Absorbent materials having modified surface characteristics and methods for making the same

• US 5,851,672 A
• Filed: 01/06/1997
• Issued: 12/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Wang, Lin, Rezai, Ebrahim, Hayashi, Yumiko
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, HELEN LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/779,172
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 428/402, 428/403, 428/407, 428/408, 428/913, 604/367, 604/368, 604/375, 604/378
• US Class Current: 428/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15284 characterized by quantifiable properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530481 having superabsorbent materials, i.e. highly absorbent polymer gel materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530788 characterized by the gel layer permeability
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2300/14 Water soluble or water swellable polymers, e.g. aqueous gels
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2423/06 Polyethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/12 Powdering or granulating
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/126 Polymer particles coated by polymer, e.g. core shell structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 Coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2998 including synthetic resin or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

An absorbent material that comprises a water-insoluble, water-swellable absorbent polymer. The absorbent material comprises a reactive polyether chemically bonded to the absorbent polymer whereby the contact angle of blood on a surface of the absorbent material attains from about 0 degree to about 40 degree. Because of the improved wettability with liquids, the absorbent material can provide higher absorbent characteristics with liquids, in particular with blood.

Claims

1. An absorbent material having modified surface characteristics, comprising:

a water-insoluble, water-swellable polymer; and

a reactive hydrophilic compound chemically bonded to said water-insoluble, water-swellable polymer;

wherein the contact angle of blood on a surface of said absorbent material is from about 0 degree to about 40 degree.

2. The absorbent material according to claim 1 wherein said reactive hydrophilic compound is selected from the group consisting of a positive-charge supplying compound, and a non-ionic reactive hydrophilic compound having at least one functional group.

3. The absorbent material according to claim 2 wherein said positive-charge supplying compound is a polycation having a plurality of positive-charged groups.

4. The absorbent material according to claim 2 wherein said non-ionic reactive hydrophilic compound is a reactive polyether having at least one functional group.

5. The absorbent material according to claim 4 wherein said reactive polyether comprises a backbone and a reactive terminal functional group bonded to said backbone, said backbone is selected from the group consisting of a polyethylene glycol, a polypropylene glycol, and a poly(oxyethylene-oxypropylene) copolymer, and said reactive terminal functional group is selected from the group consisting of an epoxy group, an amino group, and a halogen group.

6. The absorbent material according to claim 5 wherein the absorbent material absorbs at least one of body exudates.

11. The absorbent material according to claim 3 or 9 wherein said polycation is selected from the group consisting of (1) polymers having primary amine groups;

(2) polymers having secondary amine groups;

(3) polymers having tertiary amine groups; and

(4) polymers having quaternary amine groups.

12. The absorbent material according to claim 1 or 7 wherein said water-insoluble, water-swellable polymer is a crosslinked polyelectrolyte.

13. The absorbent material according to claim 12 wherein said crosslinked polyelectrolyte is selected from the group consisting of a crosslinked polyacrylate sodium, a crosslinked polymethacrylate sodium, a crosslinked polyacrylate potassium, a crosslinked polymethacrylate potassium, a crosslinked starch grafted polyacrylate, a crosslinked starch grafted polymethacrylate, a crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol grafted polyacrylate, a crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol grafted polymethacrylate, a crosslinked carboxy methyl cellulose, a crosslinked cellulose grafted polyacrylate, and a crosslinked cellulose grafted methacrylate.

7. An absorbent material having modified surface characteristics, comprising:

a water-insoluble, water-swellable polymer;

a positive-charge supplying compound bonded to said water-insoluble, water-swellable polymer; and

a non-ionic hydrophilic compound bonded to said water-insoluble, water-swellable polymer,

wherein the contact angle of blood on a surface of said absorbent material is from about 0 to about 40 degree.

8. The absorbent material according to claim 7 wherein the absorbent material absorbs at least one of body exudates.

9. The absorbent material according to claim 7 wherein said positive-charge supplying compound is a polycation having a plurality of positive-charged groups.

10. The absorbent material according to claim 7 wherein said non-ionic hydrophilic compound is a non-reactive polyether.