Absorbent article having increased absorption and retention capacity for proteinaceous or serous body fluids

• US 20080091159A1
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Gagliardini, Alessandro, Carlucci, Giovanni
• Granted Patent: US 8,581,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/370
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15 Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body non-absorbent catamenial receptacles A61F5/44; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15016 for breast; pads for bras
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/60 Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/02 Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof

Abstract

Absorbent articles for the absorption of proteinaceous or serous body fluids, particularly menses. The absorbent article has a better handling towards such fluids, both in terms of retention capacity and absorption rate, by comprising a selected polyacrylate based material.

Claims

1. An absorbent article for absorption of proteinaceous or serous body fluids, comprising a polyacrylate based material having an extractable fraction of at least about 30% by weight, evaluated according to the Extractables test method described herein.

2. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said extractable fraction has an average molecular weight of at least about 30,000 Dalton.

3. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said polyacrylate based material has an extractable fraction between about 30% and about 80% by weight.

4. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said polyacrylate based material has an extractable fraction between about 32% and about 70% by weight.

5. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said polyacrylate based material is a particulate material with an average particle size between about 10μ

and about 1,000μ

.

6. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said polyacrylate based material comprises an amount of crosslinking agent of less than about 0.03 mole %.

7. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said polyacrylate based material has a degree of neutralization between about 70% and about 80%.

8. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said polyacrylate based material has a degree of neutralization of at least about 75%.

9. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said polyacrylate based material has a degree of neutralization below about 70%.

10. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said polyacrylate based material is a sodium polyacrylate.

11. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said article comprises a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core, said polyacrylate based material being comprised in said absorbent core.

12. An absorbent article according to claim 11, wherein said absorbent core comprises from about 1% to about 90% by weight of said polyacrylate based material.

13. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said polyacrylate based polymer is at least partially neutralized, and is obtainable with a process comprising a neutralization step performed directly on the acid monomers, before the actual polymerization step.

14. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said polyacrylate based material has an absorption rate of at least about 24 g/g after 30 min, said absorption rate evaluated according to the Centrifuge Retention Capacity test described herein.

15. An absorbent article for absorption of proteinaceous or serous body fluids, comprising a polyacrylate based material having a retention capacity of at least about 30 g/g, said retention capacity evaluated according to the Centrifuge Retention Capacity test described herein.

16. An absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said polyacrylate based material has a retention capacity of at least about 35 g/g, said retention capacity evaluated according to the Centrifuge Retention Capacity test described herein.

17. An absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said polyacrylate based material has a retention capacity of at least about 40 g/g, said retention capacity evaluated according to the Centrifuge Retention Capacity test described herein.