JP7475356B2 - Liquid application cloths, liquid application kits, liquid application sheets, and liquid application tools - Google Patents

Description

Related Applications

This application claims priority to Patent Application No. 2019-171234, filed in Japan on September 20, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.

The present invention relates to a liquid application sheet, a liquid application cloth, a liquid application kit, and a liquid application tool for applying a coating liquid to a surface to be coated.

Sheets impregnated with coating liquid are useful for applying the coating liquid to a variety of surfaces. However, if the coating liquid impregnated in the sheet is released too quickly, the sheet will not be able to apply the coating liquid evenly over a wide area, so there is a demand for a performance that can prolong the release of the coating liquid.

For example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2018-68806 A) discloses the structure of a wet cleaning sheet that has a long-lasting release of cleaning liquid. This wet cleaning sheet has a liquid-impermeable film laminated on one side of a nonwoven fabric sheet, the nonwoven fabric sheet being formed by disposing a nonwoven fiber aggregate on both sides of a mesh sheet, the nonwoven fabric sheet and the liquid-impermeable film being partially fused together, the fused part being configured in a linear shape, the fused part being present on at least one of the peripheral part and the inner side of the nonwoven fabric sheet, the area of the fused part being 5% or more and 20% or less of the area of one side of the nonwoven fabric sheet, and the nonwoven fabric sheet carrying the cleaning liquid.

JP 2018-68806 A

However, in Patent Document 1, unevenness occurs in the nonwoven fabric compressed by heat fusion, so the liquid released from the nonwoven fabric is applied in streaks, making it difficult to evenly coat the entire surface to be coated. In addition, because the liquid is preferentially released in streaks from the convex parts of the sheet, the liquid cannot be released uniformly from within the sheet, and while some liquid remains in some parts of the sheet, if the parts where the liquid has been depleted become large, the overall utilization efficiency of the sheet decreases.

The object of the present invention is to provide a liquid application sheet, a liquid application cloth, a liquid application kit, and a liquid application tool that can apply a coating liquid evenly over a wide area.

As a result of extensive research into achieving the above-mentioned object, the inventors of the present invention discovered that (i) by controlling the uniformity of the thickness of a nonwoven fabric at the microscopic level observed at the fiber level and also controlling the surface flatness to suppress variation, (ii) it is possible to prevent the liquid from being released all at once from a nonwoven fabric impregnated with liquid, while releasing the liquid in a wide mesh pattern, (iii) it is possible to reduce unevenness in the release of the liquid from the nonwoven fabric, and (iv) it is possible not only to coat the surface to be coated evenly, but also to coat a wide area, thereby completing the present invention.

That is, the present invention can be configured in the following manner.
[Aspect 1]
A liquid application cloth made of a dry spunlace nonwoven fabric (hereinafter simply referred to as nonwoven fabric),
The thickness ratio (A), which indicates the thickness uniformity of the nonwoven fabric, is 40% or more (preferably 48% or more, more preferably 50% or more, and even more preferably 55% or more);
A liquid application cloth, wherein the nonwoven fabric has a surface flatness indicating variation (B) of less than 60% (preferably 58% or less, more preferably 50% or less) on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces.
Here, the thickness ratio (A) is a value expressed as a percentage of the ratio (a min /a max ) of the average value (a max ) of the 10 smallest measured values to the average value (a _min ) of the 10 largest measured values among the thicknesses a ₁ to a ₁₀₀ of the nonwoven fabric, which are measured at 100 measurement points provided at intervals of 100 μm in the plane direction of the nonwoven fabric in an image of a cross section of the nonwoven fabric cut in the thickness direction at an angle of 45 _° to the MD direction of the _{nonwoven fabric} ,
The variation (B) indicating the flatness of the surface is the thickness measurement points a ₁ to a ₁₀₀
The variation (B) showing the flatness of the surface is calculated by calculating the average thickness of the nonwoven fabric as a _avg for the thickness measurement points a ₁ to a ₁₀₀ , and calculating the average values (u _max , b _max ) of the measurements selected from the largest 10 points and the average values (u _min , b _min ) of the measurements selected from the smallest 10 points for the sizes u ₁ to u ₁₀₀ in the upward direction from the center of the nonwoven fabric and the sizes b ₁ to b ₁₀₀ in the downward direction from the center of the nonwoven fabric.
B ₁ = (u _max -u _min ) / 0.5a _avg
B2 = ( _bmax - _bmin ) / _0.5aavg
where _B1 is the value of the variation in the flatness of the upper surface, and _B2 is the value of the variation in the flatness of the lower surface. When measuring the thickness of the nonwoven fabric, a straight line is drawn in the thickness direction of the nonwoven fabric at each measurement point, and among the fibers intersecting with this line, the outermost fibers are excluded from the measurement.
[Aspect 2]
A liquid application cloth according to aspect 1, wherein the variation (B) indicating the surface flatness on both sides is less than 60% (preferably 58% or less, more preferably 50% or less).
[Aspect 3]
A liquid application cloth according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein a ratio (B)/(A) of a variation (B) indicating the flatness of a flatter surface to a thickness ratio (A) of the nonwoven fabric is 1.0 or less (preferably 0.9 or less, more preferably 0.8 or less).
[Aspect 4]
A cloth for applying a liquid according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the nonwoven fabric contains 70% by mass or more of at least one type of fiber selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers and rayon fibers.
[Aspect 5]
A liquid application cloth according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein a difference between a volume maintenance rate during primary compression at a pressing pressure of 14 g/ ^cm2 relative to a pressing pressure of 12 g/ ^cm2 of the liquid application cloth and a volume maintenance rate during secondary compression at a pressing pressure of 16 g/ ^cm2 relative to a pressing pressure of 12 g/ ^cm2 is 3.3 to 5.5% (preferably 3.5 to 5.3%).
[Aspect 6]
A liquid application cloth according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein a ratio of a surface liquid retention ratio at secondary compression to a surface liquid retention ratio at primary compression in a state in which the liquid application cloth is impregnated with 350% by mass of liquid is 1.00 to 1.40 (preferably 1.00 to 1.39, more preferably 1.00 to 1.30).
[Aspect 7]
A liquid application cloth according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the liquid application cloth has a surface liquid retention rate of 20 to 60% (preferably 21 to 50%, more preferably 22 to 45%) when impregnated with 150% by mass of liquid.
[Aspect 8]
A cloth for applying a liquid according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the density of the nonwoven fabric is 0.05 to 0.20 g/cm ³ (preferably 0.07 to 0.15 g/cm ³ ).
Aspect 9
A cloth for applying a liquid according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the nonwoven fabric has a basis weight of 10 to 100 g/m ² (preferably within a range of 20 to 100 g/m ² , more preferably 25 to 50 g/m ² ).
[Aspect 10]
The cloth for applying a liquid according to any one of Aspects 1 to 9, wherein a mass ratio of the binder fibers to the subject fibers (binder fibers/subject fibers) is 0.55 or less (preferably 0.50 or less, more preferably 0.45 or less).
[Aspect 11]
A liquid application kit comprising a coating liquid and the liquid application cloth according to any one of aspects 1 to 10.
[Aspect 12]
A liquid application kit according to aspect 11, wherein the application liquid is a disinfectant liquid.
[Aspect 13]
A liquid application sheet comprising the liquid application cloth according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10 and a coating liquid, the liquid application cloth being impregnated with the coating liquid.
Aspect 14
A liquid application tool using the liquid application sheet according to embodiment 13.

It should be noted that any combination of at least two elements disclosed in the claims and/or the specification and/or the drawings is included in the present invention. In particular, any combination of two or more of the claims described in the claims is included in the present invention.

In the present invention, the uniformity of the thickness of the nonwoven fabric is controlled, and the variation in the flatness of the surface is also suppressed, so that the liquid can be released from the nonwoven fabric in a wide mesh-like line width while preventing the liquid from being released all at once from the liquid-impregnated nonwoven fabric, and the coating liquid can be applied uniformly to the surface to be coated. Furthermore, the uneven release of the liquid inside the sheet can be reduced, and good release properties can be maintained, allowing for uniform coating.

The present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments and drawings are merely for illustration and explanation, and should not be used to define the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings, the same part numbers in multiple drawings indicate the same parts.
1 is an enlarged photograph of a cut surface of a nonwoven fabric taken by a scanning electron microscope to explain a method for measuring the thickness of a nonwoven fabric according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an enlarged photograph taken by a scanning electron microscope of an acrylic plate surface in Example 1, which is used to calculate a surface liquid retention rate. 1 is an enlarged photograph taken by a scanning electron microscope of an acrylic plate surface in Comparative Example 1, which is used to calculate a surface liquid retention rate.

As one embodiment, the present invention includes a liquid application cloth, the liquid application cloth being made of a dry spunlace nonwoven fabric, the thickness ratio (A) indicating the thickness uniformity of the nonwoven fabric being 40% or more, and the variation (B) indicating the surface flatness on at least one side of the nonwoven fabric being less than 60%.

(Liquid application cloth)
The dry spunlace nonwoven fabric (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as nonwoven fabric) constituting the liquid application cloth of the present invention can achieve the thickness ratio (A) indicating the thickness uniformity and the variation (B) indicating the surface flatness, because the fibers in the nonwoven fabric have a specific structure. The nonwoven fabric is composed of at least main fibers.

The main fibers are not particularly limited as long as they can be processed into a nonwoven fabric, and examples of the main fibers include animal fibers (such as wool); cellulosic fibers; semi-synthetic fibers such as triacetate fibers and diacetate fibers; synthetic fibers such as polyester fibers, polyolefin fibers, acrylic fibers (polyacrylonitrile, modacrylic, etc.), polyamide fibers (nylon 6, nylon 6,6, nylon 12, etc.), polyvinyl fibers (polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polyvinylidene chloride fibers, polyvinyl chloride fibers, etc.), and urethane fibers. These fibers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Of these, cellulose-based fibers, polyester-based fibers, polyolefin-based fibers, etc. are preferred because of their ease of availability, ease of handling, and ease of blending.

Cellulosic fibers include vegetable fibers such as cotton, hemp, and pulp, regenerated fibers such as rayon and cupra, and refined cellulose fibers such as lyocell (Tencel). Although no particular specification is given, rayon fiber is preferred because of its ease of availability and ease of handling.

Examples of polyester-based fibers include polyester-based fibers made of polyester polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polylactic acid, and modified polymers, blends, and copolymers of these. Of these, polyethylene terephthalate fibers are preferred because of their ease of availability, ease of handling, and ease of blending.

Examples of polyolefin-based fibers include polyolefin-based fibers made of polyolefin-based polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and modified polymers, blends, and copolymers of these. Of these, core-sheath type composite fibers in which the core component is polypropylene and the sheath component is polyethylene are preferred because of their ease of availability, ease of handling, and ease of blending.

The cross-sectional shape of the main fiber is not particularly limited, and examples include various cross-sectional shapes such as a round cross section, irregular cross section (flat, elliptical cross section, etc.), polygonal cross section, multi-lobed cross section (3-14 lobed cross section), hollow cross section, V-shaped cross section, T-shaped cross section, H-shaped cross section, I-shaped (dog-bone) cross section, and array cross section. Round and elliptical cross sections are preferred because they facilitate the release of liquid. The main fiber may be a non-composite fiber or a composite fiber.

The fineness of the main fiber may be, for example, 0.5 to 10.0 dtex, preferably 1.0 to 5.0 dtex, and more preferably 1.4 to 2.2 dtex. If the fineness of the main fiber is too small, fiber clumps are likely to be generated in a general-purpose dry nonwoven fabric manufacturing process, which may result in a decrease in the surface smoothness of the nonwoven fabric. If the fineness of the main fiber is too large, the resulting nonwoven fabric may have a large amount of fluff and a decrease in surface smoothness.

The nonwoven fabric used in the present invention may be a combination of subject fibers and binder fibers. The binder fibers are preferably used as heat-sealing fibers in the nonwoven fabric. For example, heat-sealing fibers can be partially or completely melted by heat to form adhesion points, thereby improving the dimensional stability of the sheet.

The fineness of the binder fiber may be, for example, 0.5 to 10.0 dtex, preferably 1.0 to 5.0 dtex, and more preferably 1.7 to 2.2 dtex. If the fineness of the binder fiber is too small, fiber clumps are likely to be generated in the carding machine, resulting in a decrease in surface flatness. If the fineness of the binder fiber is too large, the number of bonding intersections will decrease, resulting in a decrease in shape stability, or the sheet will have more fuzz, resulting in a decrease in surface flatness.

The cross-sectional shape of the binder fiber is not particularly limited, and examples of such cross-sectional shapes include a round cross section, an irregular cross section (flat, elliptical, etc.), a polygonal cross section, a multi-lobed cross section (3-14 lobe cross section), a hollow cross section, a V-shaped cross section, a T-shaped cross section, an H-shaped cross section, an I-shaped (dog-bone) cross section, an array cross section, etc. The binder fiber may be a non-composite fiber, but is preferably a composite fiber such as a core-sheath type fiber or a side-by-side type fiber.

In particular, core-sheath fibers are preferred because they are easy to form adhesive points on the fiber surface, improve the physical strength of the sheet, and prevent fiber shedding during wiping. Composite fibers may be formed from a high-melting point component and a low-melting point component, and the high-melting point component preferably has a melting point 30°C or more higher than the melting point of the low-melting point component. The melting point of the composite fiber may be determined by the melting point of the low-melting point component. There are no particular restrictions on the cross-sectional shape of the composite fiber, and it may be any shape, such as a round core-sheath, an eccentric core-sheath, or an irregular cross-sectional core-sheath. It is preferred that the low-melting point component that becomes the sheath portion covers at least 40% of the periphery of the core component, and especially 60% or more. The ratio of the core component to the sheath component by weight is preferably 80/20 to 20/80, and more preferably 70/30 to 30/70.

From the viewpoints of ease of handling and availability, polyolefin-based fibers are preferred as binder fibers. Polyolefin-based fibers may contain polyolefin-based polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, or modified polymers, blends, or copolymers thereof, and may be non-composite fibers or composite fibers such as core-sheath type or side-by-side type.

When polyolefin-based fibers are used as composite fibers, specific examples of the cross section of core-sheath composite fibers are those in which at least the sheath component is a polyolefin-based polymer, and suitable combinations of core component/sheath component include polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene, polypropylene/polyethylene, and polypropylene/modified polypropylene. Among these, the combination of polypropylene/polyethylene, which is inexpensive and commonly used for nonwoven fabrics, is preferred.

The proportion of the subject fiber in the nonwoven fabric may be, for example, 70% by mass or more, and preferably 75% by mass or more. The proportion of the subject fiber can be appropriately adjusted depending on the proportion of the binder fiber, and may be, for example, 98% by mass or less, and preferably 95% by mass or less.

From the viewpoint of improving the dimensional stability of the nonwoven fabric and uniform application to the coated surface, the proportion of binder fibers in the nonwoven fabric may be, for example, a mass ratio to the main fibers (binder fibers/main fibers) of 0.55 or less, preferably 0.50 or less, and more preferably 0.45 or less.

The average fiber length of the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric is preferably in the range of 20 to 80 mm in terms of manufacturing workability and the mechanical properties of the nonwoven fabric. It is more preferably 30 to 70 mm, and even more preferably 35 to 60 mm. By using such short fibers, it is possible to improve the mechanical properties of the nonwoven fabric, such as the strength and elongation, while increasing the mobility and degree of entanglement of the fibers by the hydroentanglement treatment.

In the spunlace method, a web is usually made from fibers, and then the resulting web is subjected to a hydroentanglement process to fix the fibers. In the present invention, in order to obtain a nonwoven fabric having a structure with high uniformity in thickness and surface flatness, a hydroentanglement process, a nipping process, a drying process (and, if necessary, a heat treatment process and a cooling process) may be provided, and the manufacturing conditions for each process may be adjusted.

Specifically, first the main fibers (and binder fibers, if necessary) are mixed together and then the fibers are opened by carding using a carding machine to produce a web. Such a web may be a parallel web in which the fibers are aligned in the direction of travel of the carding machine, a cross web in which parallel webs are cross-laid, a random web in which the fibers are aligned randomly, or a semi-random web in which the fibers are aligned to a moderate degree between the two. However, a random web is preferred in view of the high degree of conformability in all directions when the sheet is used, and a semi-random web is preferred in view of high productivity.

The resulting web is then subjected to a hydroentanglement treatment (hydroentanglement process). Hydroentanglement treatment involves spraying a columnar water stream at high pressure from a nozzle plate having one or two rows of nozzle holes, each having a diameter of 0.05 to 0.20 mm and spaced 0.30 to 1.50 mm apart, onto the web placed on a porous support member, causing the constituent fibers of the web to be densely entangled in three dimensions and integrated.

A suitable method for three-dimensionally entangling a web is to place the web on a moving porous support member and treat it once or multiple times with a water flow at a water pressure of 0.5 to 15 MPa. It is preferable that the nozzle plate is arranged in a row in a direction perpendicular to the web's traveling direction, and the water flow is uniformly collided with the web. In order to improve the uniformity of the web's thickness, it is particularly preferable that the water pressure is in the range of 1.5 to 12 MPa, and further that the water flow entanglement treatment is performed at least twice on each side of the web, and a total of five times or more. From the viewpoint of uniform entanglement of the web, it is preferable that the distance between the injection hole and the web is 1 to 10 cm.

The porous support member on which the web is placed is, for example, a metal or resin mesh screen or a perforated plate. In order to improve the flatness of the nonwoven surface, it is preferable that the hydroentanglement is performed on a woven structure of fine fibers (e.g., a plain weave structure) at least in the final step of the hydroentanglement treatment.

The warp and weft threads of the woven structure used as the porous support member may each be a monofilament having a diameter of preferably 0.01 to 1 mm, more preferably 0.02 to 0.5 mm. It is also preferable to use a woven structure having a thickness of 0.1 to 1 mm. If the diameter of the monofilament is too large, the fibers will move to the periphery at the location where the warp thread is on the weft thread, causing holes in the web surface and reducing the flatness of the surface, which is not preferable. The opening rate of the woven structure may be, for example, about 10 to 35%, preferably 15 to 30%. In particular, when the opening rate of the woven structure is in the above range, the water will be finely dispersed and move when the water flow penetrates the web in the horizontal direction, and the movement of the fibers due to the water flow will occur at multiple points, so that the entanglement of the web becomes uniform in the planar direction, and as a result, the uniformity of the thickness of the web can be improved at a micro level.

Furthermore, in order to improve the surface flatness of the web, it is preferable that, among the nozzle plates used in the hydroentanglement treatment on the porous support member, the nozzle plate used in the final stage has injection holes with a hole diameter of 0.05 to 0.10 mm and spacing of 0.30 to 1.00 mm arranged in one or two rows.

Next, a nip process is performed (nip process). In this process, the web is compressed to improve thickness uniformity. For example, the thickness uniformity can be improved by passing the hydroentangled web between a smooth metal roll and a crown-shaped rubber roll (e.g., EPDM rubber roll, hardness 70 to 90 degrees) while compressing it. Furthermore, the surface flatness can be improved by pressing the web against the smooth metal roll. From the viewpoint of effectively compressing the web, the nip linear pressure at this time is preferably 20 to 60 kg/cm.

In the nipping process, the metal roll may be heated, and when a heat-fusible binder fiber is included, the heating temperature may be from 50°C to a temperature lower than the melting point of the binder fiber. More specifically, the heating temperature may be from 50°C to 150°C, or from 50°C to 100°C.

The moisture content of the web after nip processing can be appropriately selected depending on the type and blending ratio of the main fibers constituting the web. For example, if the proportion of fibers with an official moisture content of 8% or more, such as rayon fibers, among the main fibers is 40% or more, the moisture content of the web after nip processing may be about 100 to 500%, preferably about 150 to 400%, and more preferably about 200 to 300%.

When the proportion of fibers with a standard moisture regain of 8% or more among the main fibers is 10% or more but less than 40%, the moisture regain of the web after nip treatment may be approximately 100 to 400%, preferably 110 to 300%, and more preferably approximately 120 to 250%.

When the proportion of fibers with a standard moisture regain of 8% or more among the main fibers is less than 10%, the moisture regain of the web after nip treatment may be approximately 100 to 150%, preferably 105 to 140%, and more preferably 105 to 130%.

In particular, when the moisture content is set to the above upper limit or lower, the result is improved uniformity of the thickness of the web at a microscopic level, although the reason is unclear. In order to adjust the moisture content of the web to the above range, a dehydration process may be performed before the nipping process. The dehydration method is not particularly limited, but an example is a method in which suction is performed through a porous support member in the final stage of the hydroentanglement process.

By adjusting the moisture content of the web before the drying process, it is possible to perform drying while maintaining a web structure with good surface flatness. In the drying process, it is preferable to use a cylinder dryer in order to perform drying while maintaining the state of the web structure with high thickness uniformity and high surface flatness obtained by the above-mentioned process. As the cylinder dryer, a known one can be used. By using a roll with a flat surface treated with Teflon (registered trademark), each side of the web, which has a pre-adjusted moisture content, is pressed alternately against multiple rolls arranged at a predetermined interval, the web can be dried while maintaining high flatness. In the drying process, the amount of heat can be adjusted so that the moisture in the web is dried.

Next, a heat treatment step may be performed as necessary. In the heat treatment step, a device similar to the cylinder dryer used in the drying step described above may be used. The drying step and the heat treatment step may be performed continuously in the same device while changing the heating temperature, thereby increasing production efficiency. For example, when using a heat-fusible binder fiber such as a polyolefin fiber, the binder fiber is melted and bonded by heating, and many inter-fiber bonds are formed, particularly on the outermost surface, so that the flatness of the outermost surface of the web can be improved. In the heat treatment step, the amount of heat may be adjusted so that the temperature of the web is higher than the melting point of the binder fiber contained in the web. For example, the amount of heat may be appropriately set depending on the fiber, but for example, in the case of a polyolefin fiber, the heating temperature may be about 105 to 160°C, and preferably about 110 to 150°C.

In the cooling step, the web is then cooled below the melting point of the binder fibers to solidify the molten binder fibers. The cooling step may be carried out by releasing heat from the web by appropriately adjusting the time until winding after the heat treatment step, or by using a cooling means. In order to fix the bonding points formed by the binder fibers and improve the dimensional stability of the web, it is preferable to wind the web after the web has cooled to below the melting point of the binder fibers. This makes it possible to obtain a nonwoven fabric while maintaining uniformity in thickness, and at the same time makes it possible to wind the web while maintaining high surface flatness.

From the viewpoint of productivity, the manufacturing process of dry spunlace nonwoven fabric may be carried out as a continuous process. The speed of the continuous process may be appropriately selected, for example, from the range of 1 to 100 m/min in the MD direction.

The liquid application cloth of the present invention may contain conventional additives, such as stabilizers (heat stabilizers such as copper compounds, ultraviolet absorbers, light stabilizers, antioxidants, etc.), fine particles, colorants, fluorescent whitening agents, antistatic agents, flame retardants, deodorants, plasticizers, lubricants, crystallization rate retarders, etc., to the extent that the effects of the present invention are not impaired. These additives may be used alone or in combination of two or more. These additives may be contained in the fibers that make up the nonwoven fabric, or may be supported on the surface of the nonwoven fabric.

(Structure of liquid application cloth)
Since the liquid application cloth of the present invention is a dry spunlace nonwoven fabric, the fibers are randomly entangled, and each constituent fiber of the nonwoven fabric is randomly present on the surface of the nonwoven fabric. In the present invention, attention is focused on the structure of the nonwoven fabric under microscopic conditions at the fiber level, and the parameters of the thickness ratio (A) of the nonwoven fabric and the variation (B) indicating the surface flatness, which will be described later, are controlled to improve the uniform and wide-area coatability of the coating liquid.

The thickness ratio (A) of the nonwoven fabric constituting the liquid application cloth is measured by image analysis of the cut surface of the nonwoven fabric cut in the thickness direction at 45° to the MD direction of the nonwoven fabric using a scanning microscope. The thickness ratio (A) of the nonwoven fabric is measured by the method described in the examples described later. The thickness of the nonwoven fabric is measured as a ₁ to a ₁₀₀ at 100 points selected by a predetermined method. Among these, the ratio (a _min /a _max ) of the measured value (a _min ) at the thinnest point to the measured value (a _max ) at the thickest point is calculated as a percentage. In order to eliminate fiber fluff, when calculating the thickness, the outermost fiber is excluded from the measurement target for the fibers intersecting the straight line in the thickness direction, and the distance between the fibers second from the outside is measured as the thickness at each point.

The larger the thickness ratio (A), the smaller the difference between the thickest and thinnest points of the nonwoven fabric, indicating that it is flatter. The liquid application cloth of the present invention may have a thickness ratio (A) of 40% or more, preferably 48% or more, more preferably 50% or more, and even more preferably 55% or more, which indicates thickness uniformity. In addition, the higher the thickness ratio, the better, but considering that the fibers in the dry spunlace nonwoven fabric are entangled, the maximum value of the thickness ratio (A) may usually be about 80%.

For the variation (B) showing the flatness of the surface of the nonwoven fabric, first, the average value of the thicknesses a ₁ to a ₁₀₀ of the nonwoven fabric measured when the thickness ratio (A) is measured is calculated as a _avg . Then, for the selected 100 points, the distance between the center and the second outermost fiber on each surface of the nonwoven fabric is measured in the upward and downward directions, respectively. For the upward dimensions u ₁ to u ₁₀₀ from the center of the nonwoven fabric and the downward dimensions b ₁ to b ₁₀₀ from the center, the average values (u _max , b _max ) of the measured values selected from the largest 10 points and the average values (u _min , b _min ) of the measured values selected from the smallest 10 points are calculated.

The surface variation (B) is calculated from the average thickness of the nonwoven fabric (a _avg ) and the distance from the center of the uneven portion (u _max , b _max , u _min , b _min ) according to the following formula, and is expressed as a percentage.
B ₁ = (u _max -u _min ) / 0.5a _avg
B2 = ( _bmax - _bmin ) / _0.5aavg

The smaller the variation (B) indicating the surface flatness, the flatter the surface of the nonwoven fabric is. The variation (B) indicating the surface flatness on both sides of the nonwoven fabric is less than 60%. It may be preferably 58% or less, and more preferably 50% or less. Also, on the side with the smaller variation (B) indicating the surface flatness, the variation (B) may be 58% or less, or may be 50% or less. Also, the smaller the variation (B), the better, but considering that this is a dry spunlace nonwoven fabric and that the fibers are present randomly, it may be 10% or more, preferably 15% or more, and more preferably 20% or more.

The liquid application cloth of the present invention has a specific thickness ratio and surface variation, which not only improves the thickness uniformity of the entire nonwoven fabric, but also improves the smoothness of the nonwoven fabric surface. As a result, in a liquid application sheet impregnated with the application liquid, it is possible to suppress application unevenness such as streaks when the application liquid is released, and good release properties can be maintained, making it possible to perform uniform application. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress an increase in frictional resistance between the sheet and the surface to be coated, improving handleability (or application properties) during application.

Furthermore, since a nonwoven fabric having a flatter surface with a more uniform thickness is preferred, the ratio (B)/(A) of the variation (B), which indicates the flatness of the flatter surface, to the ratio (A) of the thickness of the nonwoven fabric may be, for example, 1.0 or less, preferably 0.9 or less, and more preferably 0.8 or less.

When the fiber diameter of the main fibers that make up a high proportion of the nonwoven fabric is small, the fibers with small diameters can penetrate into each other and improve the flatness of the surface, so the average fiber diameter of the main fibers may be, for example, 5 to 18 μm, preferably 10 to 15 μm, and more preferably 11 to 13 μm. Here, the average fiber diameter may be a value measured by the method described in the examples below.

From the viewpoint of bonding between the binder fibers and fixing the structure of the nonwoven fabric, the average fiber diameter of the binder fibers may be, for example, 5 to 23 μm, and preferably 14 to 20 μm. Here, the average fiber diameter may be a value measured by the method described in the examples described later.

From the viewpoint of improving surface flatness and adhesion, the ratio of the average fiber diameter of the binder fiber to the main fiber (main fiber)/(binder fiber) may be, for example, 0.60 to 1.00, and preferably approximately 0.65 to 0.95.

From the viewpoint of the liquid retention of the nonwoven fabric, the density of the nonwoven fabric may be, for example, in the range of 0.05 to 0.20 g/ ^cm3 , and preferably in the range of 0.07 to 0.15 g/ ^cm3 . Here, the density is the value obtained by dividing the basis weight of the nonwoven fabric by the thickness. If the density of the nonwoven fabric is too low, the shape stability tends to decrease, and if the density of the nonwoven fabric is too high, the liquid retention capacity tends to decrease. The density of the nonwoven fabric constituting the sheet of the present invention can be calculated from the basis weight (g/ ^m2 ) and the thickness (mm) (density of nonwoven fabric (g/ ^cm3 ) = basis weight (g/ ^m2 ) / thickness (mm) / 1000). The thickness of the nonwoven fabric is measured in accordance with JIS L 1913 "General nonwoven fabric test method" 6.1.

The basis weight of the nonwoven fabric may be, for example, in the range of 10 to 100 g/m ² , preferably in the range of 20 to 100 g/m ² , and more preferably in the range of 25 to 50 g/m ^2. If the basis weight of the nonwoven fabric is too low, the shape stability decreases and the nonwoven fabric tends to be prone to curling when used as a liquid application sheet, and if the basis weight of the nonwoven fabric is too high, the amount of fiber and the amount of impregnation liquid used per sheet tend to increase, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost.

The basis weight of a nonwoven fabric is calculated as follows: 350 mL of sodium hypochlorite aqueous solution (effective chlorine concentration 0.34%) is poured into nonwoven fabric (100 g), and the fabric is left to stand for 5 minutes to allow the liquid to be absorbed into the nonwoven fabric as a whole, then removed and left to dry for 3 days in an environment with a temperature of 25°C and a humidity of 60%, with the nonwoven fabric not overlapping each other. The dried nonwoven fabric is cut into a size of 10 cm width x 10 cm length to use as a sample. The weight (g) of this sample is measured using a balance in accordance with JIS L1906, and the basis weight is calculated from the value.

The thickness of the liquid application cloth of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, in the range of 0.05 to 10 mm, preferably in the range of 0.10 to 8 mm, and more preferably in the range of 0.20 to 5 mm. If the thickness is too thin, it tends to be difficult to maintain the shape of the nonwoven fabric, and if the thickness is too thick, the sheet-like fiber aggregate tends to become too thick and the entanglement between the fibers tends to be insufficient.

In the liquid application cloth of the present invention, from the viewpoint of gradual release of liquid, the volume maintenance rate during primary compression relative to the initial thickness (pressure of 12 g/cm ² ) may be, for example, 90.0 to 97.5% in the case of primary compression (pressure of 14 g/cm ² ), preferably 91.0 to 97.0%, and more preferably 92.0 to 95.0%. Also, the volume maintenance rate during secondary compression (pressure of 16 g/cm ² ) relative to the initial thickness (pressure of 12 g/cm ² ) may be 88.0 to 93.0%, preferably 89.0 to 92.5%, and more preferably 89.5 to 92.0%.
The difference between the volume retention rate at the time of primary compression and the volume retention rate at the time of secondary compression may be, for example, 3.3 to 5.5%, and preferably 3.5 to 5.3%. The volume retention rate at the time of compression is a value measured by the method described in the examples below.

There are no particular limitations on the layer structure of the liquid application cloth (or liquid application sheet) of the present invention, so long as it does not impair the effects of the present invention. In other words, it may be a nonwoven fabric having a single layer structure, or a nonwoven fabric having a multi-layer structure such as two or three layers. If it is a multi-layer structure, the fiber composition of each layer may be the same or different. Furthermore, each layer may simply be overlapped, or may be bonded together using a binder or the like, so long as it does not impair the effects of the invention.

The liquid retention rate of the liquid application cloth of the present invention may be, for example, about 300 to 2000% by mass, preferably about 350 to 1800% by mass, and more preferably about 400 to 1500% by mass. Specifically, the liquid retention rate is a value measured by the method described in the examples below.

In the case of the liquid application cloth of the present invention, from the viewpoint of uniformly applying the application liquid to the contact surface of the nonwoven fabric, for example, the liquid application cloth of the present invention may have a surface liquid retention rate of 30 to 60% when the nonwoven fabric is impregnated with 350% by mass of the application liquid, and more preferably 32 to 50%.

For example, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, when comparing Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 described below, in Example 1, as shown by the white areas, a high proportion of liquid is released from the nonwoven fabric surface, and the liquid can be released in a wide mesh pattern at the point of contact with the coated surface. As a result, it is possible to coat the coated surface uniformly and without unevenness. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the liquid released from the nonwoven fabric surface only forms a fine mesh pattern, making it difficult to sufficiently apply the liquid to the coated surface.

That is, if the surface liquid retention rate is too low, the liquid will only be released in thin streaks onto the coated surface when wiped, and the coating liquid may not be applied even though the nonwoven fabric has passed through, making it difficult to apply the coating evenly. On the other hand, if the surface liquid retention rate is too high, the liquid retention capacity of the entire nonwoven fabric will be insufficient, causing dripping and making it difficult to apply coating over a wide area. The surface liquid retention rate is a value measured by the method described in the examples below.

In the liquid application cloth of the present invention, it is preferable that a liquid film is formed on the nonwoven fabric surface to the same extent regardless of the force applied to the cloth during application, so that when the nonwoven fabric is impregnated with 350% by mass of liquid, the ratio of the surface liquid retention rate at secondary compression to the surface liquid retention rate at primary compression may be, for example, 1.00 to 1.40, preferably 1.00 to 1.39, and more preferably 1.00 to 1.30.

In the liquid application cloth of the present invention, it is preferable that a liquid film is formed well on the surface of the nonwoven fabric even when the amount of liquid is low, and the surface liquid retention rate when the nonwoven fabric is impregnated with 150% by mass of liquid may be, for example, 20 to 60%, preferably 21 to 50%, and more preferably 22 to 45%.

(Coating Liquid)
Various coating liquids are used in combination with the liquid application cloth of the present invention. As the coating liquid, various types of liquids can be used depending on the application. For example, it is possible to suitably apply liquids used in applications where uniform coating is required, and examples of such liquids include disinfectants, coating agents, various paints, finishing agents (e.g., varnish, etc.). The amount of coating liquid impregnated into the nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited, but may be 100 to 1000 parts by mass, preferably 150 to 800 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the nonwoven fabric.

From the viewpoint of releasability from the liquid application cloth, these liquids may have a viscosity of, for example, 0.1 to 500 mPa·s at the temperature of use (e.g., room temperature), preferably 0.5 to 100 mPa·s, and more preferably 1 to 10 mPa·s.

Furthermore, the liquid is not particularly limited as long as it can be released uniformly from the liquid application cloth, and may be a pure liquid, a solution, or an emulsion.

In the case of solutions and emulsions, the solvent or dispersion medium can be selected according to the application, but water or alcohols are preferred in consideration of the environmental impact.

The disinfectant may be a known or conventional liquid, and examples of such disinfectants include chlorine-based disinfectants such as sodium hypochlorite and chloramine T; acidic disinfectants such as peracetic acid; phenol-based disinfectants such as phenol and cresol; aldehyde-based disinfectants such as glutaraldehyde and orthophthalaldehyde; alcohol-based disinfectants such as ethanol, isopropanol and cresol; and surfactant-based disinfectants such as chlorhexidine gluconate, benzalkonium hydrochloride, benzethonium hydrochloride and alkyldiaminoethylglycine hydrochloride.

When alcohols (e.g., ethanol) are used as the disinfectant, the content of the alcohols in the coating solution is preferably 30 to 90% by mass, more preferably 35 to 85% by mass, and even more preferably 40 to 70% by mass, based on 100% by mass of the coating solution. The content of water in the coating solution is preferably 30 to 70% by mass, more preferably 35 to 65% by mass, and even more preferably 40 to 60% by mass, based on 100% by mass of the coating solution. Such a coating solution is an impregnation solution containing 70 to 30% by mass of water and 30 to 70% by mass of ethanol.

Examples of coating agents include coating agents for various materials such as coating agents for plastics (such as anti-mold agents), coating agents for wood (such as wax agents and wood preservatives), coating agents for metals (such as rust inhibitors), and coating agents for glass (such as water repellents). These coating agents can be made of known or commonly used materials.

(Liquid application kit)
The present invention also includes a liquid application kit that includes a coating liquid and a liquid application cloth. The liquid application kit may include a container as necessary. For example, the container may contain the liquid application cloth in advance, or may contain the coating liquid.

In the liquid application kit, the liquid application cloth and the application liquid are prepared separately before use, and at the stage of use, the liquid application cloth and the application liquid are brought into contact with each other.

When the liquid application cloth comes into contact with the application liquid, it is sufficient that the liquid application cloth can be impregnated with a predetermined amount of application liquid. For example, the liquid application cloth may be placed in a container that contains the application liquid, and the liquid application cloth may be impregnated with the application liquid, or the application liquid may be placed in a container that contains the liquid application cloth, and the liquid application cloth may be impregnated with the application liquid. Alternatively, the liquid application cloth and the application liquid may each be placed in a predetermined container, and the liquid application cloth may be impregnated with the application liquid. In these cases, the liquid application cloth is enclosed in a container separate from the container that contains the application liquid.

The container is not particularly limited as long as it has a shape capable of holding a liquid, and may be, for example, a bottle shape, a pack shape such as a pillow package, etc. The material of the container is also not particularly limited as long as it can hold the coating liquid, and may be a container made of various materials such as glass, plastic, and ceramic.

The shape of the liquid application cloth is also not particularly limited as long as it can be impregnated with liquid, but when considering ease of use after impregnation with liquid, it may be a Z-folded sheet assembly or a rolled up body.

The roll body can be manufactured, for example, by the manufacturing method shown below. A roll of nonwoven fabric is placed on a winding machine to unwind a strip of nonwoven fabric, which is then wound up, for example, on a stainless steel core having a diameter of 20 mm to 40 mm while perforating the strip at regular intervals perpendicular to the winding direction. A roll of nonwoven fabric having a width that is an integral multiple of the width of the product nonwoven fabric may be set on the winding machine, and cut to the specified width with a slitter.

After the wound roll is removed from the stainless steel core, it is transferred by machine to a bucket, and the wound product may be packaged in multi-layer film or sealed in a container such as a bottle.

In addition, liquid application kits can also include cases where the liquid and the liquid application cloth are each sold as standalone refill products.

A preferred method of impregnation, for example, when using a roll-shaped liquid application cloth in a liquid application kit, is to apply the application liquid to two locations, the side of the roughly cylindrical surface and the center of the top surface, to impregnate the cloth.

In one embodiment, the liquid application kit can be useful for applying a chlorine-based disinfectant. For example, when the liquid application cloth is composed of 70% or more by mass of non-cellulosic fibers (e.g., polyester fibers or polyolefin fibers), even if the application liquid is a chlorine-based disinfectant, the inactivation of the disinfectant is reduced, and as a result, the period during which the liquid application cloth has an effective concentration for inactivating viruses can be extended.

In such a case, in the liquid application kit of the present invention, for example, the maintenance rate of the available chlorine concentration of the chlorine-based disinfectant represented by the following formula (1) may be 80% or more.
Available chlorine maintenance rate (%) = (available chlorine concentration 30 days after contact) / (available chlorine concentration before contact) × 100 (1)
Here, contact means that the liquid application cloth has come into contact with an application liquid containing a chlorine-based disinfectant.

(Liquid-applied sheet)
The present invention also includes a liquid-applied sheet. The liquid-applied sheet is a liquid-applied sheet that is composed of the liquid-applied cloth and the coating liquid, and in which the liquid-applied cloth is impregnated with the coating liquid.

When evaluating the physical properties of the liquid-coated sheet of the present invention, such as the thickness ratio (A) and the variation (B), the impregnated sheet may be spread out, naturally dried, and then the physical properties may be evaluated in the same manner as in the case of a liquid-coating cloth. If the viscosity of the coating liquid is high, the components of the coating liquid may be washed off and naturally dried, while taking care not to change the fiber structure.
It is preferable that the liquid-coated sheet after natural drying also has various physical properties (basis weight, surface smoothness, volume retention rate when compressed, surface liquid retention rate, etc.) similar to those of the liquid-coating cloth.

The form of the liquid application sheet of the present invention is not particularly limited, but specific examples include a form in which the nonwoven fabric is cut into sheets, folded in a Z-shape, stacked, impregnated with application liquid, and packaged in a pillowcase, or a form in which the nonwoven fabric is wound into a roll and impregnated with application liquid in a bottle, and from the standpoint of ease of use, a form in which the nonwoven fabric is wound into a roll is preferred.

The liquid-coated sheet of the present invention is suitable for use as a liquid-coated sheet for an object, and is particularly suitable as a sheet for applying a coating liquid to a surface to be coated.
The liquid-coated sheet of the present invention may be used as a sample to measure its physical properties after the coating liquid impregnated therein is naturally dried.

(Liquid application tool)
Furthermore, the present invention includes a liquid applicator. The liquid applicator is not particularly limited as long as it can be equipped with a liquid applicator sheet or a liquid applicator cloth, and a known or conventional mounting support can be used in combination with the liquid applicator sheet or liquid applicator cloth. The liquid applicator of the present invention uses the liquid applicator sheet or liquid applicator cloth of the present invention, so that the coating liquid can be applied uniformly over a wide area.

The mounting support has at least an application section and a handle section extending from the application section toward the handle side. The application section preferably has an application section for mounting the liquid application sheet or liquid application cloth. The application section is not particularly limited as long as it can clamp the end of the liquid application sheet or liquid application cloth and attach the liquid application sheet or liquid application cloth to the application section in a planar manner, and any known or conventional shape can be used.

Since the liquid application sheet or liquid application cloth of the present invention is capable of uniform application in the surface direction, it is preferable that the application portion has an approximately flat surface on the side where the liquid application sheet or liquid application cloth contacts the surface to be coated.

For example, if the handle extends from the center of the applicator in the surface direction, the force transmitted from the handle during application is transmitted to the application surface with the handle as the center. Therefore, with conventional liquid application tools, the applicability is reduced at the ends away from the center on a flat surface, resulting in reduced applicability compared to the central portion. On the other hand, when the liquid application sheet or liquid application cloth of the present invention is used, uniform application can be performed in the surface direction, and the applicability of the ends away from the center can also be improved.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. In the following examples and comparative examples, various physical properties were measured by the following methods.

[Fineness]
The fiber fineness was measured according to JIS L 1015 "Testing method for synthetic fiber staples".

[Average fiber diameter of fibers]
The nonwoven fiber structure was observed using a scanning electron microscope. The diameters of 100 fibers randomly selected from the electron microscope photograph were measured to determine the number average fiber diameter, which was taken as the average fiber diameter of the fibers.

[Weight]
(1) Sample Preparation 350 mL of 70% ethanol aqueous solution was poured into a nonwoven fabric roll (100 g), and the nonwoven fabric was allowed to stand for 24 hours to allow the liquid to be fully absorbed into the nonwoven fabric, and then the nonwoven fabric was removed and allowed to stand for 3 days in an environment with a temperature of 25° C. and a humidity of 60% so that the nonwoven fabrics did not overlap each other, and dried. The dried nonwoven fabric was cut into a size of 10 cm in the width direction × 10 cm in the length direction to prepare a sample.
(2) Measurement of Basis Weight The weight (g) of the sample was measured according to JIS L1906A. The weight (g) of the sample was converted into weight per unit area to calculate the basis weight.

[thickness]
(1) Preparation of Samples Samples were prepared in the same manner as in the case of measuring the basis weight.
(2) Measurement According to JIS L 1913 "General nonwoven fabric test method" 6.2, the thickness of the sample obtained in (1) above was measured using a razor ("Feather Razor S single-edged", manufactured by Feather Safety Razor Co., Ltd.).

[density]
Density (g/cm ³ ) of nonwoven fabric calculated from basis weight (g/m ² ) and thickness (mm) = basis weight (g/m ² )/thickness (mm)/1000

[Thickness ratio (A) and variation in surface flatness (B)]
(1) Preparation of Samples Samples were prepared in the same manner as in the case of measuring the basis weight.

(2) Measurement of thickness Using a razor ("Feather Razor S Single Edge" manufactured by Feather Safety Razor Co., Ltd.), the sample was cut perpendicular to the surface and at 45 degrees to the MD direction of the sample. The cross section of this sample was photographed at 100 times magnification using a scanning electron microscope S-3400N type (manufactured by Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation) at 10 locations. When photographing, the cross section was placed in the field of view so that it continued horizontally. For the measurement, the "measurement tool" of the personal computer software Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended was used. As shown in FIG. 1, in each image, a first line was drawn at a position 10 μm from the left end of the image, and a second line was drawn at a position 10 μm from the right end. Next, in order to eliminate fiber fluffing, the fiber located at the top of the intersections of the first line and the fiber was excluded from the target, and the intersection of the second fiber and the first line was taken as 1-U. Similarly, for the lower side, the fiber at the bottom was excluded from the measurement, the intersection point between the second fiber and the second line was determined as 1-B, and the midpoint between 1-U and 1-B was determined as 1-M. Similarly, 2-U, 2-B, and 2-M were determined for the second line. 1-M and 2-M were connected by a straight line, which was determined as the third line. The point 100 μm to the right of 1-M on the third line was determined as α ₁ , and the point 100 μm further to the right was determined as α ₂ , and so on, up to α _10. A perpendicular line A ₁ was drawn from α ₁ to the third line, and perpendicular lines A ₂ to A ₁₀ were determined in the same manner. The fiber at the top of the fiber intersecting with the perpendicular line A ₁ was excluded from the measurement, and the intersection point with the second fiber from the top was determined as A _1-U , and similarly for the lower side, A _1-B was determined. The distance from _A1-U to _α1 was defined as _u1 , and the distance from _A1-B to _α1 was defined as _b1 . The sum of _u1 and _b1 thus determined was defined as the thickness _a1 , and similar measurements were made at _A2 to _A10 to obtain the thicknesses _a1 to _a10 at ten locations.
The above-mentioned work from photographing to measuring was carried out in the same way for 10 locations, and the thicknesses a ₁₁ to a ₂₀ were obtained from the image of the second location, giving a total of 100 thicknesses a ₁ to a ₁₀₀ , as well as their respective sizes in the vertical direction u ₁ to u ₁₀₀ and b ₁ to b ₁₀₀ .

(3) Calculation of Thickness Ratio (A) Among the thicknesses _a1 to _a100 of the nonwoven fabric, the ratio (a _min /a _max ) of the average value (a _max ) of the measured values selected from the largest 10 points to the average value (a _min ) of the measured values selected from the smallest 10 points was calculated as a percentage and was defined as the thickness ratio (A) of the nonwoven fabric.

(4) Calculation of Variation (B) Indicating Surface Flatness The average value of the thicknesses a ₁ to a ₁₀₀ of the nonwoven fabric was calculated as a _avg , and for the sizes of the irregularities u ₁ to u ₁₀₀ and b ₁ to b ₁₀₀ of the nonwoven fabric, the average values (u _max , b _max ) of the measurement values selected from the 10 largest points and the average values (u _min , b _min ) of the measurement values selected from the 10 smallest points were determined.

The variation (B) indicating the surface flatness was calculated by the following formula.
B ₁ = (u _max -u _min ) / 0.5a _avg
B2 = ( _bmax - _bmin ) / _0.5aavg

[Liquid retention rate]
(1) Preparation of Samples Samples were prepared in the same manner as in the case of measuring the basis weight.
(2) Measurement: Measurement was performed according to JIS L1907 7.2 water absorption rate. A sample was cut into a 5 cm square and its weight was measured as X (g). The sample was then immersed in water for 30 seconds, and after immersion, it was taken out of the water by pinching one side of it, and the water was drained naturally, and its weight after 1 minute was measured as Y (g). The liquid retention rate (%) was calculated using the following formula.
Liquid retention rate (%) = [(Y-X)/X] x 100

[Surface liquid retention rate]
(1) Preparation of Samples The nonwoven fabric was cut into a rectangle measuring 10 cm length (longitudinal direction of the nonwoven fabric) x 20 cm width (width direction of the nonwoven fabric) and placed in a bag made of (polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum/polypropylene laminated sheet). Next, the impregnation liquid described below was placed in the bag so that the impregnation liquid was 150 parts by weight or 350 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the nonwoven fabric, and the nonwoven fabric was impregnated. The bag was sealed and left to stand for 3 days in an atmosphere of 25°C to prepare a sample of a liquid-coated sheet (nonwoven fabric impregnated with the impregnation liquid).

<Impregnation liquid>
95% ethanol 50.0% by mass
Purified water 50.0% by mass
Total 100.0% by mass

The obtained sample was folded in four so that there was a size of 5 cm square, and the sample was placed on a black acrylic plate (COMOGLAS 502K (Kuraray Co., Ltd.) in the folded state. The acrylic plate had a water contact angle of 80 degrees with ultrapure water. DMo-501 (Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd.) was used for the measurement. Next, a 5 cm x 5 cm stainless steel plate and a weight were placed on the folded sample, a load of 14 g / cm ² was applied, and the disinfectant was released onto the acrylic plate. After 5 seconds, the load was removed, and the sample was gently pulled up from the acrylic plate.
In addition, an acrylic plate with liquid attached thereto was separately prepared in the same manner except that the load was set to 16 g/cm ² (secondary compression).

The liquid remaining on the acrylic plate was evaporated at room temperature, and the surface of the acrylic plate from which the liquid had evaporated was photographed at 30x magnification using a digital microscope (Keyence Corporation Digital Microscope VHX-900). This image was converted to two gradations (threshold 15) using the computer software Illustrator, so that the areas where the liquid had adhered to the acrylic plate were visible as white areas, and the areas where the liquid had not adhered were visible as black areas. The area ratio of the liquid-adhered areas was calculated from the area ratio of the white and black areas. This value corresponds to the area ratio of the nonwoven fabric where the disinfectant had been transferred to the acrylic plate, and was therefore taken as the surface liquid retention rate of the nonwoven fabric.

[Volume retention rate when compressed]
(1) Sample Preparation 350 mL of a 70% aqueous ethanol solution of sodium hypochlorite was poured into a nonwoven fabric roll (100 g) and allowed to stand for 24 hours to allow the liquid to be fully absorbed into the nonwoven fabric. After that, a wet nonwoven fabric measuring 10 cm in width and 10 cm in length was taken out from the nonwoven fabric roll to prepare a sample.
(2) Measurement of thickness when compressed
The initial thickness is the thickness measured with a φ1 inch (2.54 cm) flat gauge tip at a pressure of 12 g/ ^cm2 in accordance with Method A of the thickness measurement method described in the JIS general nonwoven fabric testing method (JIS L 1913:2010). Similarly, the thickness measured with a φ1 inch flat gauge tip at a pressure of 14 g/ ^cm2 is the primary compressed thickness, and the thickness measured with a pressure of 16 g/ ^cm2 is the secondary compressed thickness. The ratios of the primary compressed thickness and the secondary compressed thickness divided by the initial thickness were defined as the volume retention rate during compression.

[Continuous release]
(1) Preparation of Samples Samples were prepared in the same manner as in (1) of [Surface Liquid Retention Ratio] above.
(2) Evaluation A liquid was applied to an acrylic plate in the same manner as in (2) of [Surface Liquid Retention Rate] above. This was repeated, and the state of liquid adhesion on the acrylic plate was observed, and the number of times it took for the liquid area to become less than 50% of the initial wet area was counted.

[Uneven coating]
The evaluation was made by consensus of six expert evaluation panel members. A sample obtained in the same manner as in (1) of [Surface Liquid Retention Rate] above was folded in half and used to coat (wipe) a 50 cm square section on a laboratory bench. The feel of the coating was evaluated according to the following criteria.

<Criteria>
◎: Coating was possible with few wiping streaks.
◯: Thin streaks appeared halfway through wiping.
×: Noticeable wiping streaks occurred immediately after use or during use.

[Coating feel]
The evaluation was made by consensus of six expert evaluation panel members. A sample obtained in the same manner as in (1) of [Surface Liquid Retention Rate] above was folded in half and used to coat (wipe) a 50 cm square section on a laboratory bench. The feel of the coating was evaluated according to the following criteria.

<Criteria>
⊚: There was no significant change in the pressing force required at the end of coating compared to at the start of coating.
◯: A somewhat stronger pressing force was required at the end of coating compared with at the start of coating.
×: A stronger pressing force was required at the end of coating than at the start of coating.

[Available chlorine maintenance rate]
(1) Preparation of sample 350 mL of sodium hypochlorite aqueous solution (effective chlorine concentration 0.34%) was poured into a nonwoven fabric roll (100 g). After 30 days, a wet nonwoven fabric of 14 cm width x 24 cm length was taken out from the nonwoven fabric roll, and the liquid was squeezed out from the nonwoven fabric.
(2) Evaluation The available chlorine concentration was measured using an available chlorine concentration measurement kit "AQ-202P" (manufactured by Shibata Scientific Co., Ltd.).
The effective chlorine concentration of the liquid squeezed out of the nonwoven fabric was measured, and the ratio to the effective chlorine concentration of the chlorine-based disinfectant before contacting the roll was calculated using the following formula (1), which was used as the effective chlorine maintenance rate of the sterilization kit.
Available chlorine maintenance rate (%) = (available chlorine concentration 30 days after contact) / (available chlorine concentration of disinfectant before contact) × 100 (1)

[Example 1]
A semi-random card web was produced by a conventional method by uniformly blending 80% by mass of polyester fiber "T471 (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.)" having a fineness of 1.6 dtex and a fiber length of 51 mm with 20% by mass of polyolefin composite fiber "HR-NTW (manufactured by Ube Exsymo Co., Ltd.)" having a fineness of 1.7 dtex and a fiber length of 51 mm and a polypropylene core and polyethylene sheath.

Next, for the water stream entanglement treatment, the card web was placed on a punching drum support with an opening ratio of 25% and a hole diameter of 0.3 mm, and continuously transported in the longitudinal direction while a high-pressure water stream was sprayed from above to perform the entanglement treatment, producing an entangled web. For this entanglement treatment, two nozzles with orifices having a hole diameter of 0.10 mm and spaced 0.6 mm apart along the width direction of the web (distance between adjacent nozzles: 20 cm) were used, and the water pressure of the high-pressure water stream sprayed from the first row of nozzles was set to 2.0 MPa, and the water pressure of the high-pressure water stream sprayed from the second row of nozzles was set to 3.0 MPa.

The web was then turned over on a conveyor, loaded onto a net support (opening 20.5%) and continuously transported from the opposite side to the previous one, while a high-pressure water jet was sprayed onto it to perform an entanglement process, transferring the unevenness of the net to the surface of the web. The net support used was a plain weave net OP76 (fiber diameter: warp 0.175 mm, weft 0.22 mm, number of warps 82/inch, weft 61/inch, opening rate 20.5%) manufactured by Nippon Filcon Co., Ltd. This entanglement process was carried out by using three nozzles with orifices with a hole diameter of 0.10 mm spaced 0.6 mm apart along the width direction of the web, and by setting the water pressure of the high-pressure water jet to 1.5 MPa, 1.5 MPa, and 3.0 MPa.

The web was then subjected to a surface flattening process (nipping process). The hydroentangled web was passed between an iron roll (material SM490A) and a crown roll with a rubber surface (EPDM hardness 80 degrees) while being compressed at a nip line pressure of 36 kg/cm. By passing the web between the flat rolls while being compressed, the web surface was smoothed and excess moisture was removed, resulting in a moisture content of 114%.

The drying rolls were flat Teflon-coated rolls, and the web with adjusted moisture content was dried while maintaining its smoothness by alternately pressing both sides of the web against multiple rolls. The web was heat-treated to a temperature of 138°C, and then cooled to below the melting point of the polyolefin fiber before being wound up. The entire process from web formation to winding was carried out at a speed of 5 m/min.

The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single-layer spunlace nonwoven fabric with a basis weight of 33 g/ ^m2 , a thickness of 0.381 mm, a wet thickness of 1.017 mm, and an apparent density of 0.087 g/ ^cm3 . In addition, some of the polyolefin fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric had melted to form adhesion points between the polyolefin fibers.

[Example 2]
A nonwoven fabric was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the polyester fiber used in Example 1 was replaced with a polyester fiber "T403 (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.)" having a fineness of 1.45 dtex and a fiber length of 51 mm to form a web.
The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single-layer spunlace nonwoven fabric with a basis weight of 29 g/ ^m2 , a thickness of 0.332 mm, a wet thickness of 0.998 mm, and an apparent density of 0.087 g/ ^cm3 . In addition, some of the polyolefin fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric had melted to form adhesion points between the polyolefin fibers.

[Example 3]
A nonwoven fabric was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the processing speed from web formation to drying was set to 70 m/min.
The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single-layer spunlace nonwoven fabric with a basis weight of 31 g/ ^m2 , a thickness of 0.339 mm, a wet thickness of 1.106 mm, and an apparent density of 0.090 g/ ^cm3 . In addition, some of the polyolefin fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric had melted to form adhesion points between the polyolefin fibers.

[Example 4]
A nonwoven fabric was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the ratios of the polyester fiber and the polyolefin-based binder fiber used in Example 1 were changed to 90 mass % and 10 mass %, respectively, and the processing speed for the series of processes from web formation to drying treatment was changed to 35 m/min.
The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single-layer spunlace nonwoven fabric with a basis weight of 32 g/ ^m2 , a thickness of 0.326 mm, a wet thickness of 1.189 mm, and an apparent density of 0.098 g/ ^cm3 . In addition, some of the polyolefin fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric had melted to form adhesion points between the polyolefin fibers.

[Example 5]
The material was a uniform blend of 10% by mass of regenerated cellulose fiber "Tencel (manufactured by Lenzing)" with a fineness of 1.7 dtex and fiber length of 38 mm, 20% by mass of polyolefin composite fiber "HR-NTW (manufactured by Ube Exsymo Co., Ltd.)" with a fineness of 1.7 dtex and fiber length of 51 mm, a polypropylene core and a polyethylene sheath, and 70% by mass of polyester fiber "T403 (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.)" with a fineness of 1.45 dtex and fiber length of 38 mm. A nonwoven fabric was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a woven fabric having a mesh size of 25.5 threads/inch, 17 weft threads/inch, and an opening ratio of 19.8% was used, that for the net entanglement treatment, two nozzles having orifices with a hole diameter of 0.10 mm spaced at 0.6 mm intervals along the width direction of the web and one nozzle having an orifice with a hole diameter of 0.08 mm spaced at 0.6 mm intervals along the width direction of the web were used, and hydroentanglement was performed with high-pressure water streams at water pressures of 5.0 MPa, 6.0 MPa, and 3.0 MPa, and that the treatment speed was 60 m/min.

The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single-layer spunlace nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 40 g/m ² , a thickness of 0.370 mm, and an apparent density of 0.106 g/cm ^3. In addition, some of the polyolefin fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric were melted to form adhesion points between the polyolefin fibers.

[Example 6]
A nonwoven fabric was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the mixture consisted of 80 mass% Corona (manufactured by Daiwabo Rayon Co., Ltd.) rayon fiber having a fineness of 1.7 dtex and a fiber length of 40 mm, and 20 mass% HR-NTW (manufactured by Ube Exsymo Co., Ltd.) polyolefin composite fiber having a fineness of 1.7 dtex and a fiber length of 51 mm and a polypropylene core and a polyethylene sheath, and that the entanglement treatment was performed using three nozzles having orifices with a hole diameter of 0.10 mm spaced at intervals of 0.6 mm along the width direction of the web, with the water pressure of the high-pressure water stream being set to 2.0 MPa, 3.0 MPa, and 3.0 MPa.

The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single-layer spunlace nonwoven fabric with a basis weight of 38.6 g/ ^m2 , a thickness of 0.340 mm, a wet thickness of mm, and an apparent density of 0.114 g/ ^cm3 . In addition, some of the polyolefin fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric had melted to form adhesion points between the polyolefin fibers.

[Comparative Example 1]
A sample was prepared from a spunbond nonwoven fabric "Diacross" (manufactured by Saraya Co., Ltd.). The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single-layer spunbond nonwoven fabric made of polypropylene-based fibers, with a basis weight of 30 g/ ^m2 , a thickness of 0.248 mm, a wet thickness of 0.954 mm, and an apparent density of 0.120 g/ ^cm3 .

[Comparative Example 2]
A sample was prepared from "Safe Keep Hypochlorous Sheet" for medical facilities (manufactured by Kao Professional Services Co., Ltd.). The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single-layer spunlace nonwoven fabric made of polyester fibers, with a basis weight of 41 g/ ^m2 , a thickness of 0.382 mm, a wet thickness of 1.300 mm, and an apparent density of 0.107 g/ ^cm3 .

[Comparative Example 3]
A nonwoven fabric was produced in the same manner as in Example 4, except that the processing speed from web formation to drying was set to 70 m/min, surface flattening processing (nip process) was not performed, and heat treatment was performed after hydroentanglement treatment. At this time, the moisture content before drying was 160%.
The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single layer spunlace nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 31 g/m ² , a thickness of 0.410 mm, a wet thickness of 1.320 mm and an apparent density of 0.075 g/cm ³ .

[Comparative Example 4]
In the manufacturing process of the nonwoven fabric, a semi-random web was prepared by a conventional method using 100% by mass of rayon fiber "Corona (manufactured by Daiwabo Rayon Co., Ltd.)" having a fineness of 1.7 dtex and a fiber length of 40 mm.

Next, for the water stream entanglement treatment, the card web was placed on a punching drum support with an opening ratio of 25% and a hole diameter of 0.3 mm, and continuously transported in the longitudinal direction while a high-pressure water stream was sprayed from above to produce an entangled web. For this entanglement treatment, two nozzles with orifices having a hole diameter of 0.10 mm and spaced 0.6 mm apart along the width direction of the web (distance between adjacent nozzles: 20 cm) were used, and the water pressure of the high-pressure water stream sprayed from the first row of nozzles was set to 1.5 MPa, and the water pressure of the high-pressure water stream sprayed from the second row of nozzles was set to 2.0 MPa.

The web was then turned over on a conveyor, loaded onto a net support, and continuously transported from the opposite side to the previous side, while being sprayed with high-pressure water to perform entanglement, transferring the unevenness of the net to the surface of the web. As the net support, OP10 (fiber diameter: warp 0.9 mm, weft 0.9 mm, number: warp 11/inch, weft 10/inch, aperture ratio 39.4%) manufactured by Nippon Filcon Co., Ltd. was used. This entanglement was performed by using three nozzles with orifices having a hole diameter of 0.10 mm and spaced 0.6 mm apart along the width direction of the web, and the water pressure of the high-pressure water was set to 3.0 MPa, 4.0 MPa, and 5.0 MPa to perform hydroentanglement. Thereafter, the surface was not flattened (nipped), and the heat treatment was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 after hydroentanglement to produce a nonwoven fabric.
The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single layer spunlace nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 34 g/m ² , a thickness of 0.351 mm, a wet thickness of 1.178 mm and an apparent density of 0.104 g/cm ³ .

[Comparative Example 5]
A nonwoven fabric was produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 3, except that the raw material was 100% by mass of polyester fiber "T471 (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.)" having a fineness of 1.6 dtex and a fiber length of 51 mm, the water pressure in the first entanglement process in the nonwoven fabric manufacturing process was 1.5-2.0 MPa, the net support in the second entanglement process had an opening rate of 39.4% as shown below, and the water pressure of the high-pressure water flow was 2.0 MPa, 3.0 MPa, and 5.0 MPa. The net support used was OP10 (fiber diameter: warp 0.9 mm, weft 0.9 mm, number: warp 11/inch, weft 10/inch, opening rate 39.4%) manufactured by Nippon Filcon Co., Ltd.
The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single layer spunlace nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 32 g/m ² , a thickness of 0.391 mm, a wet thickness of 1.178 mm and an apparent density of 0.083 g/cm ³ .

[Comparative Example 6]
A semi-random card web was produced by uniformly blending 90% by mass of melt-spun cellulose fiber "Tencel (manufactured by Lenzing Co., Ltd.)" having a fineness of 1.7 dtex and a fiber length of 38 mm with 10% by mass of polypropylene/polyethylene split fiber "HS-260 (manufactured by Daiwa Boseki Co., Ltd.)" having a fineness of 2.2 dtex and a fiber length of 51 mm. Next, in the hydroentanglement treatment, a net support (fiber diameter: warp 0.132 mm, weft 0.132 mm, opening ratio 28.3%) was used, and for the hydroentanglement treatment with the net, two nozzles with orifices having a hole diameter of 0.12 mm were used at intervals of 0.6 mm along the width direction of the web, and the water pressure of the high-pressure water stream was set to 2.0 MPa and 4.0 MPa, and the back surface was set to 4.0 MPa. Hydroentanglement was then carried out in the same manner as in Example 1.
Thereafter, the nipping step was omitted, and a drying treatment was performed at 140° C. After the moisture content reached 5.0%, a heat treatment was performed using a steel/cotton flat heat roll processing machine with a surface temperature of 90° C. and a linear pressure of 400 N/cm. The obtained nonwoven fabric was a single-layer spunlace nonwoven fabric with a basis weight of 59 g/m ² , a thickness of 0.574 mm, and an apparent density of 0.103 g/cm ³ .

The various physical properties obtained for the resulting nonwoven fabric are shown in Table 1.

As shown in Table 1, in all of Examples 1 to 6, the thickness ratio (A) and the variation (B) indicating the surface flatness are within a predetermined range, so that not only can the continuous liquid release be greatly improved, but also the occurrence of coating unevenness is reduced, and uniform coating can be performed. Furthermore, the feel during coating does not change significantly with the progress of coating, and the need for strong pressure during coating can be suppressed as the release of the coating liquid progresses.
Furthermore, these examples exhibit a liquid retention rate sufficient for coating, and the difference in the volume change rate when compressed during the primary compression and the secondary compression is within a specified range, so that it is possible to prevent liquid from being released all at once, and to release an appropriate range of liquid over a long period of time, thereby enabling the coating area to be expanded.

Furthermore, in all of the Examples, even when the amount of liquid impregnated is small (150% by mass), the surface liquid retention rate is high, so the liquid can be applied evenly to the surface even after a predetermined amount of liquid has already been released. Also, in Examples 1 to 5, since they are formed from non-cellulosic fibers, the available chlorine retention rate is 80% or more.

On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the thickness ratio (A) and the variation (B) indicating the surface flatness are not within a specific range, so the continuous liquid release is low, and not only does the wetted area decrease quickly, but streaks occur, causing coating unevenness. As a result, a greater force is required to release the liquid at the end of the continuous coating operation.

Even in Comparative Examples 2 and 3, which contain polyester-based fibers as the main fibers, the thickness ratio (A) and/or the variation (B) indicating the surface flatness are not within a specific range, so the continuous liquid release is about half that of the Examples. Also, with regard to coating unevenness, streaky coating unevenness occurs halfway through the process. Furthermore, a greater force is required to release the liquid towards the end of the continuous coating operation.

In Comparative Example 4, which does not use a nipping process and is made of rayon fibers only, the surface flatness is poor and fine wiping streaks occur during coating. In addition, the rayon fibers themselves absorb liquid, so the surface liquid retention rate is low when the material is impregnated at 150% by mass, and a larger force is required to release the liquid at the end of a continuous coating operation.

In Comparative Example 5, the thickness ratio (A) and the variation (B) indicating the surface flatness are not within a specific range, so not only is the continuous liquid release low, but there is also coating unevenness. Furthermore, because the variation (B) is large, the liquid is easily released in the early stages, and a larger force is required to release the liquid at the end of the continuous coating operation.

In Comparative Example 6, which has a high basis weight and a large thickness, the coating feel can be improved by the large basis weight and thickness, but the variation (B), which indicates the surface flatness, does not exist in a specific range, so coating unevenness exists. Furthermore, because the variation (B) is large, the liquid is easily released in the early stages, and a larger force is required to release the liquid at the end of the continuous coating operation.

The liquid application kit and liquid application sheet of the present invention can apply various application liquids uniformly over a wide area to a surface to be applied, and can apply the application liquid to various surfaces to be applied depending on the type of application liquid. For example, the liquid application kit and liquid application sheet can be useful for applying disinfectants, coating agents, various paints, finishing agents (e.g., varnish, etc.), etc.

As described above, a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings, but various additions, modifications or deletions are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and such additions, modifications or deletions are also included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

A liquid application cloth made of a dry spunlace nonwoven fabric (hereinafter simply referred to as nonwoven fabric),
The thickness ratio (A) showing the thickness uniformity of the nonwoven fabric is 40% or more,
A liquid application cloth, wherein the nonwoven fabric has a surface flatness indicating variation (B) of less than 60% on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces.
Here, the thickness ratio (A) is a value expressed as a percentage of the ratio (a min /a max ) of the average value (a max ) of the 10 smallest measured values to the average value (a _min ) of the 10 largest measured values among the thicknesses a ₁ to a ₁₀₀ of the nonwoven fabric, which are measured at 100 measurement points provided at intervals of 100 μm in the plane direction of the nonwoven fabric in an image of a cross section of the nonwoven fabric cut in the thickness direction at an angle of 45 _° to the MD direction of the _{nonwoven fabric} ,
The variation (B) showing the flatness of the surface is calculated by calculating the average thickness of the nonwoven fabric as a _avg for the thickness measurement points a ₁ to a ₁₀₀ , and calculating the average values (u _max , b _max ) of the measurements selected from the largest 10 points and the average values (u _min , b _min ) of the measurements selected from the smallest 10 points for the sizes u ₁ to u ₁₀₀ in the upward direction from the center of the nonwoven fabric and the sizes b ₁ to b ₁₀₀ in the downward direction from the center of the nonwoven fabric.
B ₁ = (u _max -u _min ) / 0.5a _avg
B2 = ( _bmax - _bmin ) / _0.5aavg
where _B1 is a value of variation showing the flatness of the upper surface, and _B2 is a value of variation showing the flatness of the lower surface. When measuring the thickness of the nonwoven fabric, a straight line is drawn in the thickness direction of the nonwoven fabric at each measurement point, and among the fibers intersecting with this straight line, the outermost fibers are excluded from the measurement. A liquid application cloth as described in claim 1, in which the variation (B) indicating the surface flatness on both sides is less than 60%. A liquid application cloth as described in claim 1 or 2, in which the ratio (B)/(A) of the variation (B) of the flatter surface to the ratio (A) of the thickness of the nonwoven fabric is 1.0 or less. A liquid application cloth according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the nonwoven fabric contains 70% by mass or more of at least one type of fiber selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers and rayon fibers. 5. The liquid application cloth according to claim 1, wherein a difference between a volume retention rate during primary compression at a pressure of 14 g/ ^cm2 relative to a pressure of 12 g/ ^cm2 and a volume retention rate during secondary compression at a pressure of 16 g/ ^cm2 relative to a pressure of 12 g/ ^cm2 is 3.3 to 5.5%. A liquid application cloth according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the ratio of the surface liquid retention rate at secondary compression to the surface liquid retention rate at primary compression when the liquid application cloth is impregnated with 350% by mass of liquid is 1.00 to 1.40. A liquid application cloth according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the liquid application cloth has a surface liquid retention rate of 20 to 60% when impregnated with 150% by mass of liquid. 8. The cloth for applying a liquid according to claim 1, wherein the density of the nonwoven fabric is 0.05 to 0.20 g/ ^cm3 . 9. The cloth for applying a liquid according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven fabric has a basis weight of 10 to 100 g/ ^m2 . A liquid application cloth according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the mass ratio of binder fibers to main fibers (binder fibers/main fibers) is 0.55 or less. A liquid application kit comprising a coating liquid and a liquid application cloth described in any one of claims 1 to 10. A liquid application kit, in which the application liquid described in claim 11 is a disinfectant liquid. A liquid application sheet comprising a liquid application cloth as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 and a coating liquid, the liquid application cloth being impregnated with the coating liquid. A liquid application tool using the liquid application sheet described in claim 13.

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