阅读说明：本技术 大纤度非织造纤维辐材 (Large denier nonwoven web ) 是由 路易斯·S·莫伦 斯科特·M·梅菲森 格雷戈里·G·梅希科默 肖恩·C·贝尔 加里·T·斯特 于 2018-04-20 设计创作，主要内容包括：所公开的各种实施方案涉及一种磨料制品。该磨料制品包括非织造辐材。该非织造辐材包括第一不规则主表面和相背对的第二不规则主表面。该非织造辐材还包括纤维组分,该纤维组分包含具有在约50旦尼尔至约2000旦尼尔范围内的线密度和在约15％至约60％范围内的卷曲指数值的短纤维。该非织造辐材还包括分配在纤维组分上的粘结剂和分散在整个非织造辐材上的磨料颗粒。(various embodiments disclosed relate to an abrasive article. The abrasive article includes a nonwoven web. The nonwoven web includes a first irregular major surface and an opposing second irregular major surface. The nonwoven web also includes a fiber component comprising staple fibers having a linear density in the range of about 50 denier to about 2000 denier and a crimp index value in the range of about 15% to about 60%. The nonwoven web also includes a binder distributed over the fibrous component and abrasive particles dispersed throughout the nonwoven web.)

1. An abrasive article comprising:

a nonwoven web comprising:

A first irregular major surface and an opposing second irregular major surface;

A fiber component comprising staple fibers having a linear density in the range of about 50 denier to about 2000 denier and a crimp index value in the range of about 15% to about 60%;

A binder distributed on the fiber component; and

abrasive particles dispersed throughout the nonwoven web.

2. The abrasive article of claim 1, wherein the fiber component is in a range from about 5 wt% to about 30 wt% of the abrasive article.

3. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the fiber component is in a range from about 10 wt% to about 25 wt% of the abrasive article.

4. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the short fibers range from about 70 wt% to about 100 wt% of the fiber component.

5. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the short fibers are in a range from about 90 wt% to about 100 wt% of the fiber component.

6. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the staple fibers have a length in a range from about 35mm to about 155 mm.

7. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the staple fibers have a length of about 70mm to about 80 mm.

8. the abrasive article of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the staple fibers have a linear density in a range from about 50 denier to about 600 denier.

9. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the staple fibers have a linear density in a range from about 400 denier to about 1000 denier.

10. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the staple fibers have a curl index value in the range of about 20% to about 40%.

11. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the fiber component comprises:

a first plurality of staple fibers; and

A second plurality of short fibers comprising a second plurality of short fibers,

Wherein at least one of the linear density, curl index, and length of the first plurality of staple fibers is different from the linear density, curl index, and length of the second plurality of staple fibers.

12. The abrasive article of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of staple fibers is in a range from about 5 wt% to about 80 wt% of the fibrous component.

13. The abrasive article of claim 11, wherein the second plurality of staple fibers is in the range of about 20 wt% to about 95 wt% of the fibrous component.

14. The abrasive article of claim 11, wherein the linear density of the first plurality of staple fibers is in a range from about 50 denier to about 500 denier.

15. The abrasive article of claim 11, wherein the linear density of the second plurality of staple fibers is in a range from about 500 denier to about 2000 denier.

16. The abrasive article of claim 11, wherein a ratio of the linear density of the first plurality of staple fibers to the linear density of the second plurality of staple fibers is less than about 1: 2.

17. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-16, wherein the fibers are entangled with respect to one another.

18. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-17, wherein the staple fibers are randomly oriented and adhesively bonded together at points of mutual contact.

19. the abrasive article of any one of claims 1-18, wherein the staple fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyester, nylon, polypropylene, acrylic, rayon, cellulose acetate, polyvinylidene chloride-vinyl chloride copolymer, vinyl chloride-acrylonitrile copolymer, and combinations thereof.

20. The abrasive article of claim 19, wherein the nylon is nylon-6, 6.

21. the abrasive article of any one of claims 1-20, wherein the abrasive particles are in a range from about 5 wt% to about 70 wt% of the abrasive article.

22. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-21, wherein the abrasive particles are shaped ceramic abrasive particles.

23. The abrasive article of claim 22, wherein the shaped ceramic abrasive particles comprise triangular shaped abrasive particles.

24. The abrasive article of claim 21, wherein the abrasive particles comprise crushed abrasive particles.

25. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-24, wherein the abrasive particles comprise a material selected from the group consisting of alpha-alumina, fused alumina, heat treated alumina, ceramic alumina, sintered alumina, silicon carbide, titanium diboride, boron carbide, tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, diamond, cubic boron nitride, garnet, fused alumina-zirconia, sol-gel produced abrasive particles, ceria, zirconia, titania, and combinations thereof.

26. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-25, wherein the abrasive particles comprise a material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, alumina, and combinations thereof.

27. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-26, wherein the plurality of abrasive particles are at least one of individual abrasive particles and agglomerates of abrasive particles.

28. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-27, wherein the abrasive article is a wheel.

29. the abrasive article of any one of claims 1-28, wherein at least one of the first major surface and the second major surface is substantially free of planar agglomerates of the fibers.

30. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-29, wherein the abrasive article is an uncompressed abrasive article.

31. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-30, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane resins, polyurethane urea resins, epoxy resins, urea-formaldehyde resins, phenol-formaldehyde resins, and combinations thereof.

32. The abrasive article of any one of claims 1-31, wherein the binder is in a range from about 10 wt% to about 70 wt% of the abrasive article.

33. A method of making the abrasive article of any one of claims 1-32, comprising:

Forming a web of said staple fibers;

Perforating the web;

applying the abrasive particles and the binder to the perforated web; and

Curing the binder to provide the abrasive article.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the abrasive particles are applied to the first major surface and the second major surface.

35. The method of any one of claims 33 or 34, wherein the abrasive particles are drop coated to the first major surface and the second major surface.

36. The method of any of claims 33-35 wherein the abrasive particles are applied to the web at an add-on weight in a range of about 100g/m2 to about 5000g/m 2.

37. The method of any of claims 33-36 wherein the abrasive particles are applied to the web at an add-on weight in a range of about 2000g/m2 to about 4000g/m 2.

38. the method of any of claims 33-36, wherein forming the web of fibers comprises air-laying the staple fibers.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the staple fibers are air-laid with a web former.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein a portion of the fibers are less likely to clog the web forming machine than corresponding fibers that differ with respect to at least one of length, curl index, and linear density.

41. A method for removing material from a surface of a workpiece, the method comprising:

contacting the abrasive article of any one of claims 1-32 or the abrasive article formed according to the method of any one of claims 33-40 against the workpiece; and

Moving the abrasive article relative to the workpiece while maintaining pressure between the abrasive article and the workpiece surface to remove material from the workpiece surface.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the abrasive article is in the shape of a disc having a central axis, and moving the abrasive article relative to the workpiece is accomplished by rotating the abrasive article about the central axis.

43. The method of any one of claims 41 to 42, wherein the material removed from the workpiece is carbon steel.

44. The method of any one of claims 41 to 43, wherein the material removed from the workpiece is a polymeric surface coating.

45. An abrasive article comprising:

A nonwoven web comprising:

A first irregular major surface and an opposing second irregular major surface;

A fiber component comprising a blend of first staple fibers having a linear density in the range of about 50 denier to about 600 denier and second staple fibers having a linear density in the range of about 500 denier to about 1000 denier,

Silicon carbide abrasive particles distributed on the fiber component; and

A binder distributed on the fiber component.

Background

Nonwoven abrasive articles typically have a nonwoven web (e.g., a lofty open fibrous web), abrasive particles, and a binder material (often referred to as a "binder") that binds the fibers within the nonwoven web to each other and secures the abrasive particles to the nonwoven web. The properties of the fibers may be altered in order to increase the abrasive capacity of the article and simplify the production of the article.

Disclosure of Invention

There are several unexpected advantages associated with the articles and methods, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, according to some embodiments, nonwoven webs made from relatively small denier fibers (e.g., less than 200 denier), relatively large denier fibers (e.g., greater than 500 denier), or 50-2000 denier fibers do not require the selection of specific fiber lengths and fiber crimps, while the resulting web does not have sufficient strength to withstand normal web transfer points and coating processes. According to some embodiments, nonwoven webs having at least one of the disclosed fiber sizes, lengths, and/or crimp indices may allow for the manufacture of tough abrasive webs suitable for descaling, stripping, and descaling. According to some examples, fibers having the lengths, curl indices, and pad density values described herein may result in minimal fiber clogging of a web former during formation of the abrasive article as compared to fibers that are different in any of those dimensions. Reducing clogging in the machine results in time and cost savings in preparing the abrasive article.

The present disclosure provides an abrasive article. The abrasive article comprises a nonwoven web. The nonwoven web includes a first irregular major surface and an opposing second irregular major surface. The nonwoven web also includes a fiber component having a linear density in the range of about 50 denier to about 2000 denier and staple fibers having a crimp index value in the range of about 15% to about 60%. The nonwoven web also includes a binder distributed over the fibrous component and abrasive particles dispersed throughout the nonwoven web.

The present disclosure also provides methods of making abrasive articles. The abrasive article comprises a nonwoven web. The nonwoven web includes a first irregular major surface and an opposing second irregular major surface. The nonwoven web also includes a fiber component comprising staple fibers having a linear density in the range of about 50 denier to about 2000 denier and a crimp index value in the range of about 15% to about 60%. The nonwoven web also includes a binder distributed over the fibrous component and abrasive particles dispersed throughout the nonwoven web. The method includes forming a web of staple fibers. The method further includes perforating the web and applying abrasive particles to the perforated web. The method further includes curing the binder including the abrasive particles to provide the abrasive article.

The present disclosure also provides a method for removing material from a surface of a workpiece. The method includes contacting an abrasive article with a workpiece. The abrasive article comprises a nonwoven web. The nonwoven web includes a first irregular major surface and an opposing second irregular major surface. The nonwoven web also includes a fiber component comprising staple fibers having a linear density in the range of about 50 denier to about 2000 denier and a crimp index value in the range of about 15% to about 60%. The nonwoven web also includes a binder distributed over and permeating through the fibrous components. The nonwoven web also includes abrasive particles dispersed uniformly or heterogeneously throughout the nonwoven web. A method of forming an article includes forming a web of staple fibers. The method further includes perforating the web and applying abrasive particles to the perforated web. The method also includes curing the binder including the web of abrasive particles to provide the abrasive article. The method of removing material further includes moving the abrasive article relative to the workpiece while maintaining pressure between the abrasive article and the surface of the workpiece to remove material therefrom.

the present disclosure also includes abrasive articles. The abrasive article comprises a nonwoven web. The nonwoven web includes a first irregular major surface and an opposing second irregular major surface. The nonwoven web includes a fibrous component comprising a blend of first staple fibers having a linear density in the range of about 50 denier to about 600 denier and second staple fibers having a linear density in the range of about 400 denier to about 1000 denier. The nonwoven web also includes abrasive particles distributed on the fibrous component. The nonwoven web also includes a binder distributed over the fibrous component.

According to some embodiments, the nonwoven web is very open in nature, allowing large coarse minerals to penetrate the entire thickness of the nonwoven web. Examples of suitable particle sizes may range from about 16 particle sizes to about 80 particle sizes, about 20 particle sizes to about 70 particle sizes, less than, equal to, or greater than about 16 particle sizes, 18 particle sizes, 20 particle sizes, 22 particle sizes, 24 particle sizes, 26 particle sizes, 28 particle sizes, 30 particle sizes, 32 particle sizes, 34 particle sizes, 36 particle sizes, 38 particle sizes, 40 particle sizes, 42 particle sizes, 44 particle sizes, 46 particle sizes, 48 particle sizes, 50 particle sizes, 52 particle sizes, 54 particle sizes, 56 particle sizes, 58 particle sizes, 60 particle sizes, 62 particle sizes, 64 particle sizes, 66 particle sizes, 68 particle sizes, 70 particle sizes, 72 particle sizes, 74 particle sizes, 76 particle sizes, 78 particle sizes, or 80 particle sizes. According to some embodiments, nonwoven webs formed from fibers that differ in at least one of linear density, length, and/or crimp index may degrade significantly or completely during processing or become knotted during manufacture, which may result in downtime of the manufacturing equipment due to fiber entanglement or plugging in the equipment. According to some embodiments, the abrasive article has a porosity that substantially prevents clogging of the material during use. According to some embodiments, the abrasive article may include toughened nylon fibers that impart high tear strength values to the article, thereby improving the durability of the article. According to some embodiments, the crimp index of the fibers imparts a lofty structure to the abrasive article.

According to some embodiments, the abrasive article is irreversibly compressed during curing during the manufacturing process. This can result in the opposing major (e.g., largest) surfaces of the abrasive article having an irregular or substantially non-planar profile. This may increase the contact area between the abrasive article and the workpiece, according to some embodiments. This may be because the abrasive article is capable of being reversibly compressed, thereby expanding in area upon contact with a working surface, in contrast to a corresponding abrasive article having substantially the same dimensions but irreversibly compressed during manufacture. Additionally, according to some embodiments, by irreversibly compressing the abrasive article during or after curing of the binder, the major surface is substantially free of planar agglomerates of fibers formed by fusion of the fibers during compression. By being substantially free of these planar agglomerates, mineral exposure on the non-agglomerated fibers may be increased, which may result in improved performance of the article. According to some embodiments, the irregular profile of the major surfaces may increase the surface roughness of those surfaces as compared to a corresponding abrasive article having a flat surface.

Drawings

the drawings are generally shown by way of example, and not by way of limitation, to the various embodiments discussed in this document.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an abrasive article.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the abrasive article of FIG. 1 taken along section line 2-2.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the presently disclosed subject matter will be described in conjunction with the recited claims, it will be understood that the exemplary subject matter is not intended to limit the claims to the disclosed subject matter.

Throughout this document, values expressed in a range format should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. For example, a range of "about 0.1% to about 5%" or "about 0.1% to 5%" should be interpreted to include not only about 0.1% to about 5%, but also include individual values (e.g., 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and sub-ranges (e.g., 0.1% to 0.5%, 1.1% to 2.2%, 3.3% to 4.4%) within the indicated range. Unless otherwise indicated, the expression "about X to Y" has the same meaning as "about X to about Y". Likewise, unless otherwise indicated, the expression "about X, Y or about Z" has the same meaning as "about X, about Y, or about Z".

In this document, the terms "a", "an" or "the" are used to include one or more than one unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term "or" is used to refer to a non-exclusive "or" unless otherwise indicated. The expression "at least one of a and B" has the same meaning as "A, B or a and B". Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein, and not otherwise defined, is for the purpose of description only and not of limitation. Any use of section headings is intended to aid in the understanding of the document and should not be construed as limiting; information related to a section header may appear within or outside of that particular section.

in the methods described herein, various actions may be performed in any order, except when a time or sequence of operations is explicitly recited, without departing from the principles of the invention. Further, the acts specified may occur concurrently unless the express claim language implies that they occur separately. For example, the claimed act of performing X and the claimed act of performing Y may be performed simultaneously in a single operation, and the resulting process would fall within the literal scope of the claimed process.

As used herein, the term "about" can allow, for example, a degree of variability in the value or range, e.g., within 10%, within 5%, or within 1% of the limit of the value or range, and includes the exact stated value or range.

The term "substantially" as used herein refers to a majority or majority, such as at least about 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%, 99.9%, 99.99%, or at least about 99.999% or more, or 100%.

As used herein, "shaped abrasive particles" means abrasive particles having a predetermined or non-random shape. One process for making shaped abrasive particles, such as shaped ceramic abrasive particles, includes shaping precursor ceramic abrasive particles in a mold having a predetermined shape to make ceramic shaped abrasive particles. The ceramic shaped abrasive particles formed in the mold are one of a class of shaped ceramic abrasive particles. Other processes for making other types of shaped ceramic abrasive particles include extruding precursor ceramic abrasive particles through orifices having a predetermined shape, stamping the precursor ceramic abrasive particles through openings in a printing screen having a predetermined shape, or stamping the precursor ceramic abrasive particles into a predetermined shape or pattern. In other examples, the shaped ceramic abrasive particles may be cut from a sheet into individual particles. Examples of suitable cutting methods include mechanical cutting, laser cutting, or water jet cutting. Non-limiting examples of shaped ceramic abrasive particles include shaped ceramic abrasive particles such as triangular platelets or elongated ceramic rods/filaments. Shaped ceramic abrasive particles are typically generally homogeneous or substantially homogeneous and retain their sintered shape without the use of binders, such as organic or inorganic binders, that bind the smaller abrasive particles into an agglomerate structure, but do not include abrasive particles obtained by crushing or pulverizing processes that produce randomly sized and shaped abrasive particles. In many embodiments, the shaped ceramic abrasive particles comprise a uniform structure or consist essentially of sintered alpha alumina.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an abrasive article 10. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the abrasive article of FIG. 1 taken along section line 2-2. Fig. 1 and 2 show substantially the same components and are discussed simultaneously. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the abrasive article includes a nonwoven web 12. The nonwoven web includes a first major surface 14 and an opposing second major surface 16. Each of the first and second major surfaces has an irregular or substantially non-planar profile. The nonwoven web includes a fibrous component 18 that includes individual fibers 20. Abrasive particles 22 and binder 24 dispersed throughout the nonwoven web adhere the abrasive particles to the individual fibers.

Although not limited thereto, the fibrous component may be in a range of about 5 wt% to about 30 wt%, about 10 wt% to about 25 wt%, about 10 wt% to about 20 wt%, about 12 wt% to about 15 wt%, less than, equal to, or greater than about 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, or 30 wt% of the abrasive article. The fibrous component may include a plurality of individual fibers randomly oriented and entangled with respect to each other. The individual fibers are bonded to each other at points of mutual contact. The individual fibers may be staple fibers or continuous fibers. As generally understood, "staple fibers" refers to fibers having discrete lengths, and "continuous fibers" refers to fibers that may be synthetic filaments. The individual fibers may range from about 70 wt% to about 100 wt%, about 80 wt% to about 90 wt%, less than, equal to, or greater than about 70 wt%, 75 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, 95 wt%, or 100 wt% of the fiber component.

Individual staple fibers may have a length in the range of about 35mm to 155mm, 50mm to about 105mm, about 70mm to about 80mm, less than, equal to, or greater than about 35mm, 40mm, 45mm, 50mm, 55mm, 60mm, 65mm, 70mm, 75mm, 76mm, 80mm, 85mm, 90mm, 95mm, 100mm, 102mm, 105mm, 110mm, 115mm, 120mm, 125mm, 130mm, 135mm, 140mm, 145mm, 150mm, or 155 mm. The crimp index value of the individual staple fibers may range from about 15% to about 60%, about 20% to about 50%, less than, equal to, or greater than about 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, or 60%. Curl index is a measure of the curl produced; for example, before appreciable crimp is induced in the fiber. The crimp index is expressed as the difference of the fiber length in the extended state minus the fiber length in the relaxed (e.g., shortened) state divided by the fiber length in the extended state. The staple fibers may have a fineness or linear density in the range of about 50 denier to about 2000 denier, or about 50 denier to about 700 denier, or about 50 denier to about 600 denier, less than, equal to, or greater than about 200 denier, 250 denier, 300 denier, 350 denier, 400 denier, 450 denier, 500 denier, 550 denier, 600 denier, 650 denier, 700 denier, 750 denier, 800 denier, 850 denier, 900 denier, 950 denier, 1000 denier, 1050 denier, 1100 denier, 1150 denier, 1200 denier, 1250 denier, 1300 denier, 1350 denier, 1400 denier, 1450 denier, 1500 denier, 1550 denier, 1600 denier, 1650 denier, 1700 denier, 1750 denier, 1800 denier, 1850 denier, 1900 denier, 1950 denier, 2000 denier.

In some examples, the fiber component may include a blend of staple fibers. For example, the fiber component may include a first plurality of individual fibers and a second plurality of individual staple fibers. The first plurality of staple fibers and the second plurality of staple fibers in the blend may differ with respect to at least one of a line density value, a crimp index, or a length. For example, the linear density of the individual staple fibers of the first plurality of individual fibers may range from about 20 denier to about 120 denier, from about 40 denier to about 100 denier, or from about 50 denier to about 90 denier. The individual staple fibers of the second plurality of individual fibers may have a linear density in the range of from about 300 denier to about 2000 denier, from about 400 denier to about 1000 denier, or from about 400 denier to about 600 denier. Mixtures of individual staple fibers having different linear densities may be used, for example, to provide abrasive articles that can achieve a desired surface finish when used. The length or crimp index of any of the individual fibers may be in accordance with the values discussed herein.

In the example of an abrasive article including a blend of individual staple fibers, the first plurality of individual staple fibers and the second plurality of individual staple fibers may account for different portions of the fiber component. For example, the first plurality of individual fibers can be in a range of about 5 wt.% to about 80 wt.%, about 5 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, less than, equal to, or greater than about 20 wt.%, 25 wt.%, 30 wt.%, 35 wt.%, 40 wt.%, 45 wt.%, 50 wt.%, 55 wt.%, 60 wt.%, 65 wt.%, 70 wt.%, 75 wt.%, or 80 wt.% of the fiber component. The second plurality of individual fibers can be in a range of from about 40 wt% to about 95 wt%, about 60 wt% to about 95 wt%, less than, equal to, or greater than about 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, 70 wt%, 75 wt%, or 80 wt% of the fiber component. Although two pluralities of individual staple fibers are discussed herein, it is within the scope of the present disclosure to include additional pluralities of individual staple fibers, such as a third plurality of individual staple fibers that differ with respect to at least one of the linear density values, crimp indices, and/or lengths of the first and second pluralities of individual fibers.

the fibers of the nonwoven web may comprise any number of suitable materials. Factors that influence the selection of the material include whether the material is suitably compatible with the adherent binder and abrasive particles while also being processable in combination with other components of the abrasive article, and the ability of the material to withstand processing conditions (e.g., temperature) such as those employed during application of the binder and curing of the binder. The material of the fibers may also be selected to affect properties of the abrasive article such as, for example, flexibility, elasticity, durability or longevity, abrasiveness, and finishing properties. Examples of fibers that may be suitable include natural fibers, synthetic fibers, and mixtures of natural and/or synthetic fibers. Examples of synthetic fibers include those made from polyester (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate), nylon (e.g., nylon-6, polycaprolactam), polypropylene, acrylonitrile (e.g., acrylic resins), rayon, cellulose acetate, polyvinylidene chloride-vinyl chloride copolymer, and vinyl chloride-acrylonitrile copolymer. Examples of suitable natural fibers include cotton, wool, jute, and hemp. The fibers may be natural materials or recycled materials or waste materials recovered from, for example, garment cutting, carpet manufacturing, fiber manufacturing, or textile processing. The fibers may be homogenous or may be a composite material, such as bicomponent fibers (e.g., co-spun sheath-core fibers). The fibers may be staple fibers that are tensioned and crimped.

In some examples, individual fibers may have a non-circular cross-sectional shape or a blend of individual fibers having circular and non-circular cross-sectional shapes (e.g., triangular, delta, H, trilobal, rectangular, square, dog-bone, ribbon, or oval).

the abrasive article includes an abrasive component adhered to individual fibers. The abrasive component can be in a range of about 5 wt% to about 70 wt%, about 40 wt% to about 60 wt%, or less than, equal to, or greater than about 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, or 70 wt% of the abrasive article. The abrasive component may include individual abrasive particles.

There are many types of useful abrasive particles that can be included in abrasive articles, including shaped ceramic abrasive particles (including shaped ceramic abrasive particles) and conventional abrasive particles. The abrasive component may include only shaped abrasive particles or conventional abrasive particles. The abrasive component may also include a blend of shaped abrasive particles or conventional abrasive particles. For example, the abrasive component can comprise a blend of about 5 wt% to about 95 wt% shaped abrasive particles, about 10 wt% to about 50 wt% shaped abrasive particles, less than, equal to, or greater than about 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, 70 wt%, 75 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, 95 wt% shaped abrasive particles with the remaining percentage of conventional abrasive particles. As another example, the abrasive component can comprise a blend of about 5 wt% to about 95 wt% conventional abrasive particles, about 30 wt% to about 70 wt% conventional abrasive particles, less than, equal to, or greater than about 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, 70 wt%, 75 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, 95 wt% conventional abrasive particles with the remaining percentage of shaped abrasive particles.

The abrasive particles can be applied to the fibers as individual abrasive particles (e.g., particles that are not held together with the binder and are applied to the fibers) or as agglomerates (e.g., particles that are held together with the binder and are applied to the fibers).

shaped or shaped abrasive particles can be prepared, for example, by shaping an alumina sol gel from, for example, an equilateral triangular polypropylene mold cavity. After drying and firing, such resulting shaped abrasive particles can have a triangular shape with a long dimension of about 100 μm to about 2500 μm, about 100 μm to about 1400 μm, about 300 μm to about 1400 μm, less than, equal to, or greater than about 100 μm, 200 μm, 300 μm, 400 μm, 500 μm, 600 μm, 700 μm, 800 μm, 900 μm, 1000 μm, 1100 μm, 1200 μm, 1300 μm, 1400 μm, 1500 μm, 1600 μm, 1700 μm, 1800 μm, 1900 μm, 2000 μm, 2100 μm, 2200 μm, 2300 μm, 2400 μm.

In some examples, triangular shaped abrasive particles comprise a first face, an opposing second face connected to the first face by sidewalls, wherein the perimeter of each face is triangular (e.g., an equilateral triangle). In some embodiments, the sidewall (rather than a sidewall that is at a 90 degree angle to both faces) is a sloped sidewall having a draft angle between the second face and the sloped sidewall of between about 95 degrees and about 130 degrees, which has been determined to substantially increase the cut rate of the triangular shaped abrasive particles.

the abrasive article may also include conventional (e.g., crushed) abrasive particles. Examples of useful abrasive particles include any abrasive particles known in the abrasive art. Examples of useful abrasive particles include fused aluminum oxide based materials such as aluminum oxide, ceramic aluminum oxide (which may include one or more metal oxide modifiers and/or seeding or nucleating agents) and heat treated aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, co-fused alumina-zirconia, diamond, ceria, titanium diboride, cubic boron nitride, boron carbide, garnet, flint, emery, sol-gel derived abrasive particles, and mixtures thereof.

Conventional abrasive particles can, for example, have an average particle size in a range of about 10 μm to about 2000 μm, about 20 μm to about 1300 μm, about 50 μm to about 1000 μm, less than, equal to, or greater than about 10 μm, 20 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, 50 μm, 100 μm, 150 μm, 200 μm, 250 μm, 300 μm, 350 μm, 400 μm, 450 μm, 500 μm, 550 μm, 600 μm, 650 μm, 700 μm, 750 μm, 800 μm, 850 μm, 900 μm, 950 μm, 1000 μm, 1050 μm, 1100 μm, 1150 μm, 1200 μm, 1250 μm, 1300 μm, 1350 μm, 1400 μm, 1450 μm, 1500 μm, 1550 μm, 1650 μm, 1700 μm, 1750 μm, 1800 μm, 1850 μm, 1900 μm, 1950 μm, or 2000 μm. For example, conventional abrasive particles may have an abrasives industry specified nominal grade. Such Abrasive industry recognized grade Standards include those known as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard, the European Association of Abrasive Products manufacturers (FEPA) Standard, and the Japanese Industrial Standard (HS) Standard. Exemplary ANSI grade designations (i.e., specified nominal grades) include: ANSI 12(1842 μm), ANSI 16(1320 μm), ANSI 20(905 μm), ANSI 24(728 μm), ANSI 36(530 μm), ANSI 40(420 μm), ANSI 50(351 μm), ANSI 60(264 μm), ANSI 80(195 μm), ANSI 100(141m), ANSI 120(116 μm), ANSI 150(93 μm), ANSI 180(78 μm), ANSI 220(66 μm), ANSI 240(53 μm), ANSI 280(44 μm), ANSI 320(46 μm), ANSI 360(30 μm), ANSI 400(24 μm), and ANSI 600(16 μm). Exemplary FEPA grade designations include P12(1746 μm), P16(1320 μm), P20(984 μm), P24(728 μm), P30(630 μm), P36 (530 μm), P40(420 μm), P50(326 μm), P60(264 μm), P80(195 μm), P100(156 μm), P120(127 μm), P150(97 μm), P180(78 μm), P220(66 μm), P240(60 μm), P280(53 μm), P320(46 μm), P360(41 μm), P400(36 μm), P500(30 μm), P600(26 μm), and P800(22 μm). The approximate average particle size for each grade is listed in parentheses after the name of each grade.

filler particles may also be included in the abrasive component. Examples of useful fillers include metal carbonates (such as calcium carbonate, calcium magnesium carbonate, sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate), silicas (such as quartz, glass beads, glass bubbles, and glass fibers), silicates (such as talc, clay, montmorillonite, feldspar, mica, calcium silicate, calcium metasilicate, sodium silicoaluminate, sodium silicate), metal sulfates (such as calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, sodium aluminum sulfate, aluminum sulfate), gypsum, vermiculite, sugar, wood flour, aluminum trihydrate, carbon black, metal oxides (such as calcium oxide, aluminum oxide, tin oxide, titanium dioxide), metal sulfites (such as calcium sulfite), thermoplastic particles (such as polycarbonates, polyetherimides, polyesters, polyethylene, poly (vinyl chloride), polysulfones, polystyrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene block copolymers, polypropylene, acetal polymers, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, nylon particles), and thermoset particles (such as phenolic bubbles, phenolic beads, polyurethane foam particles, and the like). The filler may also be a salt, such as a halide salt. Examples of halide salts include sodium chloride, potassium cryolite, sodium cryolite, ammonium cryolite, potassium tetrafluoroborate, sodium tetrafluoroborate, silicon fluorides, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride. Examples of metal fillers include tin, lead, bismuth, cobalt, antimony, cadmium, iron, and titanium. Other miscellaneous fillers include sulfur, organic sulfur compounds, graphite, lithium stearate, and metal sulfides.

Abrasive articles may be prepared by forming a nonwoven web and applying an adhesive to the fibers. A make coat may be applied to the nonwoven web. The nonwoven web may be rolled to substantially lay down at least some of the flat fibers protruding from the web. Abrasive particles may be applied to the make coat to form a nonwoven abrasive web. The make layer is cured, and a size layer is applied over the make layer, which is subsequently cured to form the abrasive article.

nonwoven webs may be made, for example, by conventional air-laying, carding, stitch-bonding, spunbonding, wet-laying, and/or meltblowing processes. Airlaid nonwoven webs can be prepared using a web forming Machine such as, for example, the one commercially available from RANDO Machine Company of large, New York, macinton under the trade designation "RANDO WEBBER". The web may also be perforated. In some examples, perforating the web may include needling the web.

nonwoven abrasive webs are prepared by adhering abrasive particles to a nonwoven web with a curable second binder. The binder that may be used to adhere the abrasive particles to the nonwoven web may be selected according to the end product requirements. Examples of binders include those comprising polyurethane resins, phenolic resins, acrylate resins, and blends of phenolic and acrylate resins. Generally, the coating weight of the abrasive particles can depend on, for example, the particular binder used, the process used to apply the abrasive particles (e.g., drop coating), and the size of the abrasive particles. For example, the coating weight of abrasive particles on a nonwoven web may be from 100 grams per square meter (g/m2) to about 5000g/m2, from about 1500g/m2 to about 5000g/m2, from about 2000g/m2 to about 4000g/m2, less than, equal to, or greater than about 100g/m2, 200g/m2, 300g/m2, 400g/m2, 500g/m2, 600g/m2, 700g/m2, 800g/m2, 900g/m2, 1000g/m2, 1100g/m2, 1200g/m2, 1300g/m2, 1400g/m2, 1500g/m2, 1600g/m2, 1700g/m2, 2500g/m 361800 g/m2, 1900g/m 361900, 2000g/m2, 2100g/m2, 2300g/m2, 2400g/m2, 2, 2600g/m2, 2700g/m2, 2800g/m2, 2900g/m2, 3000g/m2, 3100g/m2, 3200g/m2, 3300g/m2, 3400g/m2, 3500g/m2, 3600g/m2, 3700g/m2, 3800g/m2, 3900g/m2, 4000g/m2, 4100g/m2, 4200g/m2, 4300g/m2, 4400g/m2, 4500g/m2, 4600g/m2, 4700g/m2, 4800g/m2, 4900g/m2 or 5000g/m 2. The abrasive particles may be coated on either or both of the first and second major surfaces of the nonwoven web. The abrasive particles may be coated to achieve a substantially uniform distribution of abrasive particles throughout the web.

Some abrasive articles are formed by pressing at least one sheet (e.g., a metal sheet) against a web during curing of a binder. The measure of compression may be in the form of compression rate. The compressibility is the result of 1- (d (compressed)/d (uncompressed)) expressed as a percentage, where d (compressed) and d (uncompressed) represent the thickness or density (in g/cm3) of the compressed or uncompressed abrasive article. The abrasive nonwoven webs of the present disclosure are not compressed by pressing a plate against the web during or after curing of the binder, or at least any compression imparted to the abrasive nonwoven web is no more than 10%.

Compression of the abrasive nonwoven during or after curing of the binder may result in an abrasive article having a reduced thickness compared to the non-compressed state. This may also result in the outer surface of the abrasive article having a substantially planar (e.g., flat) profile. Additionally, the compression may result in the formation of a plurality of planar fiber agglomerates on the outer surface. Planar agglomerates of fibers are associations between fibers in which a plurality of fibers that are bonded are fused together and compressed to form planar agglomerates.

this is in contrast to the relatively discrete individual contact points between the fibers of the non-compressed nonwoven webs of the present disclosure, where the article is not compressed during or after curing of the binder. When the fibers are fused together to form planar agglomerates, those agglomerated portions of the fibers are not available for abrading the surface of the workpiece. In addition, these planar agglomerates can make it difficult for abraded material to enter the abrasive article, which can result in more abrasive product being positioned on the article and potentially prevent a portion of the fibers from contacting the surface of the workpiece. In addition, the substantial absence of these planar agglomerates and planar surfaces increases the surface roughness and abrasive portion exposure of the disclosed abrasive article as compared to compressed abrasive articles. Additionally, compression during or after binder curing may substantially prevent the abrasive article from rebounding to a pre-compressed thickness. The articles of the present disclosure are reversibly compressible such that they can expand upon contact with a working surface and thus have a higher surface area than the corresponding articles that are compressed during or after curing of the binder. All of these characteristics can result in the disclosed abrasive articles having a higher cut than a corresponding abrasive article that is compressed during or after curing of the binder.

Abrasive articles may be used to remove material from the surface of a workpiece. This may be accomplished by contacting the surface of the abrasive article with a workpiece. The workpieces may be contacted, for example, with a force in the range of about 1 newton to about 40 newtons. The abrasive article can then be moved (e.g., rotated) relative to the workpiece while maintaining pressure between the abrasive article and the surface of the workpiece. While the abrasive article may have many suitable shapes, an example of a suitable shape is a disc. Abrasive articles may be adapted to remove many different types of materials. Examples of such materials include carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, or polymeric materials such as polymeric surface coatings on workpieces.