Abstract: Three dimensional nonwoven materials and absorbent articles comprising such materials are disclosed. In one embodiment, an absorbent article may comprise an outer cover, a bodyside liner, an absorbent body, and a nonwoven material coupled to the bodyside liner. The nonwoven material may comprise an apertured zone providing a percent open area for the apertured zone that is greater than about 15%. The nonwoven material may be coupled to liner by a front waist bond forming a front waist bonding region which extends through the apertured zone and a rear waist bond forming a rear waist bonding region, wherein the rear waist bonding region has a length that is between about 2% and about 10% of the material length and the front waist bonding region has a length that is between about 20% and about 50% of the material length.

Abstract: Three dimensional nonwoven materials and methods of manufacturing such materials are disclosed. An absorbent article can include an absorbent body and an outer cover. The absorbent article can also include a fluid-entangled nonwoven material. The absorbent body can be disposed between the fluid-entangled nonwoven material and the outer cover. The fluid-entangled nonwoven can include a first surface and a second surface. The nonwoven material can also include a plurality of nodes extending away from abase plane on the first surface towards the absorbent body. The nonwoven material can further include a plurality of openings extending from the first surface to the second surface through the fluid-entangled nonwoven material. Individual openings of the plurality of openings can be disposed between adjacent nodes of the plurality of nodes.

Abstract: A hollow fiber that generally extends in a longitudinal direction is provided. The hollow fiber comprises a hollow cavity that extends along at least a portion of the fiber in the longitudinal direction. The cavity is defined by an interior wall that is formed front a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a polyolefin matrix polymer and a nanoinclusion additive dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains. A porous network is defined in the composition that includes a plurality of nanopores.

Abstract: Three dimensional nonwoven materials and methods of manufacturing such materials are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method can include providing a precursor web that includes a plurality of fibers and transferring the precursor web to a forming surface having a plurality of forming holes. The method can also include directing a plurality of pressurized fluid streams of entangling fluid in a direction towards the precursor web on the forming surface to move at least some of the fibers into the plurality of forming holes to create a fluid entangled web. The method can further include removing the fluid entangled web from the forming surface such that the at least some of the fibers moved into the plurality of forming holes provide a plurality of nodes. The plurality of nodes can have an anisotropy value greater than 1.0 as determined by the Node Analysis Test Method.

Abstract: A hollow fiber that generally extends in a longitudinal direction is provided. The hollow fiber comprises a hollow cavity that extends along at least a portion of the fiber in the longitudinal direction. The cavity is defined by an interior wall that is formed from a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a polyolefin matrix polymer and a nanoinclusion additive dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains. A porous network is defined in the composition that includes a plurality of nanopores.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes an absorbent member positioned between a topsheet and a backsheet. The absorbent member contains at least one layer that includes superabsorbent particles containing a porous network that includes a plurality of nanopores having an average cross-sectional dimension of from about 10 to about 500 nanometers, wherein the superabsorbent particles exhibit a Vortex Time of about 80 seconds or less and a free swell gel bed permeability (GBP) of 5 darcys or more, of 10 darcys or more, of 60 darcys or more, or of 90 darcys or more.

Abstract: A polyolefin material that is formed by solid state drawing of a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a polyolefin matrix polymer and nanoinclusion additive is provided. The nanoinclusion additive is dispersed within the continuous phase as discrete nano-scale phase domains. When drawn, the nano-scale phase domains are able to interact with the matrix in a unique manner to create a network of nanopores.

Abstract: A method for forming porous fibers is provided. The fibers are formed from a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase, which includes a matrix polymer, and a nanoinclusion additive that is at least partially incompatible with the matrix polymer so that it becomes dispersed within the continuous phase as discrete nano-scale phase domains. The method generally includes traversing a bundle of the fibers over one or more draw bars that are in contact with a fluidic medium (e.g., water). In certain embodiments, for example, the draw bar(s) are submerged in the fluidic medium. The fluidic medium is lower than the melting temperature of the matrix polymer.

Abstract: A film that comprises a thermoplastic composition that contains a continuous phase that includes a polyolefin matrix polymer and a nanoinclusion additive dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains is provided. The film is biaxially stretched in a machine direction and cross-machine direction to form a porous network in the composition. The porous network contains nanopores having a maximum cross-sectional dimension of about 800 nanometers or less. At least a portion of the nanopores are oriented in the cross-machine direction so that the axial dimension generally extends in the cross-machine direction and the cross-sectional dimension generally extends in the machine direction.

Abstract: A method for making a high topography nonwoven substrate includes generating a foam including water and synthetic binder fibers; depositing the foam on a planar surface; disposing a template form on the foam opposite the planar surface to create a foam/form assembly; heating the foam/form assembly to dry the foam and bind the synthetic binder fibers; and removing the template from the substrate after heating the foam/form assembly, wherein the substrate includes a planar base layer having an X-Y surface and a backside surface opposite the X-Y surface; and a plurality of projection elements integral with and protruding in a Z-direction from the X-Y surface, wherein the projection elements are distributed in both the X- and Y-directions, and wherein the density of a projection element is the same as the density of the base layer.

Abstract: A high topography nonwoven substrate includes synthetic binder fibers; a planar base layer having an X-Y surface and a backside surface opposite the X-Y surface; and a plurality of projection elements integral with and protruding in a Z-direction from the X-Y surface, wherein each projection element has a height, a diameter or width, a cross-section, a sidewall, a proximal end where the projection element meets the base layer, and a distal end opposite the proximal end, wherein the projection elements are distributed in both the X- and Y-directions, and wherein the density of a projection element is the same as the density of the base layer.

Abstract: Superabsorbent particles have a median size of from about 50 to about 2,000 micrometers and contain a porous network that includes a plurality of nanopores having an average cross-sectional dimension of from about 10 to about 500 nanometers, wherein the superabsorbent particles exhibit a Vortex Time of about 80 seconds or less and a free swell gel bed permeability (GBP) of 5 darcys or more, of 10 darcys or more, of 20 darcys or more, of 30 darcys or more, of 60 darcys or more, or of 90 darcys or more. A method for forming such superabsorbent particles includes forming a composition that contains a superabsorbent polymer and a solvent system; contacting the composition with a non-solvent system to initiate formation of the porous network through phase inversion; removing non-solvent from the composition; and surface crosslinking the superabsorbent particles.

Abstract: A polymeric material having a multimodal pore size distribution is provided. The material is formed by applying a stress to a thermoplastic composition that contains first and second inclusion additives dispersed within a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer. Through the use of particular types of inclusion additives and careful control over the manner in which such additives are dispersed within the polymer matrix, the present inventors have discovered that a unique, multimodal porous structure can be achieved.

Abstract: Fibers that are formed from a thermoplastic composition that contains a rigid renewable polyester and has a voided structure and low density are provided. To achieve such a structure, the renewable polyester is blended with a polymeric toughening additive in which the toughening additive can be dispersed as discrete physical domains within a continuous matrix of the renewable polyester. Fibers are thereafter formed and then stretched or drawn at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the polyester (i.e., “cold drawn”).

Abstract: An absorbent article containing a polyolefin film is provided. The polyolefin film is formed by a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a polyolefin matrix polymer and nanoinclusion additive is provided. The nanoinclusion additive is dispersed within the continuous phase as discrete nano-scale phase domains. When drawn, the nano-scale phase domains are able to interact with the matrix in a unique manner to create a network of nanopores.

Abstract: A polyolefin fiber that is formed by a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a polyolefin matrix polymer and nanoinclusion additive is provided. The nanoinclusion additive is dispersed within the continuous phase as discrete nano-scale phase domains. When drawn, the nano-scale phase domains are able to interact with the matrix in a unique manner to create a network of nanopores.

Abstract: A thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer film includes a continuous phase that includes a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer and a nanoinclusion additive dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains, wherein each discrete domain is elongated with a long axis, wherein the axes are aligned in the machine direction (MD) when the film is relaxed, and wherein the axes are aligned in the cross direction (CD) when the film is stretched in the CD. Also, an article includes the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer film.

Abstract: A polymeric material that is capable of being employed as a build material and/or support material in a three-dimensional printer system is provided. The polymeric material is formed from a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer. A microinclusion additive and nanoinclusion additive are dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains.

Abstract: Microparticles that have a multimodal pore size distribution are provided, Notably, the pore structure of the present invention can be formed without the need for complex techniques and solvent chemistries traditionally employed to form porous microparticles. Instead, the microparticles contain a polymeric material that is formed from a thermoplastic composition, which is simply strained to a certain degree to achieve the desired porous network structure.

Abstract: A technique for initiating the formation of pores in a polymeric material that contains a thermoplastic composition is provided. The thermoplastic composition contains microinclusion and nanoinclusion additives dispersed within a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer. To initiate pore formation, the polymeric material is mechanically drawn (e.g., bending, stretching, twisting, etc.) to impart energy to the interface of the continuous phase and inclusion additives, which enables the inclusion additives to separate from the interface to create the porous network. The material is also drawn in a solid state in the sense that it is kept at a temperature below the melting temperature of the matrix polymer.