Superabsorbent material and absorbent articles containing said material

• US 7,537,832 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Tamburro, Maurizio, Pesce, Antonella, Carlucci, Giovanni, Tordone, Adelia Alessandra
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiliman; Leszek
• Application Number:
  US11/021,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 428/317.8, 428/537.5, 428/304.4, 428/311.11, 428/402, 428/403, 442/153, 442/167, 442/168, 442/171, 604/366, 604/367
• US Class Current: 428/402
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/24 Macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Derivatives thereof A61L15/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/28 Polysaccharides or their derivatives A61L15/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/60 Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/08 Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylic acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 5/08 Chitin; Chondroitin sulfate; Hyaluronic acid; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249962 Void-containing component has a continuous matrix of fibers only [e.g., porous paper, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249984 Adhesive or bonding component contains voids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 Coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31993 Of paper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/277 Coated or impregnated cellulosic fiber fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2885 Coated or impregnated acrylic fiber fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2893 Coated or impregnated polyamide fiber fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2918 Polypropylene fiber fabric

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of absorbent articles for personal hygiene. Specifically, the present invention provides a superabsorbent material having improved absorbency of complex fluids, such as body fluids like menses. Preferred absorbent articles for personal hygiene in the context of the present invention are feminine care absorbent articles.

Claims

1. Superabsorbent material comprising multicomponent particles, said multicomponent particles being constituted of water-swellable, acidic superabsorbent resin particles having at least one microdomain on their surface,

wherein said at least one microdomain is constituted by at least one gel-forming polysaccharide and said at least one microdomain has an average diameter ranging from about 1 nm to about 200 μ

m.

2. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein said gel-forming polysaccharide is cationic.

3. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein said gel-forming polysaccharide is acidic, having a pH of from about 3 to about 6.

4. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein said gel-forming polysaccharide is an acidic chitosan salt, such as chitosonium pyrrolidone carboxylate, chitosonium lactate.

5. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein said gel-forming polysaccharide is cross-linked.

6. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein said particles of superabsorbent resin are made of a superabsorbent resin, such as partially neutralized polyacrylic acid, polylactic acid, poly(vinylphosphonic acid), poly(vinylphosphoric acid), poly(vinyl-sulfuric acid), carboxymethyl cellulose and starch-based absorbent materials.

7. The superabsorbent material of claim 6, wherein said acidic superabsorbent resin particles are made of a superabsorbent resin having a pH of from about 3.5 to about 6.

8. The superabsorbent material of claim 6, wherein said acidic superabsorbent resin particles are made from cross-linked superabsorbent resin.

9. The superabsorbent material of claim 6, wherein the weight ratio of said superabsorbent resin to said gel-forming polysaccharide ranges from about 90:

10 to about 10;

90.

10. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein said acidic superabsorbent resin particles are present as granules having an average diameter ranging from about 10 μ

m to about 2 mm.

11. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein said acidic superabsorbent resin particles are present as granules having an average diameter ranging from about 100 μ

m to about 1 mm.

12. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein said at least one microdomain has an average diameter ranging from about 20 nm to about 100 μ

m.

13. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein said at least one microdomain has an average diameter ranging from about 30 nm to about 1 μ

m.

14. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein said at least one microdomain has an average diameter ranging from about 40 nm to about 800 nm.

15. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein further microdomains are present in the interior of said multicomponent particles.

16. The superabsorbent material of claim 1, wherein the interior of said multicomponent particles is free of said microdomains.

17. Absorbent structure for use in absorbent articles for personal hygiene, comprising a carrier material and superabsorbent material,

wherein said superabsorbent material is the superabsorbent material of claim 1.

18. The absorbent structure of claim 17, wherein said carrier material is a fibrous material selected from hydrophilic fibres, hydrophobic fibres or combinations thereof.

19. The absorbent structure of claim 17, wherein said carrier material is an adhesive.

20. The absorbent structure of claim 17, wherein said carrier material is a hot-melt adhesive.