US Patent 10435826 Process for producing nonwoven with improved surface properties

A hydroentangled nonwoven sheet material produced by a process including: 0) optionally providing a polymer web on a carrier; a) providing an aqueous suspension containing short fibers and a surfactant; b) depositing the aqueous suspension on the carrier; c) removing aqueous residue of the aqueous suspension deposited in step b) to form a fibrous web; b′) depositing aqueous suspension on a surface of the fibrous web formed in step c); c′) removing aqueous residue of the aqueous suspension deposited in step b′) to form a combined fibrous web; d) hydroentangling the combined fibrous web; and optionally e) drying the hydroentangled web, and/or f) further processing and finalizing the dried, hydroentangled web the web to produce the nonwoven end material. The hydroentangled non-woven sheet material obtainable by this process has a low degree of surface irregularity and contains low residues of surfactants.