Importance

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Abstract

A nonwoven that is exceptionally soft yet sufficiently strong for use in absorbent articles is disclosed. The soft, strong nonwoven includes fibers comprising polyethylene, at least a portion of which are consolidated. The soft, strong nonwoven has a cross-machine direction tensile strength of at least about 300 g/in and a cross-machine direction elongation at break of at least about 40%. The soft, strong nonwoven is preferably formed by permanently stretching an inelastic base nonwoven in the cross-machine direction. The preferred base nonwoven has certain properties which allow it to have sufficient strength after stretching, while being exceptionally soft, such that the resultant permanently stretched, soft, strong nonwoven is particularly suitable for use as a topsheet or a back sheet component in disposable absorbent articles. More specifically, the preferred base nonwoven has a cross-machine direction elongation at break of at least about 175% and a cross-machine direction tensile strength of at least about 400 g/in. A particularly preferred base nonwoven also has a filament denier of from 1.5 to 10, a basis weight of from 15 to 30 gsy, and, for thermal point bonded nonwovens, a consolidation area of from 4 to 40%.

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First Claim