EP0879042A1

EP0879042A1 - A compostable disposable absorbing product, a method and an intermediate product for production thereof

Info

Publication number: EP0879042A1
Application number: EP97919064A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Matti Karesoja; Anna-Liisa Sunen; Anja Riitta Korhonen
Original assignee: SUNEN ANNA LIISA
Current assignee: SUNEN ANNA LIISA
Priority date: 1996-09-10
Filing date: 1997-09-09
Publication date: 1998-11-25
Also published as: FI963565A0; WO1998010725A1; FI100852B

Abstract

This invention relates to a composting disposable absorbing product having a fluid well-permeable inner surface layer (1), a potentially fluid-impermeable outer surface layer (7) and a fluid absorbing, distributing and binding intermediate layer between the above-mentioned surface layers, which intermediate layer can consist of one or more layers (2, 3, 4, 5), wherein the intermediate layer contains poorly decomposed bog peat, fluff pulp and as necessary one or more other compostable fluid absorbing materials, and the surface layers are made of compostable materials, and a method and an intermediate product for production of this kind of an absorbing product.

Description

A compostable disposable absorbing product, a method and an intermediate product for production thereof

This invention relates to a compostable disposable absorbing product which can be disposed of essentially by composting and can be used suitably for binding fluid or moisture in different connections and especially for binding of human and animal excretions. This kind of a product can be, for example, a sleeping underlay or an examination underlay, a diaper, a gauze bandage or a sanitary towel or the like, and it has a fluid well -permeable inner surface layer to be placed next to human or animal body or another object to be treated, a potentially fluid impermeable outer surface layer and between the above-mentioned surface layers, a fluid absorbing, distributing and binding intermediate layer that can consist of one or more layers. In addition, the product can be used as an underlayer for improving durability and transportation of foods.

At present several disposable absorbing products are known such as disposable diapers, sanitary towels, bandaging materials and underlays, that bind human and animal excretions. In these known products the layer that binds excre- tions can comprise, for example, creped paper, soft tissue, cotton wadding, viscose wadding or grains formed of cellulose fibres, but in addition it can contain different components that improve absorbing capacity, such as paper, different fibres or peat, or other fluid binding materials such as so called superabsorbents . This layer that binds excretions is usually inserted between the fluid impermeable outer surface layer and the fluid permeable inner surface layer. These kinds of products are described inter alia in US patents 2,788,003, 3,612,0555 and 3,938,522, in Finnish patent publication 64048 and in Swedish patent publication 444,263.

In the known disposable absorbing products that are intended for binding human and animal excretions a major problem is that the products are undecomposable in nature.

For example, used disposable diapers have been recognised to be a major waste problem in dumping areas because the diapers do not compost even after longer periods of time. This is due to the fact that disposable diapers used at present contain up to half of their content plastics and other synthetic materials that decompose poorly in nature. The waste problem is worsened by the fact that used disposable diapers and underlayers are delivered to the dumping areas closed in ordinary plastic bags and/or sacks. Furthermore, disposable absorbing products in the market at present have the disadvantage of not binding sufficiently smell originating from human and animal excretions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a product without the aforementioned disadvantages. In particu- lar the object of the present invention is to provide a disposable absorbing product that can be used for binding fluid or moisture in different occasions and especially for binding human and animal excretions that binds at the same time the smell originating from excretions and that can be disposed of properly by composting.

Furthermore it is an object of the present invention to provide a method that is more lucrative than before and an intermediate product for production of a compostable absorbing product . The applicants have found in their research that a compostable disposable absorbing product such as a diaper can preferably be made by forming the fluid absorbing intermedi- ate layer from one or more layers that contain at least fluff pulp and poorly decomposed bog peat . The absorbing product in question, wherein the properties of bog peat, especially its properties of binding fluid and smell are preserved, can be made by conventional apparatuses that are employed on the one hand for production of fluff paper and on the other hand for production of diapers.

The applicants have found in a preparatory composting experiment that bog peat would speed up decomposing of cellu- lose contained in the diaper.

Furthermore the applicants increase compostability of their product by substituting the surface layers conventionally employed in disposable absorbing products for surface layers made of compostable or by composting disposable mate- rials.

The compostable absorbing product according to the present invention should be transported after the use for waste treatment in dumping are in bags and/or sacks or the like made of material that can be disposed of by composting. This kind of a transportation bag can be, for example, a paper bag coated by plastic that can be disposed of by composting .

A material that is a compostable material or a material that can be disposed of by composting refers in this context to a material that is substantially decomposed by microbes into soil in aerobic conditions of a compost.

More precisely presented an object of the present invention is a compostable disposable product that has a fluid well-permeable inner surface layer 1 and a potentially fluid impermeable outer surface layer 7, wherein the surface layers are made of compostable materials, and a fluid absorbing, distributing and binding intermediate layer inserted between the above-mentioned surface layers, that can consist of one or more layers 2, 3, 4, 5, which product is characterised in that the intermediate layer contains poorly decomposed bog peat, fluff pulp and optionally one or more compostable fluid absorbing materials, wherein the intermediate layer contains poorly decomposed bog peat having degree of decomposition of HI to H5 and preferably HI to H3 and fibres of which are in length at most 12 mm, usually 1 to 8 mm and suitably at least 2 mm, and fluff pulp, preferably chemi-mechanical fluff pulp made of coniferous wood or bleached sulphate cellulose fluff pulp, wherein the weight ratio between bog peat and fluff pulp is 20:80 to 80:20 and preferably 30:80 to 50:50.

The product according to the present invention can be for example a sleeping underlay or an examination underlay, a diaper, a gauze bandage or sanitary towel or the like. The product is very well suitable for use in a hospital or in an institution. One application can be employed also for transportation and stocking of foodstuffs, for example meat or fish, as a smell or moisture binding underlayer. In the product according to the present invention the intermediate layer consists of one or more layers, of which one or more layers contain as a homogenous mixture poorly decomposed bog peat having the degree of decomposition at von Post scale of HI to H5 and preferably HI to H3 , and fluff pulp preferably made of coniferous wood. The weight ratio between bog peat and fluff pulp is 20:80 to 80:20 and usually 30:70 to 50:50.

The poorly decomposed bog peat referred to herein has been produced with a conventional cutter method or the like and has been sieved in such a manner that the length of the fibres are at most 12 mm, usually 1 to 8 mm and suitably at least 2 mm. Poorly decomposed bog peat to be employed can contain cotton grass having the length of the fibres under 12 mm. Bog beat to be employed having humidity usually between 45 to 55 %, can represent bog beats of the groups Sphagnum acutifolia, S. palustria and/or S. cuspidata. This kind of bog beat is supplied by Vapo Oy and Biolan Oy, Finland.

Poorly decomposed bog beat employed in the present invention has been treated only by sifting in order to maintain the properties as good as possible. Thus bog beat to be employed in the present invention for example has been nei- ther bleached chemically nor will be bleached during the production of the absorbing product.

The fluff pulp to be employed in the product according to the present invention can be fluff pulp produced by any method for producing cellulose but preferably it is fluff pulp produced from coniferous wood by chemi-mechanical process or bleached sulphate cellulose fluff pulp.

In addition one or more layers forming the intermediate layer can contain, in addition to beat, one or more other compostable fluid absorbing materials. Preferably this kind of a fluid absorbing material can be a compostable starch- based polymer such as barley starch-based absorbing material (produced by Primalco Oy, Finland) . The fluid absorbing material in question can also be a superabsorbent suitable for the purpose such as carboxy methoxy cellulose based formula- tion (produced by, for example, Hercules Inc., USA) or N- substituted acryl amide (produced by, for example, Mitsui Teratsu, Japan) . These other absorbing materials can be contained in the intermediate layer in all up to 80 % by weight, however preferably 15 to 45 % by weight and usually 20 to 30 % by weight based on the weight of the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer can contain also other additional layers made of compostable materials such as layers that distribute the absorbing fluid or moisture. These kinds of additional layers can suitably be made for example from soft tissue.

The intermediate layer will compost like household or garden waste in a reasonable period of time.

Furthermore it is essential in the product according to the present invention that the surface layers are made of composting materials. The outer and inner surface layers can be made either from different materials or from the same material depending to the indented use of the product .

In the product according to the present invention the fluid well-permeable inner surface layer can be made of composting nonwoven fabric or paper.

The nonwoven fabric in question can be made of viscose nonwoven fabric in which instead of latex there is some adhesive that will decompose in nature or in the compost such as superhydrolysed polyvinyl alcohol or hydroxy propyl cellulose, or the binding of the nonwoven fabric has been made by water-knitting, and which nonwoven fabric can in addition contain bleached cellulose. Alternatively the nonwoven fabric in question can be a cellulose nonwoven fabric. Different viscose nonwoven fabrics are produced for example by J.W. Suominen Oy, Finland and a cellulose nonwoven fabric is produced by ystil, France. The nonwoven fabric in question can optionally be made of a composting polymer that has obtained from one or more carboxyl acid preferably produced by a fermentation method wherein the nonwoven fabric has preferably been made of polylactide obtained, for example, by polymerising lactic acid that has been produced by bacterial fermentation or from biotechnologically produced polyhydroxy alkanoate such as polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB) or polyhydroxy butyrate covaleriate (PHB/V) , or from aliphatic polyester such as polyethylene succinate or polybutylene succinate or from the like.

Alternatively the inner surface layer in question can be made of paper having thickness that has been selected to be suitable for an application. This kind of paper is suitably wet strength paper and it can be either flush or creped.

The outer surface layer of the product according to the present invention can be composed of a coating that is substantially impermeable to fluid which coating has been made of polymer that has been obtained from one or more carboxyl acid preferably produced by a fermentation method wherein the nonwoven fabric has preferably been made of polylactide obtained, for example, by polymerising lactic acid that has been produced by bacterial fermentation or from biotechnologically produced polyhydroxy alkanoate such as polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB) or polyhydroxy butyrate covaleriate (PHB/V) , or from aliphatic polyester such as polyethylene succinate or polybutylene succinate or from the like.

Alternatively the outer surface layer can consist of a substantially fluid impermeable, coated nonwoven fabric or paper coating of which has been produced from one or more carboxyl acid preferably produced by a fermentation method wherein the nonwoven fabric has preferably been made of polylactide obtained, for example, by polymerising lactic acid that has been produced by bacterial fermentation or from biotechnologically produced polyhydroxy alkanoate such as polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB) or polyhydroxy butyrate covaleriate (PHB/V) , or from aliphatic polyester such as polyethylene succinate or polybutylene succinate or from the like. The nonwoven to be coated can be for example a viscose nonwoven or cellulose nonwoven fabric. Paper to be coated can be suitably wet strength paper.

On the other hand the outer surface layer can be con- sist of substantially fluid impermeable coating which is a viscose cellulose or polyethylene film to which potassium carbonate has been added during the production, suitable about 50 % by weight.

In some other applications such as gauze bandages the outer surface layer can be fluid-permeable compostable nonwoven fabric or paper described in connection with the definition of the aforementioned inner surface layer.

In the final product the intermediate layer and the surface layers are as necessary attached to each others for example with an adhesive. Preferably as an adhesive has been employed ho -melt adhesive that is suitable for composting, that is supplied by Swift Adhesives Finland, Finland.

Depending on the purpose of use of the final product it can also contain appendants that are conventional in the product in question such as attaching means for diapers.

For the method for production of the composting disposable absorbing product according to the invention having a fluid well-permeable inner surface layer 1 and a fluid potentially impermeable outer surface layer 7 which inner surface layers are made of composting materials, and inserted between the above mentioned surface layers a fluid absorbing, distributing and binding intermediate layer that can consist of one or more layers 2, 3, 4, 5 , the method is characterised in that a) to a wet pulp produced in the production of cellulose, preferably to a wet pulp produced from coniferous wood either via a chemi -mechanical method or a method for produc- tion of bleached sulphate cellulose, is added, for example via a separate pulper or an other apparatus, poorly decomposed bog peat having a degree of decomposition of HI to H5 and preferably HI to H3 and having moisture concentration typically 45 to 55 % and the length of fibres thereof is at most 12 mm, usually 1 to 8 mm and suitably at least 2 mm in such a manner that the weight ratio between bog peat and pulp is 20:80 to 80:20 and preferably 30:70 to 50:50, b) mixed pulp obtained in step a) is dried into reel pulp which then is defibrated in an apparatus for producing of an absorbing product in a manner known per se into grain, for example in a hammer mill, a spike mill, a saw tooth mill, a disk refiner or the like, c) to the obtained grain is optionally added with con- ventional feeding apparatuses one or more other compostable fluid absorbing material, for example starch based polymer or carboxy methyl cellulose based formulation, or N-substituted acryl amide or a mixture thereof in such a manner that grain has at most 80 % by weight, preferably 15 to 45 % by weight and most preferably 20 to 30 % by weight other absorbing materials in question, d) from grain obtained in step c) with a conventional apparatus for production of an absorbing product, such as an apparatus for producing diapers, is produced an intermediate layer blank consisting of one or more layers 2, 3, 4, 5, which is lead optionally as a discontinuous web into a web forming the other of the surface layers 1, 7 of the absorbing product , e) the web obtained in step d) is coated with the ab- sent surface layer 1, 7, and f) the surface layers 1, 7 are attached to each other and as necessary to the intermediate layer blank of the ab- sorbing product in such a manner that the intermediate layer blank remains inside the surface layers, wherein at least one of the surface layers 1, 7 is aforementioned fluid-permeable composting nonwoven fabric or paper and optionally the other of the surface layers is a substantially fluid impermeable composting material defined above .

It is essential in the method according to the present invention that bog peat is added according to step a) to wet pulp produced by any method for production of cellulose, preferably pulp obtained from coniferous wood by chemi -mechanical process or bleached sulphate cellulose pulp, in the wet step of the process, suitably in the end part of it, for example via a pulper or via any other equipment in such a manner that the length of the fibres of peat and also other properties of peat are preserved as well as possible and to obtain a homogenous mixture from pulp and peat .

The homogenous mixture obtained above is dried in step b) to reel pulp. The reel pulp obtained in step b) of the method according to the present invention that contains poorly decomposed bog peat and cellulose, is an essential intermediate product for production of the composting absorbing products according to the present invention. This reel pulp employed as an intermediate product is also in the scope of the present invention.

From the above mentioned reel pulp gain is formed in step b) to which one or more other compostable, fluid absorbing materials can be added in step c) . From the grain obtained in step c) one or more, optionally at least to some extent pressed layer blanks are made by conventional equipment for production of an absorbing product . If a blank of a fluid absorbing layer is in question it will remain porous, but if a blank of a fluid storing layer is in question it will be pressed at least to some extent . Between the mentioned layer blanks can also be inserted additional layers such as fluid distributing layers that dispense fluid or moisture to be absorbed evenly to the whole product. These kinds of additional layers can consist of for example soft tissue. Depending on the purpose of the use of the product the intermediate layer is made of one or more layer blanks produced from grain obtained in step c) and optionally from one or more additional layers described above. For example for production of intermediate layer for a gauze bandage, exami- nation underlay or transportation underlayer one above mentioned layer blank is usually sufficient. On the contrary, for example for an intermediate layer of a diaper, it is preferably made of at least two layer blanks mentioned before and from above mentioned additional layers inserted between them.

From the above mentioned layer blanks and optional additional layers an intermediate layer blank is formed in step d) , which intermediate layer blank, optionally cut to pieces which length is same as for the final product, is directed to a web that forms the other surface layer of the absorbing product. The intermediate layer can be attached to one or both of the surface layers that are then attached to each others .

In step e) the absent surface layer can be formed ei- ther from a separate web or it can be formed from the web employed in step d) if the web in question is so wide that it can be turned over for the absent surface layer. The surface layers are attached to each others and as necessary to the intermediate layer preferably by a hot-melt adhesive suitable for composting. Depending on the method of production there are, in addition to the end joints, one or more longitudinal joints in the final product.

In addition, depending on the use to the product can be added appendants that are conventional in such products such as attaching means for diapers.

One embodiment of the present invention will be de- scribed in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. In the examples other possible applications of the present invention are illustrated. In the drawing

Figure 1 represents the product according to the in- vention seen from above,

Figure 2 represents a cross section of the product according to the Figure 1, and

Figure 3 represents a longitudinal section of the product according to the Figure 1. In Figure 2 a cross section of the product according to the Figure 1 along the line A-A¹ is shown and the inner surface layer 1 and outer surface layer 7 and the layers inside them are shown. The fluid absorbing layer 2, which is usually porous, can be produced according to the present invention from bog peat and fluff pulp and optionally from one or more other compostable fluid absorbing materials . The fluid distributing layers 3 and 5 that distribute absorbed fluid or moisture evenly over the whole product can comprise for example soft tissue. The fluid stocking layer 4 which usually is at least to some extent a pressed layer, can be prepared according to the present invention from bog peat and fluff pulp and optionally from one or more other compostable fluid absorbing materials. Hot-melt adhesive stripes 6 attach the intermediate layer to the web that forms the surface layer 7.

In Figure 3 a profile drawing of the product according to the Figure 1 along the line B-B' is shown. Example 1

Pulp obtained from coniferous wood by chemi -mechanical process is led to an apparatus usually employed for producing cellulose. To the wet pulp during the process at the latter part of the wet step via a separate puller is added sieved bog peat having a degree of decomposition of HI to H3 (supplier Vapo Oy, Finland) in such a manner that a homogenous mixture of pulp and peat is provided. The weight ratio between the pulp and the peat is about 70:30. So obtained mix- ture is dried to reel pulp.

Above produced reel pulp is defibrated in a hammer mill of an equipment for producing an absorbing product into shredded grain. To the obtained grain via a conventional administration apparatus barley starch based absorbing mate- rial (supplier Primalco Oy, Finland) is added in such a manner that the grain has about 20 % by weight the aforementioned absorbing material.

From grain obtained above with a conventional apparatus for making diapers the intermediate layer of the absorb- ing product is produced, which intermediate layer along the other inner layers of the product is formulated into a product blank which is led, cut into pieces that has length of the final product, as a web into a web, which forms the inner surface layer of the absorbing product. The mentioned web forming the inner surface layer is substantially air and fluid-permeable cellulose nonwoven fabric (produce of Lystin, France) , onto which a soft tissue layer has been attached by spraying with hot -melt adhesive suitable for composting (Swift Adhesives Finland, Finland) .

The web formed by the inner surface layer and the intermediate layer is coated with a web forming the outer sur- face layer which web is fluid impermeable coated paper, coating agent of which is polyhydroxy butyrate covaleriate (PHB/V) (supplier alki Oy, Finland) . The mentioned surface layers surround totally the intermediate layer and they are attached to each other with a hot -melt adhesive suitable for composting (supplier Swift Adhesives Finland, Finland) .

So obtained product is formulated into a diaper or a sleeping underlay or an examination underlay for incontinent adults .

Following the same procedure as in example 1 except as a web forming the air and fluid-permeable inner surface layer a nonwoven fabric produced from lactic acid polymerized from lactic acid obtained by bacterial fermentation is used and as a web forming the fluid impermeable outer surface layer a film made of above-mentioned polylactide is used. Example 3

To a bleached sulphate cellulose pulp to be made from coniferous wood, during the process at the wet step via a separate puller is led sieved peat having a degree of decom- position according to the von Post scale of HI to H3 (supplier Vapo Oy, Finland) so that the length of the fibres of peat and other properties are preserved and to provide a homogenous mixture. The proportion of bog peat of the pulp is 30 %. Thus obtained mixture is dried into reel pulp. The above produced reel pulp is defibrated into shredded grain in a hammer mill of the apparatus for producing the absorbing product . From grain obtained above, the intermediate layer of the absorbing product is produced with a conventional production apparatus as a discontinuous web, having the length of the parts that of the final product, to a web forming the inner surface layer of the absorbing product . The web forming the inner surface layer in question is fluid and air well- permeable nonwoven fabric that consist of viscose nonwoven fabric whose binding has been performed by water-knitting (supplier J.W. Suominen Oy, Suomi) . The web formed from the inner surface layer and the intermediate layer is coated either with an inner surface layer if it is wide enough by turning the edges onto the intermediate layer blank and joining them, or with the web forming the outer surface layer that is the same fluid well- permeable viscose nonwoven fabric as the inner surface layer. The above mentioned surface layers surround totally the intermediate layer and they are attached to each other by hot- melt adhesive suitable for composting (supplier Swift Adhesive Finland, Finland) , which adhesive can also be employed for joining the ends. There are in the final product three or four joints depending on the process for production.

The obtained product is formulated into a gauze bandage for use in treatment of humans and animals .

Claims

Claims :

1. A compostable disposable absorbing product that has a fluid well -permeable inner surface layer (1) and a potentially fluid impermeable outer surface layer (7) , which sur- face layers are made of compostable materials, and a fluid absorbing, distributing and binding intermediate layer inserted between the above mentioned surface layers, which intermediate layer can consist of one or more layers (2, 3, 4, 5), characterised in that the intermediate layer contains poorly decomposed bog peat, fluff pulp and optionally one or more compostable fluid absorbing materials, wherein the intermediate layer contains poorly decomposed bog peat having a degree of decomposition of HI to H5 and preferably HI to H3 and the length of fibres thereof is at most 12 mm, usually 1 to 8 mm and suitably at least 2 mm, and fluff pulp, chemi - mechanical fluff pulp or bleached sulphate cellulose fluff pulp preferably produced from coniferous wood, wherein the weight ratio between bog peat and fluff pulp is 20:80 to 80:20 and preferably 30:70 to 50:50.

2. A product according to claim 1, characterised in that the intermediate layer contains other compostable fluid absorbing materials together at most 80 % by weight, preferably 15 to 45 % by weight and most preferably 20 to 30 % by weight based on the weight of the intermediate layer, wherein the above mentioned other absorbing material is preferably starch based polymer or carboxy methyl cellulose based product or a combination thereof.

3. A product according to claim 1 or 2 , characterised in that the fluid well -permeable inner surface layer (1) is compostable nonwoven fabric which is viscose nonwoven fabric or viscose nonwoven fabric bound by water-knitting in which as adhesive is used superhydrolysed polyvinyl alcohol or hydroxy propyl cellulose.

4. A product according to claim 1 or 2 , characterised in that the fluid well-permeable inner surface layer (1) is compostable nonwoven fabric which is made of a composting polymer that is obtained from one or more carboxyl acid preferably obtained by a fermentation method wherein the nonwoven fabric is preferably produced from polylactide obtained by polymerising lactic acid obtained by bacterial fermentation, or from polyhydroxy alkanoate or aliphatic polyester produced biotechnologically .

5. A product according to any of claims 1 to 4 , characterised in that the outer surface layer (7) is formed from a substantially fluid impermeable film made of a polymer that has been obtained from one or more, preferably by a fermentation method produced carboxyl acid wherein the said outer surface layer is made of polylactide obtained from lactic acid produced by bacterial fermentation, or from polyhydroxy alkanoate or aliphatic polyester produced biotechnologically.

6. A product according to any of claims 1 to 4 , characterised in that the outer surface layer (7) is formed from a substantially fluid impermeable coated nonwoven fabric or paper whose coating is made of a polymer that has been obtained from one or more, preferably by fermentation method produced carboxyl acid wherein the said coating is made of polylactide obtained from lactic acid produced by bacterial fermentation, or from polyhydroxy alkanoate or aliphatic polyester produced biotechnologically.

7. A product according to any of claims 1 to 4 , charac- terised in that the outer surface layer (7) is formed from a substantially fluid impermeable film that is a viscose cellu- lose or polyethylene film to which potassium carbonate has been added during the production.

8. A product according to any of claims 1 to 4 , characterised in that the outer surface layer (7) is a fluid-perme- able compostable nonwoven fabric defined in the claim 3 or 4.

9. A method for production of a compostable disposable absorbing product having a fluid well -permeable inner surface layer (1) and a fluid potentially impermeable outer surface layer (7) , which surface layers are made of composting mate- rials, and inserted between the above mentioned surface layers a fluid absorbing, distributing and binding intermediate layer that can consist of one or more layers (2, 3, 4, 5), characterised in that a) to a wet pulp produced in the production of cellu- lose, preferably to a wet pulp produced from coniferous wood either via a chemi -mechanical method or a method for production of bleached sulphate cellulose, is added poorly decomposed bog peat having a degree of decomposition of HI to H5 and preferably HI to H3 and having moisture concentration typically 45 to 55 % and the length of fibres thereof is at most 12 mm, usually 1 to 8 mm and suitably at least 2 mm in such a manner that the weight ratio between bog peat and pulp is 20:80 to 80:20 and preferably 30:70 to 50:50, b) mixture pulp obtained in step a) is dried into reel pulp which then is defibrated in a manner known per se into grain, c) to the obtained grain is optionally added with conventional feeding apparatuses one or more other compostable fluid absorbing materials, preferably a starch based polymer or carboxy methyl cellulose based formulation or a combination thereof in such a manner that grain has at most 80 % by weight, preferably 15 to 45 % by weight and most preferably 20 to 30 % by weight other absorbing materials in question, d) from grain obtained in step c) is produced with a conventional apparatus for production of absorbing product, one or more layers (2, 3, 4, 5) consisting of an intermediate layer blank, which is optionally lead as a discontinuous web into a web forming the other of surface layers (1, 7) of the absorbing product , e) the web obtained in step d) is coated with the absent surface layer (1, 7), and f) the surface layers (1, 7) are attached to each others and as necessary to the intermediate layer blank of the absorbing product in such a manner that the intermediate layer blank remains inside the surface layers, wherein at least one of the surface layers (1, 7) comprises of a fluid-permeable composting material defined in claim 3 or 4 and optionally the other surface layer (1, 7) is substantially fluid impermeable composting material defined in any one of the claims 5 to 7.

10. Reel pulp characterised in that it contains poorly decomposed bog peat and cellulose an that it has been produced in such a manner that a) to the wet pulp produced in the production of cellulose, preferably to wet pulp obtained from coniferous wood either by a chemi -mechanical method of by a method for production of bleached sulphate cellulose has been added poorly decomposed bog peat having the degree of decomposition of HI to H5 and preferably HI to H3 and having the moisture concentration typically of 45 to 55 % and the length of fibres are at most 12 mm, usually 1 to 8 mm and suitably at least 2 mm in such a manner that the weight ratio between the bog peat and pulp is 20:80 to 80:20 and preferably 30:70 to 50:50, and b) mixed pulp obtained in step a) is dried into reel pulp.