Nonwoven materials are often used as polishing wipes, e.g. to add wax and polish it to a good shine in the car and similar industries.
A good polishing material should be soft, pliable, non-scratching, able to absorb and release wax, be well integrated in order to avoid release of debris, have an even distribution of the fibres and may exhibit antistatic properties.
Waxes have properties that in some respects places them between solid and liquids. This makes them difficult to handle.
Textile cloths have been used, often in the form of rags. These normally have high density and low bulk, which render them less fit for the planned use. They will readily absorb wax, but the release of the wax from the cloth is incomplete; the cloth will quickly get filled with wax and soggy.
On the market there are polishing materials made entirely from synthetic staple fibres. These are manufactured from 35-60 mm long fibres that are carded into a web which is then hydroentangled before drying. Many of the materials are apertured to enhance the release of wax.
There is also a thermobonded spun bond material intended for polishing available on the market. This is rather flat in its structure. The melted and then resolidified fibres in the bonding points can be hard and might scratch a surface to be polished.
US patent application publication 2002/0157766A1 teaches a method to make a 100% synthetic hydroentangled material by laying a web of carded fibres adjacent to an unbonded web of spunlaid continuous filaments and joining them by hydroentanglement. Alternatively, two layers can be laid under and above the web of spunlaid filaments. The combined webs are then compacted by pressing and hydroentangled. No specific mixing of fibres and filaments is mentioned, the fibres are bonded into the filament part of the combine, which gives a type of laminate.
It is stated that the material has good mechanical properties equivalent to thermobonded spunbond webs, and appearance, handle and pliancy of conventional textiles.
International Publication WO 03/001962 teaches a cleaning sheet made by joining at least three layers by hydroentanglement. Two of the layers are carded webs of synthetic fibres while the third layer, the reinforcing layer, can be a thermobonded spunbond web. The stated advantage is that no scrim or netting is needed. Also, this method suffers from the disadvantages of using carded fibres.
Applicant's own International Publication WO 2005/042819 teaches a method to make a nonwoven hydroentangled material where a mixture of synthetic shortcut staple fibres and at least 20% natural fibres are wetlaid down on an unbonded web of spunlaid continuous filaments and then hydroentangled.
The unbonded filaments enable the staple and natural fibres to enmesh very thoroughly with the filaments. The natural fibres are integral to form an effective bonding of the material and also to render it good water absorption properties. The material have small pores, suitable for absorption of water. Natural fibres, such as wood pulp, are abrasive and may scratch and damage the finish of a surface to be polished.
Applicant's own International Publication WO 2006/001739 teaches a method to make a nonwoven hydroentangled material where a mixture of synthetic splittable shortcut staple fibres and optional nonsplittable staple fibres are wetlaid down on an unbonded web of spunlaid continuous filaments and then hydroentangled. The intensive water jets of the hydroentangling will split the splittable fibres into many fine fibrils. The unbonded filaments enable the fibrils and fibres to enmesh very thoroughly with the filaments. The fine fibrils are integral to form an effective bonding of the material and also to render its good absorption properties for low-viscosity liquids. The material have small pores, suitable for absorption of water and organic solvents. The many fibril ends sticking out from the surface gives the material a very textile-like appearance.
Notwithstanding the fact that there exist many different nonwoven materials for various wiping purposes, there still is a need for nonwoven materials that are suitable for polishing purposes, i.e. with large pores that are able to store wax and then release it to the surface to be polished. A material with structural apertures all through the material would let the wax escape to the backside when polishing pressure is added.
The materials known are often too dense to have a proper pore size distribution to effectively handle wax absorption and release. A too compact material does not release the wax the way it should.
Such a material should also be possible to be produced efficiently and economically and have enough textile likeness. It should not be abrasive, which could damage the surface to be polished.