Development Of Absorbent Material In Diapers

1.Absorbent material in diapers

With the development and progress of the times and the enhancement of people's health awareness, disposable sanitary products such as diapers are more and more widely used in daily life. This article briefly introduces the development of absorbent material in diapers. The core of diapers is the absorbent core layer, in which liquid is absorbed and stored by super absorbent polymer (SAP for short). In addition to the absorbent core, today's diapers include other features such as leg cuffs, acquisition layers, and topsheets to control initial fluid absorption and prevent leakage. The introduction of elastic materials helps to improve the fit of diapers and also plays a very important role in reducing leakage.

2. Proportion of SAP and fluff pulp

There are two major trends in baby diapers in Asia: thinner and softer. In the past, diapers contained a large amount of fluff pulp in which a small amount of superabsorbent resin was dispersed. However, the fluff pulp contained in today's diapers has been greatly reduced, and the superabsorbent resin has been greatly increased, so that the fluff pulp is now dispersed in a layer of superabsorbent resin particles. The current problem is mainly how to achieve uniform distribution of superabsorbent resin and fluff pulp, and maintain the integrity of the core with a high proportion of SAP (50% or higher). Fluff pulp and superabsorbent resin have different roles in the absorbent core. The fluff pulp is responsible for the initial temporary storage of liquid, and then the superabsorbent resin sucks the liquid out of the fluff pulp and locks it firmly. This process repeats after each gush of liquid, but as the superabsorbent resin continues to expand, it becomes increasingly difficult to absorb and spread the liquid.

3. SAP

Superabsorbent resin swells after absorbing liquid, and the dry polymer particles become a soft polymer gel. During swelling, the spaces between the gel particles gradually close, especially when external pressure is encountered (e.g. a baby sitting in a diaper). The fluff pulp between the gel particles keeps the pores open to allow fluid to flow through the absorbent core. Compared to the very thick old-fashioned diapers, current diaper designs are thin and contain very little fluff pulp, which is used to temporarily store liquid and separate the expanded superabsorbent resin gel particles from each other. Therefore, in the current design of thin diapers, it is required to use specially designed superabsorbent resin to absorb liquid in the absorbent core layer.

Understanding the development of absorbent material in diapers in recent years will help relevant consumers to better choose diaper products, and also provide a certain reference for relevant researchers.