HIGHLY ABSORBENT COMPOSITE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME
First Claim
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1. A method of making a highly absorbent composite, comprising the steps of:
- dispersing hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril obtained from cellulose or a derivative thereof and water-swellable solid body in a dispersion medium comprising a mixture of water and a water miscible organic solvent and being capable of suppressing the swelling of said water-swellable solid body and of hydrating and dispersing said hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril to form a dispersion liquid;
separating said water-swellable solid body and said hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril from said dispersion medium; and
removing the liquid component to separate the solid component and then drying.
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Abstract
A composite structure mainly composed of hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril and a water swellable solid body, the fibers being obtained from cellulose or derivatives thereof, and at least part of the surface of the solid body is covered with the fine fibers. The absorbent composite can be formed in various form of, for example, particle, pellet, sheet and the like, especially of a sheet type with a supporting sheet of a non-woven fabric. The present invention further provides a method of making the composite structure.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of making a highly absorbent composite, comprising the steps of:
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dispersing hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril obtained from cellulose or a derivative thereof and water-swellable solid body in a dispersion medium comprising a mixture of water and a water miscible organic solvent and being capable of suppressing the swelling of said water-swellable solid body and of hydrating and dispersing said hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril to form a dispersion liquid; separating said water-swellable solid body and said hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril from said dispersion medium; and removing the liquid component to separate the solid component and then drying. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of making an absorbent sheet comprising the steps of:
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preparing a three component dispersion slurry by adding and dispersing a short-cut staple fiber component and absorbent polymer particles in a dispersion liquid where hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril are dispersed in a dispersion medium; forming a slurry layer by spreading said three component dispersion slurry on at least either surface of a supporting sheet; and removing said dispersion medium from said slurry layer and then drying. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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6. A method of making an absorbent sheet comprising the steps of:
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preparing a two component dispersion liquid by dispersing hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril and absorbent polymer particles in a dispersion medium; forming a first slurry layer by spreading said two component dispersion liquid n at least either surface of a supporting sheet; forming a second slurry layer covering said first slurry layer by feeding a dispersion liquid where a short-cut staple fiber component is dispersed in a dispersion medium from the top of said first slurry layer; and removing said dispersion medium from said first and second slurry layers, and then drying.
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7. A method of making an absorbent sheet comprising a supporting sheet, a first layer comprising two components of hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril and a short-cut staple fiber component, and a second layer comprising three components of absorbent polymer particles, a hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril and a short-cut staple fiber component, said first and second layers being laid on at least one surface of said supporting sheet in desired pattern, comprising the steps of:
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forming a slurry layer by spreading said slurry where hydratable fine fibers in the form of microfibril and short-cut staple fiber component are dispersed in a dispersion medium so that said absorbent polymer particles are covered; and removing said dispersion medium from said slurry layer containing absorbent polymer particles and then drying.
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9. A method of making an absorbent sheet having a liquid pervious supporting sheet and an absorbent layer forming a plurality of highly absorbing areas having a higher absorbing capacity than the remaining areas distributed in a predetermined pattern, comprising the steps of:
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preparing a dispersion liquid in the form of slurry containing absorbent polymer particles; coating the surface of said liquid pervious supporting sheet with said dispersion liquid prepared in said suspending step so that a plurality of high absorption areas having higher absorbing capacity than the remaining areas and distributed in a desired pattern are formed; and drying the absorption layer formed in said coating step. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of making an absorbent sheet comprising the steps of:
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feeding continuously a slurry containing absorbent polymer particles onto a liquid pervious sheet material having a number of dents with openings formed in the bottom thereof, whereby filling up said dents with said slurry and leaving only the solid component in said dents by allowing the solvent in said slurry to pass the sheet material through said openings; and removing and drying said sheet material and said solid component.
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14. A method of making an absorbent sheet comprising the steps of:
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preparing a dispersion liquid in the form of slurry by dispersing absorbent polymer particles into a dispersion medium consisting of a water soluble polyvalent alcohol whose dependence on temperature is high or a mixture of said alcohol with water; storing said dispersion liquid while keeping a low temperature to maintaining the viscosity of the dispersion liquid high; forming said dispersion liquid into a sheet; removing said dispersion medium from said sheet; and drying said sheet to form a highly absorbent body; wherein in said storage step said low temperature condition is kept to maintain the low viscosity, and the viscosity of said dispersion liquid slurry is lowered by heating said dispersion liquid in succession in the process from the transfer of said dispersion liquid lading to said forming step up to said removing step, whereby the dispersion of said dispersion liquid in the form of slurry is stabilized and the forming and removal of solvent are carried out with ease. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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- 26. An apparatus of making an absorbent sheet comprising a plurality of nozzles for applying a dispersion liquid slurry containing absorbent polymer particles in a band pattern on one surface of a liquid pervious supporting sheet running continuously, and means having a mechanism for pulsating the flow of said dispersion liquid in the form of slurry for feeding said dispersion liquid to said nozzles.
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27. An apparatus of making an absorbent sheet, comprising a plurality of nozzles having a plurality of discharge outlets for applying a dispersion liquid in the form of slurry containing absorbent polymer particles in a band pattern on one surface of a liquid pervious supporting sheets running continuously, and means for feeding said dispersion liquid to said nozzles.
Specification