# US 12,128,157 B2 · Absorbent articles including HIPE foam enhanced with clay nanoplatelets, and method of manufacture

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- Number: US 12,128,157 B2
- Document ID: US12128157B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/358,041
- Filed: 2021-06-25
- Published: 2021-12-30
- Granted: 2024-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2020-06-26
- Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Applicants: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Inventors: Maxwell Joseph Wingert; Josef Breu; Lina Mayr; Steven Ray Merrigan; Arsen Arsenov Simonyan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12128157B2

## CPC

- A61L 27/56: Porous materials, {e.g. foams or sponges}
- A61F 13/472: specially adapted for female use
- A61F 13/535: inhomogeneous in the plane of the pad, e.g. core absorbent layers being of different sizes ({A61F13/5323,} A61F13/537 take precedence)
- A61L 15/18: containing inorganic materials
- A61L 15/425: {Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges}
- A61L 27/047: {Other specific metals or alloys not covered by A61L27/042 - A61L27/045 or A61L27/06}
- A61L 27/16: obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- A61F 2013/530817: {being open cells}
- A61L 2400/12: Nanosized materials, e.g. nanofibres, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes; Nanostructured surfaces
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)

## Abstract

Open-cell foam having a structure of interconnected struts formed of polymeric material and defining open cells, resulting from polymerization of a continuous phase of a high internal phase water-in-oil emulsion, the struts comprising the polymeric material with clay nanoparticles at least partially captured therewithin, is disclosed. The clay nanoparticles may be present in combination with a surface modifier. Methods for making the open-cell foam are also disclosed. Absorbent articles including the open cell foam are also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An absorbent article comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent layer disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the absorbent layer comprises an open-cell foam,
the open-cell foam comprising a structure of interconnected struts formed of polymeric material and defining open cells, resulting from polymerization of a continuous phase of a high internal phase water-in-oil emulsion where the oil contains an emulsifier, the struts comprising the polymeric material with clay nanoparticles at least partially captured therewithin, wherein the clay nanoparticles are rendered organophilic with a surface modifier,
wherein the clay nanoparticles comprise nanoplatelets of sodium fluorohectorite, and wherein the surface modifier is an ammonium-terminated oligomeric poly(2-ethylhexyl methacrylate) having an average chain length of about 5, resulted from a reaction of oligomerization of 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate with cysteamine.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the absorbent article is a feminine hygiene pad.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the absorbent layer comprises a plurality of sublayers, each sublayer comprising an open-cell foam comprising a structure of interconnected struts formed of polymeric material and defining open cells, resulting from polymerization of a continuous phase of a high internal phase water-in-oil emulsion, wherein only one, or fewer than all, sublayers of the plurality of sublayers, comprises the open-cell foam.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The absorbent article of claim 3 wherein the open-cell foam comprised by a first of the plurality of sublayers has an average cell size that is relatively larger than that of the open-cell foam comprised by a second of the plurality of sublayers; and the open-cell foam comprised by a second of the plurality of sublayers has an average cell size that is relatively smaller than that of the open-cell foam comprised by the first of the plurality of sublayers.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The absorbent article of claim 4 wherein the first of the plurality of sublayers comprises the open-cell foam.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The absorbent article of claim 5 wherein the second of the plurality of sublayers comprises the open-cell foam.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The absorbent article of claim 3 wherein the absorbent layer comprises only two of said sublayers, the respective open-cell foams of said two sublayers being disposed respectively superadjacent and subjacent to, and in direct contact with, each other.