Fiber healthcare products

Fiber engineering for advanced medical and healthcare products... 

The main applications for PVA are in textile sizing, adhesives, polsrmerization stabilizers, and paper coating, poly(vinyl butyral), and PVA fibers. In terms of percentage, and omitting the production of PVA not isolated prior to the conversion into poly(vinyl butyral), the principal apphcations are textile sizes, at 30% adhesives, including use as a protective colloid, at 25% fibers, at 15% paper sizes, at 15%, poly(vinyl butyral), at 10% and others, at 5%, which includes water-soluble films, nonwoven fabric binders, thickeners, slow release binders for fertihzer, photoprinting plates, sponges for cosmetic, and healthcare applications. 

Superabsorbent fibers are widely used in healthcare and hygiene products. These fibers can absorb up to 50 times their mass in water, whereas conventional wood-pulp and cotton Unter absorbents absorb approximately six times their mass in water. These superabsorbent fibers are also advantageous compared to superabsorbent powders in that, due to their small diameter (=30 pm) and high surface areas, they typically absorb 95% of the ultimate capacity within 15 s. 

The high absorption capacities of SAPs are particularly suited to absorbent products in personal healthcare and hygiene. These products all contain an absorbent core, which may be made up of natural or synthetic fibers, SAPs, or a mixture of fluff and SAPs. A top layer is used to carry fluid into the absorbent core while maintaining dryness against the skin. This so-called topsheet, which is made of synthetic or natural fibers, and a backsheet, which is usually a polyethylene film or a fllm/nonwoven composite, are combined with the absorbent core to form a final product that may be used in a number of healthcare and hygienic applications. 

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