Article with tackifier-free adhesive

• US 9,241,843 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Bunnelle, William L., Turner, Robert Haines
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, HUI H
• Application Number:
  US14/302,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20140296811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 524/505
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15699 Forming webs by bringing together several webs, e.g. by laminating or folding several webs, with or without additional treatment of the webs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49019 the elastic means being placed longitudinally, transversely or diagonally over the article
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49058 characterised by the modular concept of constructing the diaper
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4906 the diaper having an outer chassis forming the diaper and an independent absorbent structure attached to the chassis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/515 characterised by the interconnection of the topsheet and the backsheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/565 pants type diaper
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49093 having multiple barriers
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/585 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/03 containing three or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2207/02 Heterophasic composition
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/10 Homopolymers or copolymers of propene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/12 Polypropene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/14 Copolymers of propene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/142 at least partially crystalline copolymers of propene with other olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/16 Elastomeric ethene-propene or ethene-propene-diene copolymers, e.g. EPR and EPDM rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/18 Homopolymers or copolymers of hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/20 having four to nine carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 123/14 : Copolymers of propene C09J123/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 123/142 : at least partially crystalline copolymers of propene with other olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 123/18 : Homopolymers or copolymers of hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 123/20 : having four to nine carbon atoms

Abstract

Disposable absorbent articles assembled from a collection of components using an adhesive comprising an amorphous polyolefin composition and a heterophase polyolefin composition comprising amorphous character and crystalline blocks.

Claims

1. A disposable absorbent article having a longitudinal centerline and a lateral centerline, a front waist region with a front waist edge, a rear waist region with a rear waist edge, a crotch region disposed between said front and rear waist regions and two spaced apart longitudinal side edges joining said front waist edge to said rear waist edge and comprising an assembly of components including:

a) a topsheet;

b) a backsheet underlying said topsheet;

c) an absorbent core disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet, wherein said absorbent core comprises at least one of a core cover, a dusting layer, an acquisition layer, a distribution layer and a storage member;

d) at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of;

i) a fastening system for joining said front waist region to said rear waist region when said absorbent article is worn;

ii) barrier cuffs lying adjacent and inboard one of said longitudinal side edges;

iii) gasketing cuffs lying between said longitudinal side edge and said barrier cuff;

iv) front ears disposed in said front waist region;

v) back ears disposed in said rear waist region; and

vi) a receiving member; and

e) a hot melt adhesive composition suitable for joining at least two absorbent article components together, wherein said adhesive consists essentially of;

(i) about 90 to 10 wt.% of an amorphous polyolefin copolymer composition comprising 50 to 70 wt.% 1-butene;

(ii) about 10 to 90 wt.% of a heterophase polypropylene copolymer composition comprising propene and a comonomer comprising ethylene, 1-hexene or 1-octene and comprising amorphous character and crystalline blocks; and

(iii) about 0.1 to 30 wt.% of a polyisobutylene plasticizer made with an A1C1_3.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said hot melt adhesive joins said topsheet to an underlying nonwoven layer.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said hot melt adhesive joins an elastic material to a nonwoven material to form said barrier cuffs.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said hot melt adhesive joins an elastic material to said backsheet.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said hot melt adhesive joins the acquisition layer to the core cover.

6. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said hot melt adhesive joins the distribution layer to the core cover.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said hot melt adhesive joins the topsheet to the backsheet adjacent a longitudinal edge of said absorbent article.

8. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said hot melt adhesive joins the receiving member to the backsheet.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said hot melt adhesive joins the core cover to the dusting layer.

10. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said hot melt adhesive joins the core cover to the backsheet.

11. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said hot melt adhesive joins the dusting layer to the backsheet.

12. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the heterophase polypropylene copolymer comprises at least about 5 wt.% crystalline sequences or block.

13. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the heterophase polypropylene copolymer comprises greater than 40 wt.% of propene and less than 60 wt.% of the comonomer and has a crystallinity of greater than 10%.

14. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is substantially free of a tackifier.

15. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein there is about 50to 80 wt.% of the amorphous polyolefin copolymer and about 10 to 50 wt.% of the heterophase polypropylene copolymer.

16. A method of assembling an absorbent article comprising the steps of:

a) providing a hot melt adhesive composition wherein said adhesive consists essentially of;

(i) about 90 to 10 wt.% of an amorphous polyolefin copolymer composition comprising 50 to 70 wt.% 1-butene;

(ii) about 10 to 90 wt.% of a heterophase polypropylene copolymer composition comprising propene and a comonomer comprising ethylene, 1-hexene or 1-octene and comprising amorphous character and crystalline blocks; and

(iii) about 0.1 to 30 wt.% of a polyisobutylene plasticizer made with an A1C1₃;

b) providing a plurality of absorbent article components; and

c) joining at least one of said absorbent article components to another of said absorbent article components using said adhesive so as to assemble said absorbent article.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein step c comprises the step of joining a topsheet to an underlying nonwoven layer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein step c comprises the step of joining an elastic material to a nonwoven and backsheet materials.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein step c comprises the step of joining an acquisition layer to a core layer.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein step c comprises the step of joining a distribution layer to a core layer.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein step c comprises the step of joining a topsheet to a backsheet adjacent a longitudinal edge of said absorbent article.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein step c comprises the step of joining receiving member to a backsheet.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein step c comprises the step of joining a core cover to a backsheet.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein step c comprises the step of joining a core cover to a dusting layer.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein step c comprises the step of joining a core to a backsheet.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein step c comprises the step of joining a dusting layer to a backsheet.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the adhesive is substantially free of a tackifier.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the amorphous polyolefin has less than 5 wt.% crystallinity and the heterophase polyolefin comprises at least about 5wt.% crystallinity in at least one sequence or block;

and wherein the amorphous polyolefin provides adhesion and the heterophase polyolefin provides cohesive strength.