Absorbent articles

Schulte, T.E., VanRijswijck, L.G.S., and Roe, D.C., Absorbent Articles having Cuffs with Skin Care Composition Disposed Thereon, U.S. Patent 6,166,285, December 26, 2000. 

Personal hygiene is also important in minimizing exposure levels to harmful chemicals. Contaminated clothing should be immediately removed and laundered or disposed of. Absorbent articles of clothing such as belts and shoes are particularly troublesome. Provisions should be made for storage, laundering, and disposal of contaminated clothing. 

Tsubakimoto, T. Shimomura, T. Irie, Y. Absorbent Articles from Powdered Resins. U.S. Patent 4,666,983, May 19, 1987. 

Hortman, M. T. and R. G. Naum. 1981. Method for increasing boron-10 contents of neutron absorbing articles. U.S. Patent 4293598. 

Noda (1999) Films and absorbent articles comprising a biodegradable polyhydroxyatkanoate comprising 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyhexanoate comonomer units. US Patent 5,990,271 Noda I (2005) Plastic articles digestible by hot alkaline treatment. US Patent 6,872,802 B2 Noda I, Schechtman LA (1999) Solvent extraction of polyhydroxyalkanoates from biomass. US Patent 5,942,597... 

Disposable absorbent articles generally contain absorbent fibrous webs, such as airlaid or bonded carded webs. Such webs are often stabilized with binder fibers during web formation. 

Several binder fibers have been developed that are biodegradable to enhance the disposability of the absorbent article. Most often, biodegradable polymers are formed from aliphatic polyester materials. A multicomponent fiber that contains a high melting aliphatic polyester and a low-melting aliphatic polyester has been developed (25). 

Superabsorbent materials are frequently used in disposable absorbent articles to help improve the absorbent properties of such articles. Superabsorbent materials are generally polymer-based and are available in many forms, such as powders, granules, microparticles, films and fibers. Upon contact with fluids, superabsorbent materials swell by absorbing fluid into their structure. The superabsorbent materials quickly absorb fluids insulted into the articles and retain such fluids to prevent leakage and provide a dry feel even after fluid insult (3). 

I. Noda, Fibers, nonwoven fabrics and absorbent articles comprising a biodegradable polyhydroxyaUcanoate comprising 3-hydroxyalkanoate and 3-hydroxyhexanoate, US614394711-Jan-2000 (2000)... 

Absorbency has both physical and chemical aspects. The unique character of water determines the properties of materials most able to accept, transport, and ultimately retain aqueous solutions. The absorbent process begins at the interface between the incoming fluid and the absorbent structure. With disposable absorbent articles, the coverstock has the responsibility of receiving and transmitting the fluid insult to the underlying absorbent core. The state-of-the-art core is air-laid cellulose fiber mixed with absorbent polymer. The capillary system of the fibrous batt has appreciable physical absorption capacity in addition to the ability to transport fluid to the absorbent polymer. Many water soluble polymers have been made into absorbent compositions, but the industry standard has become lightly crosslinked partially neutralized poly(acrylic acid). 

The first disposable absorbent article of commercial significance was the sanitary napkin introduced after the First World War. This product followed the development of the creping process whereby wet-laid paper (cellulose tissue) could be made soft yet strong. In the 1930s, Tampax Corporation introduced the internal catamenial absorption device, considered to be the ultimate in discreetness. The original Tampax brand tampon was oriented long staple cotton fiber overwrapped with a nonwoven rayon coversheet. The absorbent medium used In most modern tampons is wood fiber (cellulose fluff). Fluff is also the principal absorbent material used in disposable diapers and Incontinence devices. 

Interest in superabsorbent polymers dates back to the 1960 s. Interest in synthetic absorbent polymers was increasing,and swellable polymers of most known water soluble monomers were prepared. Crosslinked poly(acrylamide), poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone), polyacrylates, poly(vinylalcohol) and poly(ethylene oxide) were evaluated as absorbents, as were the myriad copolymers and terpolymers possibly derived from combinations of the water soluble monomers under an enormous number of conditions. A variety of applications for them were also reported, including a claim for the use of swellable polymers as part of an absorbent article such as a diaper [1]. 

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