JP2003518957A - Absorbents used in complex fluid processing - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] Absorbent particles that are effective in treating complex fluids. Absorbent material particles that are effective in treating complex fluids are suitable for incorporation into disposable absorbent articles and the like.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the use of absorbent particles in absorbent structures and disposable absorbent articles. More specifically, the present invention relates to absorbent particles that are effective in treating complex fluids.

SUMMARY The use of absorbent particles in disposable absorbent articles is known. Such absorbent particles are commonly employed in disposable personal care absorbent articles, such as feminine hygiene products, under somewhat limited conditions for odor control. However, the more widespread use of such absorbent particles in absorbent structures and disposable absorbent articles is somewhat limited by the limited effectiveness of the absorbent particles in treating composite fluids. Therefore, there is a need for improved effectiveness of absorbent particles for complex fluid treatment, which could lead to expanded use of such absorbent particles in absorbent structures and disposable absorbent articles.

The inventors have recognized the difficulties and problems inherent in the prior art and, in response, have conducted exhaustive research for the development of absorbent particles that are effective in treating complex fluids. It was While conducting such studies, the inventors have discovered that certain absorbent materials have efficacy in treating composite fluids. The effectiveness of these absorbent materials can be improved by proper selection of the proper pore size distribution. Due to this improved effectiveness, the absorbent material of the present invention allows for an extended range of use of absorbent particles for absorbent structures and disposable absorbent articles.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the absorbent article comprises a containment means and at least one particle of absorbent material. On the other hand, in the containing means, about 20
To about 50% have a pore volume consisting of pores larger than about 100 microns for complex fluid uptake and complex fluid distribution. About 80 to 50% of the pore volume of the absorbent particles consists of pores smaller than about 100 microns for composite fluid retention. The absorbent particles are from about 10 to about 100 based on the total weight of the containment means and the absorbent particles.
% In the containment means.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the absorbent article comprises a containment means and at least one particle of absorbent material. On the other hand, in the storage means, about 10 to about 100%
Absorbent particles having a permeability of at least about 1,000K. The absorbent particles are present in the receiving means in an amount of about 10 to about 100%, based on the total weight of the receiving means and the absorbent particles. In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the absorbent article comprises a containment means and at least one particle of absorbent material. The absorbent particles in the containment means have a composite fluid retention capacity of at least 2 g / g. The absorbent particles are present in the receiving means in an amount of about 10 to about 100%, based on the total weight of the receiving means and the absorbent particles.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention the absorbent particles comprise a containment means and at least one particle of absorbent material. The absorbent particles in the containment means have a minimum average particle size of at least about 200 microns with a standard deviation value of at least about 25% of the average particle size. Absorbent particles, based on the total weight of the containing means and absorbent particles,
Present in the containment means in an amount of about 10 to about 100%. In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the absorbent particles comprise a containment means and particles of at least one absorbent material. The absorbent particles in the containment means have a multimodal particle size distribution and are present in the containment means in an amount of about 10 to about 100% based on the total weight of the containment means and the absorbent particles.

Description The absorbent material of the present invention includes absorbent particles and absorbent particles treated with a surface modifier. "Particle,""fineparticle," etc. mean that the absorbent material is generally in the form of discrete units. Particles can include granules, fines, powders or spheres. Thus, the particles can have any desired shape, such as, for example, cubes, rods, polyhedra, spheres or hemispheres, curves or half-curves, angular shapes, irregular shapes and the like. Shapes with a large maximum / minimum dimension ratio, such as needles, flakes and fibers, are also contemplated for use herein. The use of "particles" or "particulates" may also mean aggregates composed of one or more particles, microparticles or other, meaning that they consist of more than one type of adsorbent. You can also

The term “nonwoven” as used herein refers to a web having a structure in which individual fibers or filaments are interlaced with each other, rather than in a discernible repeating form.

As used herein, the term “spunbond” or “spunbond fiber” refers to a molten thermoreversible material extruded as filaments from a plurality of fine, usually circular, spinneret capillaries, Then, a fiber formed by a sharp decrease in the diameter of the extruded filament.

As used herein, “cohome” is a meltblown fiber formed by air-forming a meltblown polymeric material while at the same time blowing cellulosic fibers suspended in the air into a stream of meltblown fibers. And is intended to describe the friends of cellulose fiber. Meltblown fibers containing wood fibers are collected on a perforated belt on which a material, such as a spunbond fabric material, has previously been placed on its surface.

The term “meltblown fiber” as used herein refers to a rapidly heating gas (eg, a molten thermoreversible material) as a melted yarn or filament from a plurality of fine, usually circular, die-shaped capillaries. , Air) means fibers that are extruded into a stream of air, where the filaments of the thermoreversible material that have melted become thin and their diameter decreases. The meltblown fibers are then carried in a high velocity gas stream and randomly sprinkled and deposited on the collecting surface to form a web of meltblown fibers.

As used herein, the term “composite fluid” is generally characterized as a viscous and elastic liquid that contains many components with inhomogeneous physical and / or chemical properties. Means a liquid that is It is a multi-component, non-uniform character that presents difficulties to the effectiveness of absorbent materials in treating composite fluids. In contrast to complex fluids, simple liquids, such as urine, saline, water, etc., generally have relatively low viscosity and uniform physical and / or chemical properties. It is characterized by containing more ingredients. As a result of the homogeneity, one or more components of the simple liquid behave in a substantially similar manner when absorbed or adsorbed.

Although the complex fluids are generally characterized herein as containing certain components that have non-uniform properties, each particular component of the complex fluid generally has uniform properties. Have. Consider the example of a hypothetical complex fluid containing three specific components, red blood cells, blood protein molecules and water molecules. Through experimentation, one of ordinary skill in the art can easily distinguish each of the three particular components by their generally heterogeneous properties. Moreover, when testing certain specific components, such as red blood cell components, one of ordinary skill in the art can readily recognize the generally uniform properties of red blood cells.

As used herein, the term “surface” and its plurals generally refers to the boundary of the outer or top layer of an object, material, structure, particle, or the like.

The term “absorbent article” as used herein means a means for absorbing and containing body fluids, and more particularly for absorbing and containing various liquids released by the body. And means to be placed in contact with or in close proximity to the skin.

As used herein, the term “disposable” is not intended to be washed or otherwise restored or reused as an absorbent article after a single use,
Used to mean absorbent article. Examples of such disposable absorbent articles include, but are not limited to, healthcare drapes including surgical drapes, gowns, and sterile wraps, feminine hygiene products (eg, sanitary napkins, panty liners, etc.), diapers, Includes personal care absorbent products such as training pants, incontinence products, etc., as well as facial tissues.

Disposable absorbent articles, such as, for example, many personal care absorbent products, generally include a fluid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet joined to the topsheet, and a topsheet and a backsheet. Including an absorbent core disposed between. Disposable absorbent articles and components thereof, including topsheets, backsheets, absorbent cores, and several individual layers of these components, have a body-facing surface and a garment-facing surface. As used herein, a "body-facing surface" is intended to be worn on the wearer's body, or placed adjacent.
Means the surface of an article or component, while the "garment-facing surface" is on the opposite side, worn on the wearer's undergarment, or placed adjacent to it when the disposable absorbent article is worn. Is intended to be done.

Among a wide variety of different types of absorbent materials known, the present invention, in one aspect, is used for treating complex fluids such as blood, menses, loose stools, nasal discharge, and the like. Relates to the proper selection of suitable absorbent materials. Absorbent materials suitable for use in treating the composite fluid should be substantially wettable or hydrophilic to the composite fluid, allowing the composite fluid to spread to the surface of the absorbent material. Is desirable. Further, it is desirable that the absorbent material of the present invention, in the form of particles, be substantially insoluble in the complex fluid. Further, it is desirable that the absorbent material of the present invention be substantially inert, do not substantially soften during absorption, and do not substantially swell. It is desirable that such a suitable absorptive material also has a large surface area value with respect to the weight, which is determined by a method such as a gas absorption method, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide absorptivity, or a mercury impressed porosity measurement method.

Adsorbent materials suitable for use in the present invention include, but are not limited to, organic materials, inorganic materials and mixtures thereof. Suitable inorganic materials include, for example, activated carbon,
Included are silicates, metal oxides, zeolites, carbonates, phosphates, borates, aerogels and mixtures thereof. Suitable organic materials include, for example, cellulosic materials, starch, chitin, alginates, synthetic polymers and mixtures thereof. The absorbent material may optionally be treated with a surfactant or other surface modifier prior to incorporation into the containment means. Many materials are available, such as sulfonated alkyl and allyl compounds, ethoxylated alcohols and amines, polyamides and their derivatives, polysaccharides and their derivatives, polyethylene glycol and their derivatives, betaine and other zwitterionic compounds, and silyl compounds. Useful for this application. Appropriate application methods are well known to those skilled in the art.

When used in feminine hygiene products, the absorbent materials of the present invention will have a particular desired pore size distribution. In the bed of absorbent particles, the distribution of the pore size is composed of the space between particles (interstitial space) and the internal pore structure of the particles themselves. These interstitial spaces connect to form what can be thought of as a network structure of the interstitial spaces. As the fluid enters or passes through the bed of particles, it typically travels through these interstitial spaces. The interstitial space through which these liquids pass can also be called interstitial pores. Since the walls of the interstitial pores are the surface of the particles themselves, the shape and size of the interstitial pores are usually determined by the particles themselves. Changing the particle size by changing their average size or their size distribution will change the shape and size of the interstitial pores. Interstitial pores play an important role in the uptake rate and retention of composite fluids by absorbent particles.

Absorbent materials suitable for use desirably have acceptable uptake rates for complex fluids. This acceptable uptake rate can be achieved through an inhomogeneous distribution of pore size. As mentioned above, the combination of particle sizes can provide a suitable heterogeneous distribution of pore sizes. Pore size distribution can be measured by capillary tension, mercury porosimetry, and indirectly by permeability tests, all of which are described herein. We have found that the pore size is
Porosity dimensions between about 1,000 and about 100 microns are primarily useful, with a suitable range between about 1,000 and about 0.2 microns, and for rapid uptake and distribution of complex fluids. And about 100 for separating and retaining the components of the complex fluid.
It has been found that pore sizes of between about 0.2 and about 0.2 microns are primarily useful.

The absorbent particles are capable of retaining liquid in the interstitial pores or spaces between the particles, as well as the internal pores of the individual particles. It is desirable that the pores of the individual particles be easily accessible from the surface of the particles that adsorb the liquid. Fluid can enter the internal pore volume of individual particles through capillary forces. The addition of internal porosity allows the fluid or liquid portion of the complex fluid to be retained in the internal porosity by capillary forces. This causes a dry feeling to the body and reduces the amount of liquid liberated in the bed of absorbent particles, thereby reducing rewetting. A suitable adsorbent is
Having internal pore sizes in the range of about 100 to about 0.2 microns, which absorbs different size components in the complex fluid, thereby being measured by the "rewetability and centrifugal retention" test methods described herein. Minimize the rewetting of the liquid to be treated. If there are too many small pores, the liquid components in the complex fluid will be displaced too quickly, and for menstruation, the majority will be cells, the rest of the complex fluid will not spread. We have found that a pore volume of less than 1 micron is 2% of the total pore volume.
It has been confirmed that the following is desirable. Based on the foregoing, a suitable absorbent material for use in the present invention will necessarily have a suitable interstitial porosity that provides at least the following items: wettability, stability to fluid exposure, and acceptable uptake rates. It is necessary to have an appropriate internal pore size distribution for size distribution and desired retention.

In various preferred embodiments of the present invention, other particular items for absorbent materials are desirable. For example. When the composite fluid is menstrual and the absorbent material is used in a feminine hygiene product, the absorbent material of the present invention is between about 1,000 and about 100, and more preferably about 850 to about 150 microns. It is desirable to have a particle size between. We have found that particles of the absorbent material of greater than or equal to about 1,000 microns are generally easily perceived by the wearer of any containment means containing the absorbent material of the invention, while particles of 100 microns or less. It has been determined that particles of the absorbent material of (1) are difficult to contain in any containment means and allow the composite fluid to permeate the absorbent material. Particles of absorbent material falling within the recognized range herein may include porous particles, or may be agglomerated particles composed of many smaller particles of one or more absorbent materials. To be understood.

Another desirable particular item is the weight of the composite fluid, measured in gram weight, retained by the gram weight of the adsorbent by the composite fluid retention capacity test method.
For example, when the complex fluid is menstrual and the absorbent material is incorporated into a feminine hygiene product, the complex fluid retention capacity of the adsorbent is between about 1 and about 15, or between about 2 and about 8. And, finally, as an alternative condition, between about 2 and about 6 g / g is desirable. Absorbent materials having a retention capacity of less than 2 g / g are believed to be noticed by the user to be unnecessarily heavy for feminine hygiene products due to the need to use very large amounts of absorbent material. Complex fluid retention capacity can be estimated by summing the amount of pore volume between about 100 and about 0.2 microns in diameter, as measured by, for example, capillary tension or mercury extrusion porosimetry. Composite fluid retention capacity is limited by the strength of the pore wall material. As mentioned above, mixing particle sizes is desirable to improve fluid uptake and retention. Sufficient interstitial pores between the microparticles are required for the menstruation to rapidly enter the bed of absorbent particles and be distributed among the microparticles. This quality can be controlled by the particle size distribution of the absorbent material. Broad particle size distributions are generally desirable. A broad particle size distribution is used herein to describe a distribution with a standard deviation greater than 25% of the mean value.

If it is desired to move and pass the liquid into the bed of particles relatively quickly, it is desirable to minimize the change in interstitial pore size and shape along the length of the interstitial pores. It is advantageous. Thus, a relatively wide distribution of particle sizes creates interstitial pores so that the liquid can move and pass through the bed of particles relatively quickly. Movement of fluid within and through the bed is relatively high when dimensional variations and particle packs become too large so that some of the particles actually move through the interstitial pores themselves. It doesn't get faster, but rather slower. The inventors have also found that a combination of particle sizes is effective in absorbing complex fluids. Bimodal or multimodal particle size distributions are particularly desirable for creating the desired pore size combination for enhanced uptake and retention of complex fluids. One way to achieve this desired pore size distribution is to combine absorbent particles of various sizes.

Although the size and distribution of the pores are of interest as a property for liquid uptake, another way to create a suitable pore size distribution for rapid uptake of complex fluids is by relatively large spherical particles. Is to use. For example, relatively large spherical particles are usually in a relatively poorly packed state. The relatively large spherical particles with this relatively poor packed state cause the presence of relatively large interstitial pores,
The complex fluid is allowed to rapidly pass through this relatively large bed of spherical particles.
The gel bed permeability test method described herein measures the packed state of particles in a bed. We have found that at least 1 of the relatively large spherical particle beds
It is believed that permeability values above 000k are indicative of a relatively poor pack condition, and thus predict relatively rapid uptake of complex fluids. The present invention should not be limited to the use of only one of the absorbent materials listed here, but can include mixtures of two or more absorbent materials.
As indicated above, the absorbent material is in the form of particles, so that the use of the term "absorbent material" will be understood throughout the specification and claims as a single particle or a single particle of absorbent material. An agglomerate of one or more particles of absorbent material.

The absorbent material of the present invention may be suitably housed in a suitable containment means. Any means capable of containing the absorbent material described and which can be placed in a disposable absorbent article is suitable for use in the present invention.
Many such containment means are known to those skilled in the art. For example, the containment means comprises air-laid or wet-laid cellulosic fibers, meltblown webs of synthetic polymer fibers, spunbond webs of synthetic polymer fibers, fibers formed from cellulosic fibers and synthetic polymeric materials. It can be composed of fibrous matrices such as corform matrices, air-laid heat-fixed webs of synthetic polymeric materials, open cell foams and the like.

Alternatively, the containment means may comprise two layers of material bonded together to form at least one pocket or compartment containing the absorbent material. In such cases, at least one layer of material should be liquid permeable. The second layer of material can be liquid permeable or liquid impermeable. The layer of material can be fabric-like woven and non-woven, closed or open cell foam, perforated film, elastomeric material, or can be a fibrous web of material. When the containment means comprises a layer of material, the material should have a pore structure that is small enough or sufficiently serpentine to contain the majority of the absorbent material. The containment means may also consist of a laminate of two layers of material with an absorbent material disposed and contained therebetween. Further, the containment means may comprise a support structure, such as fibers or polymer films, onto which the absorbent material is adhered. The absorbent material may be adhered to one or both sides of the support structure, which may be fluid permeable or liquid impermeable.

The absorbent material is from about 10 to about 1 based on the total weight of the containment means and the absorbent material.
00, or about 20 to about 100, or about 30 to about 100, or about 40 to about 100, or about 50 to about 100, or about 60 to about 100.
Alternatively, about 70 to about 100, or about 80 to about 100, and finally, as an alternative range, can be present in the containment means in an amount of about 90 to about 100% by weight.

In one particular preferred embodiment of the invention, the containment means consists of two layers of material which are joined to form a pocket adapted to contain the absorbent material. The two layers are absorbent materials, including woven and non-woven materials such as air-laid or wet-laid fibers, meltblown fibers, spunbond fibers, corhome fibers, binder fibers (such as bicomponent fibers), etc. It is well-formed from any material that can accommodate heat transfer, ultrasonic bonding, adhesives (such as water soluble or water sensitive adhesives, latex adhesives, hot melt adhesives, or melt-based adhesives). ), Etc., to form a pocket. Obviously, a wide range of materials can be employed to form the two layers and to bond the two layers together to form the pockets. The absorbent material is based on the total weight of the absorbent material present in the pocket and the weight of the two layers forming the pocket,
About 10 to about 100, or about 20 to about 100, or about 30 to about 10
0, or about 40 to about 100, or about 50 to about 100, or about 6
0 to about 100, or about 70 to about 100% by weight, or about 80 to about 1
00% by weight, and finally, in the alternative, in an amount of about 90 to about 100% by weight in the pocket. In addition to the absorbent material, the pockets may contain fibrous material or other filling material that does not unacceptably affect the absorbency of the absorbent material.

In another preferred embodiment, the containing means comprises a matrix of fibers. The absorbent material is mixed with the matrix of fibers. The absorbent material may be present in a mixture of fibers and absorbent material from about 20 to about 95, or about 30 based on the total mixture weight.
To 85% by weight, and finally, as an alternative range, in an amount of about 50 to about 75% by weight. It is believed that any fiber capable of containing an absorbent material and combined with the absorbent material to form a composite is suitable for use in the present invention. It is often desirable for the fibers to be hydrophilic. Here, a fiber is considered “hydrophilic” when it has a contact angle with water of 90 ° or less in air. The contact angle measurement for the purposes of this patent application is Goo
d and Stromb, "Surface and Colloid Science," Vol. 11 (Ple
Num Press, 1979).

Fibers suitable for use in the present invention include wood pulp fluff, cotton, cotton shavings, cellulosic fibers such as rayon, cellulose acetate, and the like, as well as synthetic polymeric fibers. Synthetic polymeric fibers can be formed from polymeric materials that are inherently hydrophilic, or fibers that are inherently hydrophobic (having a contact angle with water in air greater than 90 °). Can be formed later by treating at least the outer surface of the fibers to make them hydrophilic. For example, hydrophilic fibers can be formed from naturally hydrophilic polymers, such as block copolymers of nylon and polyethylene oxide diamine, such as nylon-6. Such block copolymers are available from Allied-Signal Inc. To HYDR
It is marketed under the trade name OFIL. Alternatively, the fibers can be formed from naturally hydrophobic polymers, such as polyolefins or polyesters, which have a surface modified to provide a generally immutable hydrophilic surface. Such surface-modified polyethylene is a Dow Chemical Compan.
It is commercially available from y under the trade name ASPUN wettable polyethylene.

Where the hydrophilic fibers are generally formed by subjecting a hydrophobic polymer to a hydrophilic surface treatment, a surface treatment that generally does not change is employed to obtain the desired performance. Is believed to be desirable. Synthetic polymeric fibers suitable for use in the present invention can be formed by a melt-extrusion process in which fibers of polymeric material are extruded and narrowed to produce fibers of the desired diameter. Alternatively, the fibers can be formed by a spinning process. It is believed that any fiber manufacturing process known to those of ordinary skill in the art is suitable for use in the present invention. Fibers suitable for use in the present invention generally have a length of at least about 1 millimeter. The fibers may have a maximum length near infinity. In other words, the fibers may be essentially continuous under the specific conditions known to those skilled in the art, such as fibers formed by the meltblown process.

A mixture of fibers and absorbent material is intended to refer to situations in which the absorbent material is not prevented from moving directly into contact with the fibers, or substantially into contact with the fibers. . Thus, for example, in a multi-layer absorbent core in which the first layer consists of an air-laid mixture of wood pulp fluff and an absorbent material and the second layer consists solely of an air-laid fluff, only the first layer is supplied. Considered a mixture of fibers and absorbent material,
However, dry migration of the absorbent material between the two layers is substantially prevented.
Methods to prevent such migration are known and the layers are separated by tissue wrap sheets, dense fiber layers or similar means to prevent substantial dry migration of the absorbent material between the two layers. For example. The mixture of absorbent material and fibers may be generally homogeneous or generally non-uniform. In the case of non-homogeneous mixtures, the absorbent materials can be arranged with a gradient or arranged to form a layer with the fibers.

When the containment means comprises a mixture of fibers and absorbent material, the mixture of fibers and absorbent material can be formed in various ways. For example, a mixture can be formed by air or wet deposition of fibers and absorbent material according to methods known in the art to obtain a vat of the mixture. Air deposition of a mixture of fibers and absorbent material
It is intended to include both situations in which preformed fibers are air-deposited with the absorbent material, and situations in which the absorbent material is mixed with the fibers as they are being formed, such as by the meltblown process. ing. The absorbent material of the present invention is particularly suitable for use in disposable absorbent articles. Generally, the absorbent material is a conventional odor control absorbent material, for example during lamination,
For relatively high density cores (ie, compressed cores, calendered cores, densified cores, etc.) or relatively low density cores (ie, uncompressed, eg air laid cores) It can be used in a similar manner to that used.
However, the absorbent materials of the present invention offer certain advantages over conventional odor control absorbent materials. Generally, compared to conventional absorbent materials, the absorbent materials of the present invention exhibit improved effectiveness for treating composite fluids. In particular, the absorbent material of the present invention exhibits improved efficacy for treating menses. As a result of this improved effectiveness,
The absorbent material of the present invention may be supplemented with the absorbent material normally included in disposable absorbent materials by adding a sufficient amount of the absorbent material according to the present invention or may be commonly used in disposable absorbent articles. Either replacing some of the contained absorbent material with a sufficient amount of the absorbent material of the present invention provides flexibility to the product developer.

Test Methods Uptake Rate and Rewet Test Method The uptake rate and rewet test method used herein measures at least the following two material attributes: 1. Incorporation rate-the total amount of time, in seconds, that a known amount of material takes to incorporate multiple releases of a known amount of liquid, and 1. Rewet-The total amount of liquid in grams released from a material when a blotter paper is placed on the material and a known pressure is applied for a given time. Tests according to this method showed that 20 ml of material had multiple fluid discharges (1 or 2 m
l) consists of determining the time in seconds to take in using a stopwatch. A Harvard Syringe Pump is programmed to deliver 2 ml of fluid onto 20 ml of absorbent material, at which time the stopwatch is started simultaneously. The stopwatch is stopped when 2 ml of fluid have been incorporated into the material. A second 2 ml release is then distributed and timed. The second release is followed by the third, this time using 1 ml and timed. This brings the total to 5 ml, which means that three discharges have been timed. A pre-weighed blotter paper is placed on 20 ml of material and approximately 60 seconds after intake of the third discharge, a pressure of 0.5 psi is applied for 60 seconds. After 60 seconds, the blotter paper is reweighed and the fluid absorbed by the blotter paper in grams is considered to be the total rewet amount. The test is generally performed under TAPPI standard conditions.

Equipment and Materials -Harvard Apparatus, commercially available from Harvard Apparatus, South Nottic, 01760 Massachusetts, USA.
Programmable Syringe Pump, Model No. 44. The fluid of this example is provided by way of example only, and not in a limiting sense, US Pat. No. 5,883, issued March 16, 1999 to Achter et al.
No. 231 is the population menstruation period, and the disclosure is incorporated herein by reference to the extent that the disclosure is consistent with (i.e., consistent with) the present specification. The mimic disclosed and claimed in US Pat. No. 5,883,231 is a PO Box 265, Reamstown, 17567, PA, USA.
Stephens Street 449, Cocalico Biologicals, I
nc. Is commercially available from. Wisconsin, Burnham Wood, 54414, Wisconsin, USA
Inc. Disposable plastic weighing boat, part number WD 80055, commercially available from NCL, Inc. Becton, Franklin Lakes, 07417, New Jersey, USA
A 60 cc disposable syringe commercially available from Dickinson. Cole-Parmer Instrument, Chicago, Illinois 60648, USA
Tygon tubing, 0.12 inch ID, size 16, part number 6409-16, available from Company. And likewise Cole-Parmer
1/8 inch outer diameter hose, barb size, part number R-3603, commercially available from Instrument Company. VWR, Conwell Street 1145, Willard, Ohio 44890, USA
5.5 cm blotter paper, Catalog No. 28310-015, commercially available from Scientific Products. • Fill a 100 ml Pyrex beaker with some suitable material and 71
Weights made to 7.5 grams and 0.5 psi load. -0.001g readable balance (Note: the standard weight must be traceable by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and must be re-validated at appropriate intervals to confirm accuracy).・ Stopwatch capable of reading 0.1 seconds (Note: Stopwatch can be traced by National Institute of Standards and Technology).・ A graduated cylinder that can read 20 ml. -A clear acrylic plate (sufficient to support on a disposable plastic weighing boat) with a hole approximately in the center to insert the Tygon tube.

Preparation of Specimen The mimic is removed from the refrigeration unit, set on a rotator, then gently swirled for approximately 30 minutes to ensure complete mixing of the contents, and the mimic is allowed to come to room temperature. Place the graduated cylinder on the balance and weigh the tare. Place 20 ml of material in graduated cylinder. Remove the graduated cylinder from the balance. The bottom of the graduated cylinder is gently struck approximately 10 times on a laboratory bench or similar hard surface to cause sedimentation. Visually check that there is 20 ml of material in the graduated cylinder. Pour 20 ml of material into the weighing boat and gently level the material. Set the Harvard syringe pump in program mode. Injection rate 1
Set 2 ml / min and target volume to 2 ml. Set the diameter to the correct syringe size. Fill the Harvard syringe pump with approximately 60 ml of mimic.

The stages of the test method are shown below. 1. Insert one end of a Tygon tube through a hole in an acrylic plate. 2. Place the acrylic plate on a weighing boat containing 20 ml of absorbent material.
The Tygon tube should be placed approximately above the center of the material. 3. Start the distribution of the first 2 ml of the mimics and at the same time start the stopwatch. 4. Stop the stopwatch when the imitation is incorporated into the material. The stopwatch reading is recorded in seconds as "Emission 1". If the mock is not incorporated into the material being tested within 5 minutes (ie the mock is on the surface of the material), stop the test and record 300+ seconds. 5. Start the second 2 ml release of the mimic and start the stopwatch at the same time. 6. Stop the stopwatch when the imitation is incorporated into the material. The stopwatch reading is recorded in seconds as "release 2". If the mock is not incorporated into the material being tested within 5 minutes (ie the mock is on the surface of the material), stop the test and record 300+ seconds. 7. The distribution of imitations is started, and at the same time, the stopwatch is started. But,
In this case the Harvard syringe pump is stopped when 1 ml of mimic is delivered. Stop the stopwatch when 8.1 ml of simulant has been incorporated into the material. The stopwatch reading is recorded as "release 3" in seconds. Again, if the mock is not incorporated into the material being tested within 5 minutes (ie, the mock is on the surface of the material), stop the test and record 300+ seconds. 9. Allow 60 seconds after the third release is incorporated into the material. 10. Weigh two pieces of blotter paper and record this weight as "dry blotter paper". 11. After the 60 seconds mentioned in step 9, gently place the blotter paper on the material, then gently place a 0.5 psi weight on the blotter paper and start the stopwatch. 12. After 60 seconds, remove the weight and reweigh the blotter paper. The weight of this blotter paper is recorded as "wet blotter paper". Repeat steps 3-12 outlined above until the mock is no longer incorporated into the material (ie the mock is above the material and not incorporated within 5 minutes). The rewet portion results of the test method are recorded in grams and calculated as follows. (Wet blotter paper)-(dry blotter paper) = rewet

Retention Capacity Measurement Method As used herein, the retention capacity determination method measures the amount of test solution retained after applying a centrifugal force to a sample of material. The amount of fluid retained is calculated as grams / gram retention material. The test is generally performed under TAPPI standard conditions. When the test fluid is a complex fluid such as blood, menstruation, artificial menstruation (mimic), loose stool, nasal discharge, etc., the retention capacity of the material is sometimes referred to as the complex fluid retention capacity (CFRC). Generally, testing by this method involves placing a 0.5 g sample of material in a modified cylinder, exposing the sample of material to the target fluid for 60 minutes, and then centrifuging the cylinder to remove excess fluid. It is carried out by. The results are calculated to obtain grams of fluid retained per gram sample of material.

Equipment and Materials -Achter et al., US Patent No. 5, issued March 16, 1999.
, 883, 231 of artificial menstrual fluid (simulated). US Patent No. 5,8
The imitation disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 83,231 is Stevens Street 449 C, PO Box 265, Reamstown, PA 17567, USA.
ocalico Biologicals, Inc. Is commercially available from. 387 Bridgewater Street, St. Paul, 55123, Minnesota, USA
4, Global Medical Instrumentation, In
c. Sorvall RT 6000D centrifuge commercially available from. 300 Second Second, Needham Heights, 02494, Massachusetts, USA
Of International Equipment Co. Four 200 ml centrifuge bottles with screw caps commercially available from. -0.001g readable balance (Note: the standard weight must be traceable by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and must be re-validated at appropriate intervals to confirm accuracy).・ Four 50ml Pyrex beakers. VW, 1145 Conwell Street, Willard, 44890, Ohio, USA
A 1 second readable, 60 minute lab timer commercially available from R Scientific Products. -Four modified lexan cylinders with a height of 9 cm, an inner diameter of 3.1 cm, an outer diameter of 4.8 cm and a screen with 300 holes per square inch bonded to the bottom. VW, 1145 Conwell Street, Willard, 44890, Ohio, USA
Commercially available from R Scientific Products, 8 inch diameter, 2 inch high US Standard 30 and 50 screen sieves, catalog numbers 57334-456 and 57334-464, respectively. -Stainless steel screen with 4 holes per inch or sufficient open space for simulated objects to flow.

Sample Preparation US Standards 30 and 5 for sorting samples into 300 to 600 micron dimensions.
Prepare a sample of the material using a 0 screen sieve. A sorted sample of the material is stored in a sealable, substantially airtight container for use in preparing the sample or sample of material. Place the modified cylinder on the balance and measure the tare weight. 0.5 g ± 0
． Place 005 g of the sorted sample into one of the modified cylinders. The weight at this time is recorded as the weight of the sample. The modified cylinder containing the sample of material is weighed and this weight is recorded as the dry cylinder weight. A sample of another material is placed in the three remaining modified cylinders according to the previous steps. The mimic is removed from the refrigeration unit, placed on a rotator, then gently spun for approximately 30 minutes to thoroughly mix the contents, and the mimetic is allowed to come to room temperature. The steps of the test method are shown below. 1. Place approximately 10 ml of the mimic in a 50 ml Pyrex beaker. 2. Place a modified cylinder containing a sample of material in a 50 ml Pyrex beaker. 3. Pour approximately 15 ml of the mimic into a Pyrex beaker. This ensures that the sample of material contacts the imitation from both the top and bottom. 4. Inevitably repeat steps 1 to 3 for samples of any other desired material. 5. After stage 4 is complete, set the timer to 60 minutes and start. 6. After 60 minutes, remove the modified cylinder from the Pyrex beaker and place it on a stainless steel screen for 60 seconds. 7.60 seconds later, remove the modified cylinder from the stainless steel screen,
Place in a 200 ml centrifuge bottle. 8. Centrifuge the centrifuge bottles at 1200 rpm for 3 minutes. After 9.3 minutes, remove the modified cylinder from the centrifuge bottle and weigh the modified cylinder containing the material sample. Record this weight as the wet cylinder weight. The composite fluid retention capacity (“CFRC”) of each sample of absorbent material is then calculated according to the following equation: [(Wet Cylinder Weight-Dry Cylinder Weight) -Product Weight] (Product Weight) In any of the following examples, the retention capacity as recorded is the average of two samples (ie n = 2).

Capillary Tension Test Method In the capillary tension test (CTT), the absorbent material is liquid (0.9 wt% saline distilled aqueous solution) under a negative pressure gradient and under a load or constraint force applied.
Is a test that measures the ability to absorb. Referring to FIG. 1, an apparatus and method for measuring CTT value is shown. Shown is a perspective view of the device in a test delivery position. Shown is a laboratory stand 31 with a centimeter scale, which stand 31 has an adjustable collar 3 for raising and lowering a support ring 33.
Have two. The support ring 33 supports a funnel 34 having a diameter of 6 cm.
Inside the funnel 34 is a porous glass plate 35 having a maximum pore size of nominally about 40 to about 60 micrometers. A first flexible plastic tube 36 is connected to the bottom of the funnel 34. The tube 36 is fixed at a predetermined position by a clamp 38, and one end thereof is connected to a rigid plastic tube 37. The other end of the rigid tube 37 is connected to a second flexible plastic tube 39, the other end of which is aerated liquid reservoir 40.
It is connected to the. The aerated liquid storage tank 40 is placed on a balance 41,
This balance 41 is connected to a recorder 42, which is used to record the weight loss of liquid from the aerated liquid reservoir 40 in which the liquid will be absorbed by the sample to be evaluated. .

A plastic sample cup 43, containing a sample 44 of the material to be tested, has a liquid-permeable bottom and is placed in a funnel 34 on a porous glass plate 35. The weight 46
It is placed on a disk-shaped diaphragm 45 which is placed on a sample of material. The sample cup 43 is composed of a plastic cylinder having an inner diameter of 1 inch and an outer diameter of 1.25 inch. The bottom of the sample cup 43 is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the plastic, the plastic cylinder is pressed against the hot screen to melt the plastic, and the screen is glued to the plastic cylinder, thus 150 microns at the end of the cylinder. It is formed by adhering a 100-mesh metal screen having openings.

To perform the test, a sample material 44 having a volume of 10.12 cubic centimeters is placed in the sample cup 43. A 100 gram weight 46 is then placed on the disk-shaped diaphragm, thereby exerting a load of about 0.3 pounds per square inch. The sample cup is placed on the porous glass plate 35. In the negative pressure gradient, the liquid from the aerated liquid storage tank 40 is supplied to the tubes 37, 38,
It is achieved by flowing through 39 into funnel 34 and lowering funnel 34 until it contacts porous glass plate 35. Then the desired negative pressure gradient (measured in height difference in centimeters between the top of the liquid level in the aerated liquid reservoir 40 and the height of the porous glass plate 35). Raise the height of the funnel 34 along the calibrated laboratory stand 31 until A recorder then records the amount of liquid removed from the vented liquid reservoir 40 and absorbed by the absorbent material on a basis of grams of liquid absorbed per gram of material as a function of negative pressure gradient. The negative pressure gradient is inversely proportional to the equivalent radius of interstitial pores according to the following equation. R = (2γ cos θ / δgh) where R = equivalent radius of interstitial pores, γ = liquid surface tension, θ = backward contact angle, δ =
Liquid density, g = gravitational acceleration, and h = negative pressure gradient. The test method produces a table of cumulative pore size volume as a function of equivalent radius of interstitial pores.

Gel Bed Permeability Test Method A suitable piston / cylinder arrangement for performing gel bed permeability (GBP) tests is shown in FIGS. Referring to FIG. 2, the device 120 comprises a cylinder 122 and a piston (generally shown as 124). As shown in FIG. 2, the piston 124 is constituted by a cylindrical LEXAN shaft 126, and has a coaxial cylindrical hole 128 bored in the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Both ends of shaft 126 are machined to include first and second ends 130,132. A weight 134 is placed on the first end 130 and has a hollowed cylindrical hole 136 through its center. A circular piston head 140 is inserted in the second end 132. The piston head 140 is sized to move vertically inside the cylinder 122. As shown in FIG. 3, the piston heads 140 each have 7 to 14 approximately 0.37
Includes a 5 inch (0.95 cm) cylindrical hole (typically arrows 142 and 144)
(Indicated by) and inner and outer coaxial rings. The holes in each of these coaxial rings are hollowed from the top to the bottom of the piston head 140. The piston head 140 is also centered around a cylindrical bore 146 that receives the second end 132 of the shaft 126.

Attached to the bottom end of the cylinder 122 is a No. 400 stainless steel cloth screen 148 stretched biaxially prior to bonding. Piston head 1
The one attached to the bottom end of 40 was stretched biaxially prior to bonding,
A No. 400 stainless steel cloth screen 150. A sample of absorbent material 152 is supported on screen 148. The cylinder 122 is formed by hollowing out a transparent LEXAN rod or the like, and has an inner diameter of 6.00 cm (area = 28.27 cm ² ), a wall thickness of about 0.5 cm,
And has a height of about 5.0 cm. The piston head 140 is machined from a LEXAN rod. It has a height of approximately 0.625 inches (1.59 cm) and a minimum clearance between the walls inside the cylinder 122 and is dimensioned to fit the cylinder 122 in a freely slidable relationship. Has a diameter. Piston head 14
The central hole 146 of 0 is 0.625 for the second end 132 of the shaft 126.
Has an inch (1.59 cm) threaded aperture (18 threads / inch). Shaft 126 is machined from a LEXAN rod and is 0.875 inches (2.22 cm)
And an inner diameter of 0.250 inch (0.64 cm). Second end 132
Is approximately 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) in length and is threaded to correspond to bore 146 in piston head 140. The first end 130 has a length of approximately 1
It is inch (2.54 cm) and 0.623 inch (1.58 cm) in diameter and forms an annular shoulder for carrying a stainless steel weight 134. The annular stainless steel weight 134 has an inner diameter of 0.625 inches (1.59 cm) and has a shaft 12
It can be slid over the first end 130 of 6 and rests on an annular shoulder formed therein. The combined weight of piston 124 and weight 134 equals approximately 596 g, relative to the area of 28.27 cm ² corresponds to a pressure of 0.30psi (20,685 dynes / cm ^2).

As fluid flows through the piston / cylinder arrangement, the cylinder 122 is generally placed on a 16 mesh rigid stainless steel support screen (not shown) or equivalent. The piston and weight are placed in an empty cylinder in order to take measurements from the bottom of the weight to the top of the cylinder. This measurement is performed using a caliper capable of reading 0.01 mm. This measurement is later used to calculate the height of the sample bed of absorbent material 152. It is important to keep a record of the situation in which each cylinder is measured empty and the piston and weight are used. The same piston and weight should be used to measure when a sample of absorbent material is swollen. The layer of adsorbent material used for GBP measurement is approximately 0.9 g of a sample of absorbent material placed in a GBP cylinder device (dry absorbent material should be spread evenly over the cylinder screen before swelling). Is a fluid, typically 0.9% (w / v
) Formed by swelling with saline for approximately 15 minutes. A sample of absorbent material is prescreened on US Standard 30 mesh and is selected from a population of absorbent material retained on US Standard 50 mesh. Therefore, the absorbent material has a particle size between 300 and 600 microns. Particles may be obtained by hand or from W.M., Mentor, Ohio, USA. S. Tyler, Inc. Commercially available from, for example, Ro-T
It can be pretreated automatically by means of the ap mechanical shaker model B by pre-sieving.

At the end of 15 minutes, the cylinder is removed from the liquid and the piston / weight assembly is placed on the sample of absorbent material. The thickness of the sample of swollen absorbent material is determined by measuring in micrometers from the bottom of the weight to the top of the cylinder. The value obtained by this measurement with an empty cylinder is subtracted from the value obtained after swelling of the sample of absorbent material. The value obtained is the height H of the sample bed of swollen absorbent material. GBP measurement is started by adding liquid to the cylinder 122 until the liquid is 4 cm above the bottom of the sample of absorbent material 152. The height of this liquid is
Maintained throughout the test. The amount of liquid passing through the sample of absorbent material 152 versus time is
It is measured gravimetrically. Data points are taken every 1 second for the first 2 minutes of the test and every 2 seconds for the rest. When plotting the data as the amount of liquid passing through the sample bed of absorbent material versus time, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that a stable flow rate has been achieved. Only data collected once the flow velocity is stable is used in the flow velocity calculation. The flow rate Q of the absorbent material 152 through the sample is determined by the linear least squares method of fluid (in grams) through time (in seconds) through the sample of absorbent material in units of g / s. The permeability in cm ² is obtained by the following formula. K = [Q * (H * Mu)] / [A * Rho * P] where K = gel bed permeability (cm ² ), Q = flow rate (g / sec), H = sample bed of absorbent material Height (cm), Mu = viscosity of liquid (poise), A = cross-sectional area of liquid flow (cm ² ), Rho = liquid density (g / cm ³ ), and P = hydrostatic pressure (dyne / c).
m ² ) (usually around 3,923 dynes / cm ² ).

Examples The following examples illustrate many preferred embodiments of the invention. Other preferred embodiments within the scope of the claims of this specification will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The description in the specification, together with the examples, is intended to be exemplary only, with the scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the claims which follow the examples.

Example 1 This example shows that a silica adsorbent is well suited for treating complex fluids such as menstruation. The absorbent material utilized in this example is described in J. Pat., Huber de Grasse, Maryland, USA. M. Huber Corp. Was Zeofree 5175B, a granular absorbent material commercially available from Granulation is achieved physically and contains no other components than precipitated silica particles. The uptake rate and rewetting was evaluated for Zeofree 5175B as received.
The results of this evaluation are shown in Table 1. Table 1 The composite fluid retention capacity (using a mimic) of the above sample is at least about 2.0.
It was 5 g / g.

Example 2 This example was prepared according to the method of J.P., Huber de Grasse, MD, USA. M. Hub
er Corp. Zeof, a granular silica absorbent material commercially available from
Figure 6 shows the effectiveness of particle size and distribution on the uptake of ree 5175B. In this example, Zeofree 5175B was sieved to a series of finely graded particle size distributions. The effects of these distributions on uptake rate and rewetting were also evaluated in combination to demonstrate that the uptake rate is affected by the proper combination of as-is and particles with different sizes. The results of these evaluations are shown in Table 2a and show that the narrow particle size distribution is not effective at absorbing liquid relatively quickly. Table 2a

Table 2b below shows that when the narrow particle size distributions are combined to have a bimodal size distribution, some combinations take up fluid with an intake time of 150 seconds or less that is considered desirable. It shows that you can. Suitable combinations are those that include a greater proportion of coarse material. Matching fine to coarse ratios preferably include 10/90, more preferably 20/80, and most preferably 25/75 mesh. These recombined proportions are characterized by having a standard deviation greater than 25% of the mean. Table 2b

Table 2c shows the interstitial pore size distribution of Zeofree 5175B sieved between about 30 and about 50 mesh screen, as measured by the capillary tension test method. Table 2d shows 75% of material between about 20 and about 30 mesh and 25% of material between about 40 and about 50 mesh, as measured by the capillary tension test method.
4 shows the interstitial pore size distribution of Zeofree 5175B with a 5% ratio. The pore size distribution created by the combination of the two sets of particle sizes shown in Table 2d is
It had a smaller proportion of smaller pores than the samples shown in Table 2c. About 100
Particle mixtures in which a relatively large proportion of pores larger than micron are combined are associated with improved uptake as shown by the data in Tables 2a and 2b. Table 2c Table 2d

Example 3 This example illustrates a hydrated layered magnesium-aluminum-iron-silicate (Strong-L, PO Box 8092, Pine Bluff, 71611, Arkansas, USA).
(commercially available from ITE Products), vermiculite exhibits desirable uptake times, rewetting and complex fluid retention capabilities. Table 3b shows that vermiculite exhibits a suitable pore size distribution that gives the desired uptake and rewetting. The pore size distribution in Table 3b was determined by the capillary tension test method. It is believed that the layered internal pore structure of vermiculite contributes to the desired uptake, rewetting of this absorbent material and complements its fluid retention capacity. Table 3a Table 3b Vermiculite exhibited a composite fluid retention capacity of at least about 2.17 g / g.

EXAMPLE 4 This example is based on an original aluminum silicate absorbent material known as perlite (Illinois, USA 60525-4257, Hodgkins, River Street 630).
0 of Silbrico Corp. Commercially available from Ryolex 3
Indicates that the desired uptake time is illustrated in Table 4a. Table 4b shows R
It has been shown that yolex 3 has a suitable pore size distribution that gives the desired uptake. The pore size distribution in Table 4b has been determined by the capillary tension test method. Ryolex 3 exhibited a composite fluid retention capacity of at least about 4.4 g / g. Table 4a Table 4b

Example 5 This example is based on Celphere CP305 (a spherical microcrystalline cellulose).
Market Street 1735, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
, FMC Corp. Are commercially available from K.K.) and exhibit desirable uptake and rewet as illustrated in Table 5. Table 5 Celphere CP305 is an example of a relatively spherical absorbent material that exhibits a uniform particle size distribution (ie, an average particle diameter size of about 400 microns). The permeability of this material is high (ie, above about 1,000 K) because the particles are rather large and relatively spherical. This high permeability reveals the desired uptake. However, since Celphere CP305 has no internal structure,
The composite fluid holding capacity is about 0.63 g / g, and about 100 for holding the composite fluid.
It indicates the need for pores smaller than micron.

Example 6 This example illustrates the use of pelletized cellulosic fibers (Rosenberg, Germany d.
-73496, J. Rettemmaier & Sohne GmbH & Co. The material LC200 HF made from (commercially available from, Inc.) exhibits desirable uptake and rewet as shown in Table 6. Table 6

Example 7 Cab-O-Sil M, an untreated fumigated silica (commercially available from Cabot Corp., Boston, MA 02109, USA).
No. 5 has a hand effect on the uptake of complex fluids (in this case mimics) due to fluid dehydration, as the percentage of small pores (<1 micron) present (> 2%) is too high. Shows. Table 7a shows the effect on the uptake rate of the composite fluid when the pore size volume of about 1 micron or less is too large. Table 7a Table 7b The data in Table 7b is the pore size distribution of Cab-O-Sil determined by mercury porosimetry, showing that pores smaller than about 1 micron diameter are included at about 8% of the pore volume. Mercury porosity measurement data are available in Georgia, USA 30093,
Micromet, One Micrometrics Street, Norcross
Ritics Instrument Corp. Obtained from. The requested tests were the Mercury Extrusion Porosimetry, Test No. 005-65000-31, Macro and Meso volume / size distribution. Sample is Micrometri
tics Instruments Corp. AutoPore Mercury Porosimeter, Unit 750, started on July 28, 1999 at 5 pm and concluded on July 29, 1999 at 10 pm. The above disclosed embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Various modifications and other embodiments and uses of the disclosed superabsorbent-containing composites that are obvious to those skilled in the art are also considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus suitable for measuring the pore size distribution of an absorbent material using the capillary tension method.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus suitable for determining gel bed permeability (GBP) values of absorbent materials.

[Figure 3]   FIG. 3 is a plan view of the piston head of the device of FIG. 2.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) A61F 13/53 A41B 13/02 K // A61F 5/441 (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH) , CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN , GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, CR, CU, C , DE, DK, DM, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL , TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW (72) Inventor Hansen Patsey A. Wisconsin, USA 54963 Omlo Petrak Lane 5000 (72) Inventor Solebo Heather A. Wisconsin USA State 54914 Appleton Glen Park Drive 2922 (72) Inventor Lyndon Jack N United States Georgia 30004 Alpharetta East Braflow De 14810 (72) Inventor Hamilton Wendy El Wisconsin 54956 Nina Westwood Drive 1412 (72) Inventor Damay Emmanuel Sea United States Wisconsin 54956 Nina State Highway 150 1840 Apartment # 4 F Term (Reference) 3B029 BA04 BA12 BA18 BB03 BB06 BC07 BD13 BD22 4C003 AA23 AA25 4C098 AA09 CC05 CC10 CC12 DD02 DD05 DD06 DD10 DD14 DD16 DD19 DD22 DD30

Claims (54)

[Claims] 1. An absorbent article comprising a containment means and particles of at least one absorbent material, wherein about 20 to about 50% of said absorbent particles in said containment means:
Having a pore volume of pores greater than about 100 microns for complex fluid uptake and distribution, with about 80 to about 50% of the pore volume less than about 100 microns for retention of complex fluid And wherein the absorbent particles are present in the containing means in an amount of about 10 to about 100% based on the total weight of the containing means and absorbent particles. 2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the housing means includes a top sheet and a back sheet. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein the top sheet is a liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric. 4. The top sheet is a perforated film,
The absorbent article according to claim 2. 5. The absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein the back sheet is a non-woven fabric. 6. The absorbent material comprises a hydrophilic material,
The absorbent article according to claim 1. 7. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent particles are directly attached to a fiber or a rubber elastic film. 8. The absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein the absorbent material includes an inorganic material. 9. The absorbent material is characterized in that it is selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, metal oxides, silicates, zeolites, carboxylates, phosphates, borates and aerogels. Item 10. The absorbent article according to item 8. 10. The absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein the absorbent material includes an organic material. 11. Absorbent article according to claim 10, characterized in that the absorbent material is selected from the group consisting of cellulosic materials, starch, chitin, alginates and synthetic polymers. 12. The absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein the absorbent material is a mixture of organic and inorganic materials. 13. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material has an interstitial space between about 100 and about 1,000 microns. 14. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material has an intraparticulate pore size of between about 100 and about 0.2 microns. 15. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein about 2% or less of the pore volume is provided by pores of about 1 micron or less. 16. An absorbent article comprising containment means and at least one particle of absorbent material, wherein the absorbent article comprises from about 10% to about 100% of the absorbent particles.
Has a permeability of at least about 1,000 K, and the absorbent particles are present in the receiving means in an amount of about 10 to about 100% based on the total weight of the receiving means and the absorbent particles. Absorbent article. 17. The absorbent article of claim 16, wherein the absorbent particles have a permeability between about 1,000 and about 4,000K. 18. The absorbent article according to claim 16, wherein the housing means includes a top sheet and a back sheet. 19. The absorbent material comprises a hydrophilic material,
The absorbent article according to claim 16. 20. The absorbent article according to claim 16, wherein the absorbent particles are directly attached to a fiber or rubber elastic film. 21. Absorbent article according to claim 16, characterized in that said absorbent material is a mixture of organic and inorganic materials. 22. The absorbent article of claim 16, wherein the absorbent material has an interstitial space between about 100 and about 1,000 microns. 23. The absorbent article of claim 16, wherein the absorbent material has an intraparticulate pore size of between about 100 and about 0.2 microns. 24. The absorbent article according to claim 16, wherein 2% or less of the pore volume is provided by pores of about 1 micron or less. 25. An absorbent article comprising a containment means and particles of at least one absorbent material, wherein the absorbent particles in the containment means are at least about 2 g / g.
A composite fluid retention capacity, wherein the absorbent particles are present in the containment means in an amount of about 10 to about 100% based on the total weight of the containment means and absorbent particles. Goods. 26. The absorbent article of claim 25, wherein the absorbent particles have a composite fluid retention capacity of between about 1 and about 15 g / g. 27. The absorbent article of claim 25, wherein the absorbent particles have a composite fluid retention capacity of between about 2 and about 8 g / g. 28. The absorbent article of claim 25, wherein the absorbent particles have a composite fluid retention capacity of between about 2 and about 6 g / g. 29. The absorbent article according to claim 25, wherein the accommodating means includes a top sheet and a back sheet. 30. The absorbent material comprises a hydrophilic material,
The absorbent article according to claim 25. 31. The absorbent article according to claim 25, wherein the absorbent particles are directly attached to a fiber or rubber elastic film. 32. The absorbent article according to claim 25, wherein the absorbent material is a mixture of organic and inorganic materials. 33. The absorbent article of claim 25, wherein the absorbent material has an interstitial space between about 100 and about 1,000 microns. 34. The absorbent article of claim 25, wherein the absorbent material has an intraparticle pore size of between about 100 and about 0.2 microns. 35. The absorbent article of claim 25, wherein 2% or less of the pore volume is provided by pores of about 1 micron or less. 36. An absorbent article comprising a containment means and particles of at least one absorbent material, wherein the absorbent particles in the containment means have a standard deviation of at least about 25% of the average particle size. Having a minimum average particle size of at least about 200 microns, wherein the absorbent particles are present in the receiving means in an amount of about 10 to about 100% based on the total weight of the receiving means and the absorbent particles. An absorbent article characterized by: 37. The absorbent article of claim 36, wherein the absorbent particles have an average particle size of between about 200 and about 800 microns. 38. The absorbent article of claim 36, wherein the absorbent particles have an average particle size of between about 300 and about 600 microns. 39. The absorbent article of claim 36, wherein the absorbent particles have an average particle size of between about 400 and about 500 microns. 40. The absorbent article according to claim 36, wherein the accommodating means comprises a top sheet and a back sheet. 41. The absorbent material comprises a hydrophilic material,
The absorbent article according to claim 36. 42. The absorbent article according to claim 36, wherein the absorbent particles are directly attached to a fiber or rubber elastic film. 43. Absorbent article according to claim 36, characterized in that the absorbent material is a mixture of organic and inorganic materials. 44. The absorbent article of claim 36, wherein the absorbent material has an interstitial space between about 100 and about 1,000 microns. 45. The absorbent article of claim 36, wherein the absorbent material has an intraparticulate pore size of between about 100 and about 0.2 microns. 46. The absorbent article of claim 36, wherein 2% or less of the pore volume is provided by pores of about 1 micron or less. 47. An absorbent article comprising containment means and particles of at least one absorbent material, wherein the absorbent particles in the containment means have a multimodal particle size distribution. An absorbent article, wherein particles are present in said containing means in an amount of from about 10 to about 100%, based on the total weight of said containing means and said absorbent particles. 48. The absorbent article according to claim 47, wherein the accommodating means includes a top sheet and a back sheet. 49. The absorbent material comprises a hydrophilic material,
An absorbent article according to claim 47. 50. The absorbent article according to claim 47, wherein the absorbent particles are directly attached to a fiber or rubber elastic film. 51. Absorbent article according to claim 47, characterized in that the absorbent material is a mixture of organic and inorganic materials. 52. The absorbent article of claim 47, wherein the absorbent material has an interstitial space between about 100 and about 1,000 microns. 53. The absorbent article of claim 47, wherein the absorbent material has an intraparticulate pore size of between about 100 and about 0.2 microns. 54. The absorbent article of claim 47, wherein 2% or less of the pore volume is provided by pores of about 1 micron or less.