Baby diapers

Disposable polypropylene nonwoven fabrics are widely used as the coverstock for disposable baby diapers. The expansion of the disposable diaper market throughout the world has been the primary source of growth in the consumption of polypropylene in the fiber market. In addition, nonwoven polypropylene fabrics are used in a variety of other disposable sanitary products, such as baby wipes, adult incontinence, and feminine hygiene products. Use of polypropylene nonwovens in disposable medical apparel, such as surgical gowns, has increased as a means of reducing the spread of infection. 

Table 9.10 shows the distribution of U.S. household incomes, which limits what each household can afford to buy. Let us consider baby diapers. A mother has a number of options to consider cloth diapers delivered to the home and retrieved after use, cloth diapers that are home laundered, disposable paper diapers for the garbage can after use, and the rural poor may let the babies run around with bare bottoms. The poor families buy less goods, and need to concentrate purchases on housing and basic food, such as bread and potatoes. The expenditure of 456 for disposal diapers in a budget of 75,000 is 0.6%, which is not a serious problem but for families with less than 10,000 income per year, this sum becomes 4.5%, which represents a much bigger burden, and less expensive and affordable options would be chosen. 

Super absorbent polymers. These cross-linked acrylic polymers are used in baby diapers. Copolymer versions are used in agriculture and other specialty absorbent applications. 

The versatility of cotton has made it into one of the most valuable and most widely used of all textile fibers. Wherever a fabric is needed that is strong, hardwearing, and versatile, cotton can be used. There are literally thousands of actual uses (about 100 major uses) for cotton in textile items, ranging from baby diapers to the most fashionable dresses, coats, and jackets [617]. These uses can be classified into three main categories apparel, home furnishings, and industrial. 

Do you remember what happened when you added water to the green unknown— talc The water drops beaded up and a film formed. The water wouldn t mix well with the talc. That s why parents like to use nice, soft, scented talcum powder under babies diapers. Talc protects the babies skin and helps keep them dry. 

Personal care and hygiene Baby diapers, feminine hygiene products, adult incontinence items, dry and wet pads, nursing pads, nasal strips, etc. 

Many other high volume consumer products make use of one or more core layers with absorbent properties. Among the most quickly and highly developed applications are baby diapers, which use super absorbent fibers. Super absorbent polymer (SAP) molecules can trap and hold hundreds to thousands of times their own weight in fluid, ultimately forming a gel. The super absorbent core layer in a diaper is between a non-woven cover stock, a one or two layer non-woven fluff/pulp sheet that takes up, distributes, and draws liquid into the core, and a microporous back sheet. In addition, elastomeric materials and waterproof elements are incorporated. The super absorbent core not only stores liquid but actively pulls moisture out of the damp or even wet fluff/ pulp, thus leaving the contact areas soft and dry. 

Dow Affinity POPs. Food packaging applications, fresh-cut produce, milk, fresh and processed meat, and bulk cheeses, as well as health and hygiene films, such as baby diapers. 

Some of the main uses of PP in nonwovens include baby diapers, hygiene fabrics, wet wipes, and adult incontinence fabrics which require a soft hand. Automotive fabrics, geotextiles, disposable hospital clothing, and industrial wipes are also important PP applications. 

This is a visually amazing demonstration in which water is poured into an opaque disposable cup, and, when the cup is turned upside down, the water vanishes. What the students do not know is that inside the cup there is sodium polyacrylate powder, the same powder that is used in disposable baby diapers. Sodium polyacrylate is a water-loving (what chemists refer to as hygroscopic) polymer that absorbs water, and as a result, turns into a gel, which does not pour out when the cup is turned upside down. 

In 2003, global demand for superabsorbents was 1.05 million tones and was found to increase at an average of 3.6% per annum. Out of the total demand, baby diapers account for about 81%, feminine hygiene products about 5%, adult incontinence about 8%, and other 6%. Other applications of superabsorbents are in removal of toxic heavy metal ions from industrial effluents, as drying agents, and removal of colloidal particles from potable water [106]. 

Polymers are long chain molecules that have become an indispensable part of the modem day living. They form the basis for materials of choice that are customized for a wide range of applications from baby diapers to medical devices, to computer boards. A variety of techniques are used in the synthesis, modification and processing of polymeric materials for a given end-use application. 

Bullwhip effect was first observed by Procter and Gamble (P G) in the sale of baby diapers (Lee et al., 1997). Even though diaper sales at the retailers were stable over time, wholesale orders to factories surged up and down, swinging widely over time. Thus, there was very little imcertainty in the end-customer demand, but a very high uncertainty in the orders to factories and suppliers. Similar phenomenon was also observed by HP, apparel manufacturers, and the grocery industry. 

Poly(acrylic acid) in superabsorbent disposable baby diapers is a commonly encountered cation exchanger that you can demonstrate in your classroom. ... 

The porous superabsoibent polymers synthesized from cassava starch exhibited very fast water absorption properties and spongy texture (Figure 4.6). The water absorption capacity was found to be about 200 g/g and maximum absorbency was reached in 8-9 min. The fast swelling of SPHs in aqueous solution is due to the absorption of water by capillary forces through intercoimected pores. The fast-swelling property is a desirable characteristic in the development of personal-care products such as baby diapers, feminine hygiene products, athletic garments, and so forth. 

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