Title: Drapeable nonwoven fabrics

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Abstract: The present invention relates to non-woven fabrics characterized by excellent drapeability, very pleasant handle and good tensile properties. The fabrics are made from melt blends of a polyamide together with lactam-polyol-polyacyl lactam or acyl-polylactam terpolymers. The production of the non-woven webs or fabrics from melt blended fibers of polyamide with lactam-polyol-polyacyl lactam or acyl-polylactam terpolymers is achieved by contact or thermal bonding of melt spun fibers. In one embodiment of the invention, the webs are formed from fibers in the nascent condition as freshly extruded, e.g., they are substantially amorphous. Such amorphous fibers are readily bonded even at room temperature, resulting in autogenous self-bonding, with only little pressure being imposed. If desired these fibers may be bonded at temperatures of up to 210.degree. C. Crystallization of the nascent, amorphous fibers is retarded by the presence of the polyol content of the terpolymer and the subsequent sorption of water plasticizes and causes additional fiber tackiness before significant crystallization occurs. In another aspect of the invention the fibers are not nascent, e.g., fibers stored for some time with the natural development of crystallinity before forming fibers into non-woven fabrics. The thermal bonding step can be carried out at 200.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. to form a non-woven fabric of excellent drapeability. For the two embodiments of the invention the temperature range is broadly from 20.degree. C. to 250.degree. C.


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