BIODEGRADABLE SANITARY ARTICLES WITH HIGHER BIOBASED CONTENT

• US 20180153746A1
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Published: 06/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novomer, Inc (Danimer Scientific, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Novomer, Inc (Danimer Scientific, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sookraj, Sadesh H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,500,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15252 compostable or biodegradable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/472 specially adapted for female use A61F13/474, A61F13/475, A61F13/476 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51 characterised by the outer layers wicking or transfer layers A61F13/537
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51401 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/515 characterised by the interconnection of the topsheet and the backsheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51028 being bicomponent
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51035 being biodegradable, e.g. Rayon, polylactate, dioxanone
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/425 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/60 Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/62 Compostable, hydrosoluble or hydrodegradable materials

Abstract

The present invention is directed to sanitary articles such as disposable diapers, adult incontinent pads, feminine hygiene products, and sanitary napkins comprised of biodegradable polymers with higher biobased content. The sanitary articles include a topsheet, an absorbent core, and a backsheet. The topsheet is comprised of biodegradable polyester polyol polymer foam which may be configured to wick liquid away from a wearer'"'"'s body and may be impregnated with superabsorbent polymer. The absorbent core may be comprised of superabsorbent polymer including a cross-linked and/or partially neutralized polyacrylic acid polymer, cross-linked polyacrylic acids or cross-linked starch-acrylic acid graft polymers. The backsheet may be comprised of poly-lactone polymers having generally hydrophobic characteristics. In preferred embodiments, the polymeric materials comprising the topsheet, absorbent core, and backsheet are formed from raw materials with high biobased content.

Claims

1. A biodegradable sanitary article comprising:

a) a topsheet comprising a biodegradable polyester polymer with a heterogeneous dispersion of a superabsorbent polymer retained therein;

b) an absorbent core comprising a biodegradable superabsorbent polymer having an inner side positioned adjacent to and fixed with respect to said topsheet; and

,

c) a backsheet comprising a biodegradable poly-lactone polymer positioned adjacent to an outer side of said absorbent core and fixed with respect to said adsorbent core.

2. The sanitary article of claim 1 wherein the superabsorbent polymer is dispersed in the top sheet as discrete particles.

3. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 1, wherein said topsheet has an absorbent face positioned adjacent to the said adsorbent core and a corporeal face on an outward face of the sanitary article and the concentration of superabsorbent polymer near the corporeal face that is greater than the concentration of superabsorbent polymer near the absorbent face.

4. The sanitary article of claim 3 wherein the discrete particles have an average diameter of greater than 20 micrometers and less than the average thickness of the top layer.

5. The sanitary article of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a foam

6. The sanitary article of any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the polyester polyol polymer has pores impregnated with the superabsorbent polymer.

7. The sanitary article of claim 6 where 90% of the pores have a mean diameter of at least 20 micrometers and no more than 180 micrometers.

8. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 6, wherein said topsheet comprises at least a first pore region adjacent and near said corporeal face and a second pore region adjacent and near said absorbent core face.

9. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 8, wherein said first pore region has smaller pore sizes than said second region.

10. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 9, wherein said second pore region include pores has a higher concentration of super absorbent polymer than said first pore region.

11. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 1, wherein said backsheet comprises biodegradable poly-lactone polymers having a hydrophobic characteristic.

12. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 1, wherein the biodegradable sanitary article includes one or more elastic members formed from one or more of a biodegradable polyester polyol polymers, a biodegradable polyacrylic acid derivatives, and a biodegradable poly-lactone polymer.

13. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 1, wherein the biodegradable sanitary article includes one or more adhesive fasteners formed from one or more of a biodegradable polyester polyol polymers, a biodegradable polyacrylic acid derivatives, and a biodegradable poly-lactone polymer.

14. The sanitary article of claim 1 biodegradable polyester polyol polymer of the topsheet includes one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of carbonyl, carbonate, acetal, ether, nitrile, urethane, urea, imide, anhydride, phosphate, cyanocrylate functional groups and combination thereof.

15. The sanitary article of claim 6 wherein the polyol polymer of the topsheet includes cross-links between polymer main chains allowing for the formation of pores in a three-dimensional structure.

16. The sanitary article of any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the biodegradable poly-lactone polymer of the backsheet comprises poly-lactone, polybutylene succinate, polybutylene succinate derivatives and combination thereof.

17. The sanitary article of any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the absorbent core is formed from a polymer containing β

-propiolactone monomers.

18. A biodegradable sanitary article comprising:

a) a topsheet comprising a biodegradable polyester polyol polymer lattice having pores impregnated with a heterogenous dispersion of a biodegradable superabsorbent polymer;

b) an absorbent core comprising a biodegradable superabsorbent polymer having an inner side positioned adjacent to and fixed with respect to said topsheet; and

,

c) a backsheet comprising a biodegradable poly-lactone polymer positioned adjacent to an outer side of said absorbent core and fixed with respect to said adsorbent.

19. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 18, wherein said topsheet comprises an absorbent core face positioned adjacent to the said adsorbent core and a corporeal face.

20. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 19, wherein said topsheet comprises at least a first pore region adjacent and proximate said corporeal face and a second pore region adjacent and proximate said absorbent core face.

21. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 20, wherein said first pore region has smaller pore sizes than said second region.

22. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 21, wherein said second pore region include pores has a higher concentration of super absorbent polymer than said first pore region.

23. The biodegradable sanitary article from claim 18, wherein said backsheet comprises biodegradable poly-lactone polymers having or modified to have a hydrophobic characteristic.