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AssigneeUnicharm Corporation
InventorsTakayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Koichi Yamaki, Noritomo Kameda
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A method is provided for recovering pulp fibers having little damage from a used absorbent article which includes a water permeable front sheet, a water impermeable back sheet and an absorbent body that contains pulp fibers and a superabsorbent polymer. At least one opening with a circle equivalent diameter of 5-45 mm, or 10-45 mm cut, is made in the front sheet and/or the back sheet of the used absorbent article, which is then agitated in an organic acid aqueous solution with a pH of less than or equal to 2.5, and the superabsorbent polymer is deactivated and the pulp fibers and superabsorbent polymer are discharged from the used absorbent article through the opening or cut.
A method of recovering pulp fibers from a used absorbent article that includes a water-permeable front sheet, a water-impermeable back sheet and an absorbent body containing pulp fibers and a superabsorbent polymer, wherein the method includes a step in which at least one open hole with a circle equivalent diameter of 5 to 45 mm, or at least one 10- to 45-mm cut, is formed in the front sheet and/or back sheet of the used absorbent article, and a step in which the used absorbent article provided with the open hole or cut is agitated in an organic acid aqueous solution with a pH of no higher than 2.5, the superabsorbent polymer is inactivated, and the pulp fibers and superabsorbent polymer are discharged from the used absorbent article through the open hole or cut, to prepare a mixture including the pulp fibers, inactivated superabsorbent polymer, front sheet material, back sheet material and organic acid aqueous solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.