetting composition, wherein the nonwoven material includes cellulose pulp fibers and/or manmade staple fibers. The nonwoven material includes disintegration elements having a projected surface area between 2 and 50 mm 2 and an aspect ratio (L/D) between 1 and 10. The disintegration elements may be selected from the following group: botanical elements, paper containing a wet-strength agent, nonwoven material, and film material, and will result in a material that is more readily disintegratable when flushed in a sewer.

1 . A flushable wipe or hygiene tissue comprising a hydraulically entangled nonwoven material impregnated with a wetting composition, said nonwoven material comprising cellulose pulp fibers and/or manmade staple fibers and disintegration elements having a projected surface area between 2 and 50 mm 2  and an aspect ratio (L/D) between 1 and 10. 
     
     
         2 . The flushable wipe or hygiene tissue according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of the disintegration elements in the flushable wipe or hygiene tissue is between 0.5 and 2.5 weight % as calculated on the dry weight of the wipe or hygiene tissue. 
     
     
         3 . The flushable wipe or hygiene tissue according to  claim 1 , wherein said disintegration elements are of a material having a disintegration time as measured by French Standard NF Q 34-020 that differs from the nonwoven material. 
     
     
         4 . The flushable wipe or hygiene tissue according to  claim 3 , wherein said disintegration elements are of a material having a slower disintegration time as measured by French Standard NT Q 34-020 than the nonwoven material. 
     
     
         5 . The flushable wipe or hygiene tissue according to  claim 1 , wherein said disintegration elements are of a material selected from the group consisting of: botanical elements, paper containing a wet-strength agent, nonwoven material, and film material 
     
     
         6 . The flushable wipe or hygiene tissue according to  claim 1 , wherein said aspect ratio of said disintegration elements is between 1 and 7. 
     
     
         7 . The flushable wipe or hygiene tissue according to  claim 1 , said disintegration elements have a thickness between 50 μm and the thickness of the nonwoven material. 
     
     
         8 . The flushable wipe or hygiene tissue according to  claim 1 , wherein said disintegration elements are embedded by fibers in the nonwoven material. 
     
     
         9 . The flushable wipe or hygiene tissue according to  claim 1 , wherein said disintegration elements have a different colour or tint than the rest of the nonwoven material. 
     
     
         10 . The flushable wipe or hygiene tissue according to  claim 1 , wherein said disintegrating elements have a decorative and/or informative shape.