Highly wettable—highly flexible fluff fibers and disposable absorbent products made of those

• US 7,479,578 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Allison, Elizabeth Ann, Berceau, Mary Alice, Runge, Troy Michael, Garnier, Gil Bernard Didier
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva; T.
• Application Number:
  US10/741,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20050137547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 604/367, 604/374, 604/368, 604/359, 604/360, 604/361, 604369-373, 604375-377, 604/365, 428446-449
• US Class Current: 604/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15203 Properties of the article, e.g. stiffness or absorbency chemical aspects A61L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53 characterised by the absorbing medium A61F13/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 9/007 by mechanical or physical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

An absorbent core comprising fluff pulp fiber treated with polysiloxane, wherein the absorbent core has a density of about 0.15 g/cm³ or greater and a Young'"'"'s modulus of about 75 psi or less. The polysiloxane may comprise an amino-functional moiety, The absorbent core may comprise superabsorbent, and may be employed in a disposable absorbent product.

Claims

1. An absorbent core comprising fluff pulp fiber treated with polysiloxane, wherein the absorbent core has a density of about 0.15 g/cm³ or greater and a Young'"'"'s modulus of about 75 psi or less, and wherein the polysiloxane has a general structure of:

2. The absorbent core of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core has a first insult rate of about 1 mL/s or greater.

3. The absorbent core of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core has a basis weight of about 150 g/m² or greater.

4. The absorbent core of claim 1, wherein the polysiloxane comprises an amino-functional moiety.

5. The absorbent core of claim 1, wherein the amino-functional moiety is selected from the group of primary amine, secondary amine, tertiary amine, quaternary amine, unsubstituted amide, and mixtures thereof.

6. The absorbent core of claim 1, wherein the fluff pulp fibers are treated with the polysiloxane before the absorbent core is formed.

7. The absorbent core of claim 1, further comprising superabsorbent material.

8. The absorbent core of claim 2, further comprising superabsorbent material.

9. A disposable absorbent product containing the absorbent core of claim 1 or claim 7.

10. A disposable absorbent product containing the absorbent core of claim 2 or claim 8.

11. An absorbent core comprising

a) fluff pulp fiber treated with polysiloxane;

and,

b) superabsorbent material;

wherein the absorbent core has a superabsorbent content of about 25% or greater, a density of about 0.25 g/³ or greater, and a Young'"'"'s modulus of about 500 psi or less, and wherein the polysiloxane has a general structure of;

12. The absorbent core of claim 11, wherein the absorbent core has a first insult rate of about 0.7 mL/s or greater and a second insult rate of about 2 mL/s or greater.

13. The absorbent core of claim 11, wherein the absorbent core has a basis weight of about 50 g/m² or greater.

14. The absorbent core of claim 11, wherein the polysiloxane comprises an amino-functional moiety.

15. The absorbent core of claim 11, wherein the amino-functional moiety is selected from the group of primary amine, secondary amine, tertiary amine, quaternary amine, unsubstituted amide, and mixtures thereof.

16. The absorbent core of claim 11, wherein the fluff pulp fibers are treated with the polysiloxane before the absorbent core is formed.

17. A disposable absorbent product containing the absorbent core of claim 11.

18. A disposable absorbent product containing the absorbent core of claim 12.

19. An absorbent core comprising

a) fluff pulp fiber treated with polysiloxane;

and,

b) superabsorbent material;

wherein the absorbent core has a superabsorbent content of about 25% or greater, has a density of about 0.25 g/cm³ or greater, and a Young'"'"'s modulus of about 500 psi or less and wherein the polysiloxane has a general structure of;

20. The absorbent core of claim 19, wherein the absorbent core has a first insult rate of about 0.7 mL/s or greater and a second insult rate of about 2 mL/s or greater.

21. The absorbent core of claim 19, wherein the absorbent core has a basis weight of about 50 g/m² or greater.

22. The absorbent core of claim 19, wherein the polysiloxane comprises an amino-functional moiety.

23. The absorbent core of claim 19, wherein the amino-functional moiety is selected from the group of primary amine, secondary amine, tertiary amine, quaternary amine, unsubstituted amide, and mixtures thereof.

24. The absorbent core of claim 19, wherein the fluff pulp fibers are treated with the polysiloxane before the absorbent core is formed.

25. A disposable absorbent product containing the absorbent core of claim 19.

26. A disposable absorbent product containing the absorbent core of claim 20.