ABSORBENT STRUCTURES WITH IMMOBILIZED ABSORBENT MATERIAL

• US 20090318884A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Autran, Jean-Phillippe Marie, Meyer, Axel, McKiernan, Robin Lynn
• Application Number:
  US12/477,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20090318884A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/366
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/42 Use of materials characterised by their function or physical properties liquid bandages A61L26/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/60 Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to improved absorbent structures containing water-absorbing material that is immobilized with a matrix material and by use of a coating or partial coating of an immobilization enhancing component on the water-absorbing polymeric particles. This also relates to the use of an immobilization enhancing component in an absorbent structure including an absorbent component that includes a water-absorbing material and a matrix material. The absorbent structure is suitable, for example, as absorbent core in an adult incontinence article, infant (baby, toddler) diapers, including training or pull-on pants, and feminine hygiene article, such as sanitary napkins.

Claims

1. An absorbent structure comprising:

a substrate material; and

an absorbent component, the absorbent component comprising;

a matrix material;

water-absorbing polymeric particles; and

an immobilization enhancing component applied to a surface of the water-absorbing polymeric particles to form a coating or partial coating thereon and to form an area of attachment for the matrix material, to aid immobilization of the water-absorbing polymeric particles by the matrix material in the absorbent structure.

2. The absorbent structure of claim 1, wherein the matrix material comprises:

a thermoplastic adhesive material, having a viscosity of from about 1600 to about 2500 mPa·

s at 175°

C., as determined by the method set out herein; and

a thermoplastic adhesive material, having a viscosity of from about 2300 to about 3700 mPa·

s, at 149°

C., as determined by the method set out herein

3. The absorbent structure of claim 1, wherein the immobilization enhancing component comprises a polymeric material having a polyolefin, polyester, polyether, polyamide, poly urea and polyurethane units;

and wherein the matrix material comprises a polymeric material having polyolefin, polyester, polyether, polyamide units, poly urea and polyurethane units; and

wherein the immobilization enhancing component is applied to the water-absorbing polymeric particles to form a coating or partial coating prior to addition of the matrix material to the coated or partially coated water-absorbing polymer material.

4. The absorbent structure of claim 3, wherein the immobilization enhancing component comprises a film-forming copolymeric or block copolymeric material;

wherein the matrix material comprises a thermoplastic adhesive component; and

wherein the immobilization enhancing component includes a first solubility parameter and the matrix component or thermoplastic adhesive component thereof, includes a second solubility parameter, and wherein the difference between the first solubility parameter and the second solubility parameter is from 0 to 1 (cal/cm3)½

.

5. The absorbent structure of claim 1, wherein the water-absorbing polymeric particles comprising a coating or partial coating of the immobilization enhancing component, have a mean particle size of from 200 microns to 800 microns, whereby no more than 10% by weight of the particles have a particle size of less than 150 microns.

6. The absorbent structure of claim 1, wherein the immobilization enhancing component is present at a level of 0.01% to 2%, or up to 1% by weight of the absorbent component, and wherein a weight ratio of the water-absorbing polymers to the matrix material is from about 35:

1 to about 100;

1.

7. The absorbent structure of claim 1, wherein the matrix material is a fibrous, adhesive material, comprising an ethylene vinyl acetate derivative, styrenic block copolymer derivative, and a polyolefin derivative;

and wherein the immobilisation enhancing component comprises polyurethane polymers.

8. The absorbent structure of claim 6, comprising less than about 5% by weight of absorbent cellulose material, and from about 1% to about 10% by weight of the matrix material.

9. An absorbent structure comprising:

a substrate material; and

an absorbent component comprising

(a) water-absorbing polymeric particles, the particles having a coating or partial coating of an immobilization enhancing component; and

(b) a matrix material, whereby the weight ratio of the component (a) to (b) is from 10;

1 to 100;

1 and the immobilization enhancing component is present at a weight level (by weight of the absorbent component) of from 0.01% to 1% by weight, and whereby the water-absorbing polymeric particles with the coating or partial coating have a mean particle size of from 200 to 800 microns and a particle size distribution such that less than 10% by weight of the particles has a particle size of below 150 microns.

10. The absorbent structure of claim 9, comprising less than about 5% by weight of absorbent cellulose material, and from about 1% to about 10% by weight of the matrix material.