SOME ADVANCES IN NONWOVEN STRUCTURES FOR ABSORBENCY, COMFORT AND AESTHETICS

Abstract

Modern disposable articles for personal and health care should offer excellent absorbency as well as comfort in use, need to be aesthetic and ensure discretion. There are numerous challenges facing the designers of nonwoven fabrics for absorption of body fluids, which result from various engineering contradictions. Combining all necessary functions, i.e. fluid acquisition, distribution and retention, in one uniform, simple composite made of fibers and superabsorbent polymer particles may be problematic. One can easily predict from theory that improving one parameter will result in a deterioration of another function. High-performance, multifunctional unitary structures require separation of functional components and their placement in a nonwoven web in a predetermined, oriented fashion. Some examples of such structures are proposed here and the experimental test results are discussed to demonstrate the advantages of the studied materials. The aesthetics of the finished article as well as the comfort of their use depend mainly on the bulk and mechanical properties of the absorbent core, such as integrity, softness and pliability. The paper provides some examples of engineered nonwoven webs having these desired attributes.