Abstract: The present disclosure relates to personal care products such as diapers, training pants, feminine care articles, incontinence articles, bandages, and the like, that have been treated to enhance liquid intake and distribution performance characteristics and reduce leakage. Advantageously, the treated personal care products described herein not only reduce the viscosity and elasticity of viscoelastic fluids that come in contact with the treated product, but also reduce the fouling effect of such fluids.

Abstract: The present invention provides a substrate treated with an linked enzyme. It has been discovered that a substrate treated with a linked enzyme can be effective in improving the ability of the substrate to absorb viscoelastic materials, such as menses, by cleaving a protein structure present in some viscoelastic materials. In addition, the linked enzyme is less likely to migrate from the treated material onto the user, as compare to an enzyme being placed directly on the substrate, thereby reducing the risk of sensitization to the user of the absorbent product. Also provided by the present invention are absorbent articles which contain at least one surface or layer containing the linked enzyme.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article such as a disposable diaper, sanitary pad or tampon, wound dressing or bandage which includes a nonwoven web material made from a plurality of polymeric fibers having at least one treatment chemistry suitable for modifying at least one characteristic of a high viscoelasticity fluid upon contact with the high viscoelasticity fluid. In accordance with one particularly preferred embodiment, the treatment chemistry is suitable for immobilizing the high viscoelasticity fluid within the nonwoven web material.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article such as a disposable diaper, sanitary pad or tampon, wound dressing or bandage which includes a nonwoven web material made from a plurality of polymeric fibers having at least one treatment chemistry suitable for modifying at least one characteristic of a high viscoelasticity fluid upon contact with the high viscoelasticity fluid. In accordance with one particularly preferred embodiment, the treatment chemistry is suitable for immobilizing the high viscoelasticity fluid within the nonwoven web material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to personal care products such as diapers, training pants, feminine care articles, incontinence articles, bandages, and the like, that have been treated to enhance liquid intake and distribution performance characteristics and reduce leakage. Advantageously, the treated personal care products described herein not only reduce the viscosity and elasticity of viscoelastic fluids that come in contact with the treated product, but also reduce the fouling effect of such fluids.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article, such as a sanitary pad or napkin, wound dressing, and the like having one or more layers of absorbent material treated with a red blood cell lysing agent and a gelling agent. The effect of combining a lysing agent that thins menses or other blood-containing bodily fluids with a gelling agent that thickens menses or other blood-containing bodily fluids is enhanced agglomeration and increased viscosity of the blood-containing bodily fluids that come in contact with the treated material.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article, such as a sanitary pad or napkin, wound dressing, and the like having an absorbent material treated with a fluid treatment agent, which fluid treatment agent causes red blood cells in a blood-containing fluid to agglomerate or lyse as the fluid passes into and/or through the absorbent article. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the absorbent material is a porous nonwoven web material.

Abstract: A striped material and a stripe focusing plate for making striped material. The stripe focusing plate includes a number of grooves extending through the plate, each groove having a transverse width l. The stripe focusing plate also includes a number of triangular prisms, each adjacent a groove and having a slope between about 70 and about 85 degrees. Particles distributed onto the plate fall through the grooves onto a substrate positioned below the plate to form stripes on the substrate. Each of the stripes has a half-height width L, and a sharpness coefficient L/l of less than 1. The resulting striped material is particularly suitable for use in disposable absorbent articles.

Abstract: There is provided an absorbent system that not only takes in fluid, but then transfers that fluid further beneath the first composite. This is achieved in this invention through paired permeability, capillarity, and void volume of the first and second composites. The invention is an absorbent system composed of at least two absorbent composites that have complementary structural/surface energy characteristics. Such an absorbent system has a first absorbent Composite A which has a first permeability, a first capillarity, and a first void volume and at least one second absorbent Composite B which has a second capillarity and a second porosity multiplied by second thickness. The first absorbent Composite A is in liquid communication or contact with at least one second absorbent Composite B, such that the first absorbent Composite A, and the second absorbent Composite B have a fluid partitioning amount in Composite A, a third triple intake time (IT3) and a rewet value.

Abstract: A method of incorporating a density modulator into an absorbent composite includes the steps of applying a density modulator solution to a pulp sheet, fiberizing the pulp sheet, and incorporating the fiberized pulp sheet into an absorbent composite. The density modulator can be applied by slot coating or by using a flooded nip. Once the density modulator is incorporated into the absorbent composite, the absorbent composite is highly wettable and, upon contact with blood-containing bodily fluids, undergoes a decrease in density, thereby increasing the absorbent capacity of the absorbent composite.

Abstract: There is provided an intake/retention/transfer material for personal care products like feminine hygiene products, which is a heterogeneous composite containing between 5 and 25 weight percent of a superabsorbent or gelling material and having a density less than 0.17 g/cc. A more particular embodiment contains less than 20 weight percent and a still more particular embodiment contains 15 weight percent or less of a superabsorbent or gelling material. Also provided are absorbent articles which contain the class of intake/transfer materials mentioned above along with additional absorbent layers such that the absorption of a menses simulant provides fluid partitioning of less than 72% of fluid in the intake/transfer/retention composite. Additionally said composite should have retention capacity values greater than 2.7 g/g.

Abstract: A method of incorporating a density modulator into an absorbent composite includes the steps of applying a density modulator solution to a pulp sheet, fiberizing the pulp sheet, and incorporating the fiberized pulp sheet into an absorbent composite. The density modulator can be applied by slot coating or by using a flooded nip. Once the density modulator is incorporated into the absorbent composite, the absorbent composite is highly wettable and, upon contact with blood-containing bodily fluids, undergoes a decrease in density, thereby increasing the absorbent capacity of the absorbent composite.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article, such as a sanitary pad or napkin, wound dressing, and the like having one or more layers of absorbent material treated with a red blood cell lysing agent and a gelling agent. The effect of combining a lysing agent that thins menses or other blood-containing bodily fluids with a gelling agent that thickens menses or other blood-containing bodily fluids is enhanced agglomeration and increased viscosity of the blood-containing bodily fluids that come in contact with the treated material.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article, such as a sanitary pad or napkin, tampon, wound dressing, and the like having one or more layers of absorbent material treated with a density modulator. The treated layer or layers are highly wettable and upon contact with blood-containing bodily fluids undergo a decrease in density, thereby increasing the absorbent capacity of the treated material.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article, such as a sanitary pad or napkin, wound dressing, and the like having an absorbent material treated with a fluid treatment agent, which fluid treatment agent causes red blood cells in a blood-containing fluid to agglomerate or lyse as the fluid passes into and/or through the absorbent article. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the absorbent material is a porous nonwoven web material.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article such as a disposable diaper, sanitary pad or tampon, wound dressing or bandage which includes a nonwoven web material made from a plurality of polymeric fibers having at least one treatment chemistry suitable for modifying at least one characteristic of a high viscoelasticity fluid upon contact with the high viscoelasticity fluid. In accordance with one particularly preferred embodiment, the treatment chemistry is suitable for immobilizing the high viscoelasticity fluid within the nonwoven web material.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article, such as a sanitary pad or napkin, wound dressing, and the like having an absorbent material treated with a fluid treatment agent, which fluid treatment agent causes red blood cells in a blood-containing fluid to agglomerate or lyse as the fluid passes into and/or through the absorbent article. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the absorbent material is a porous nonwoven web material.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article having at least one nonwoven web material and at least one reducing agent disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the at least one nonwoven web material.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved structure that includes a nonwoven web including a viscoelastant treatment. The treated web, when contacted by a viscoelastic fluid such as menses alters the viscoelastic properties of the fluid and enhances its wicking and distribution throughout the absorbent structure. A desirable viscoelastant is a alkyl polyglycoside, particularly those having 8 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. When applied so as to provide an amount of about 0.1% to about 5.0% solids add-on based on the weight of the dry nonwoven web, rapid fluid wicking and distribution may be obtained. Other viscoelastants are disclosed. Advantageously the treatment may be applied as a high solids composition using conventional application means such as spray coaters and the like or as an internal additive. The absorbent structure finds particular utility as a distribution layer component of a sanitary napkin for absorbing menses as well as other blood handling products such as surgical drapes, for example.

Abstract: A coated porous substrate composed of a hydrophobic polymer which is substantially uniformly coated with a hydrophilic polymeric material. The substrate may be a sheet-like material, examples of which are foams, fibers, and fibrous webs. The fibrous webs desirably will be nonwoven webs. The coating on the substrate is durable to an aqueous medium at a temperature in a range of from about 10.degree. C. to about 50.degree. C. and does not significantly suppress the surface tension of an aqueous medium with which the coated substrate may come in contact. The hydrophobic polymer may be a polyolefin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The hydrophilic polymeric material with which the polymer fibers are coated may be a polysaccharide or a modified polysaccharide. Also provided is a method of preparing a coated porous substrate which involves providing a porous substrate composed of a hydrophobic polymer. At least a portion of the substrate then is exposed to a field of reactive species.