The present invention is directed to a method of forming nonwoven webs comprising coated fibers. The method of forming the nonwoven web generally comprises the steps of forming fibers from a melt
fibrillation process, forming at least one fluid
stream containing a
coating substance, applying the
coating substance onto the surface of the
fiber, and depositing the coated fibers on a surface to form a web. Typically, the fibers are coated in flight. Preferably, the melt
fibrillation process to form the fibers is a melt film
fibrillation process. A melt film fibrillation process generally includes the steps of providing a polymeric melt, utilizing a central fluid
stream to form an elongated hollow polymeric film tube, and using air to form multiple nanofibers from the hollow tube. The nonwoven web may comprise a layer having a significant number of nanofibers with diameters less than one micron. The layer may comprise two or more pluralities of
fiber diameter distributions wherein at least one plurality has an average
fiber diameter of less than about one micron. The
coating substance can be selected from the group consisting of lotions, powders, surfactants, softeners, nanoparticles, creams, gels, conducting fluids, hydrophilic agents, hydrophobic agents,
hygroscopic agents, emollients, plasticizers, absorbent gelling material,
antimicrobial agents, and combinations thereof. A preferred coating substance is a surfactant. Another preferred coating substance is a hydrophilic or hydrophobic substance. The present invention is also directed to a nonwoven web comprising a layer having a significant number of nanofibers with diameters less than one micron and a coating substance is applied to a surface of said nanofibers