Structure having balanced pH profile
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsPalani Wallajapet, Alice Romans-Hess, Edwin Ta, Jian Qin
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Abstract
Disclosed is an absorbent structure comprising an acidic or basic water-swellable, water-insoluble polymer, a basic or acidic second material, and, optionally, a buffering agent, wherein the absorbent structure exhibits desirable absorbent properties. Specifically, the present invention relates to an absorbent structure having the ability to absorb a large quantity of liquid while maintaining a substantially desired and balanced pH profile on or along the upper surface of the absorbent structure. The absorbent structure is useful in disposable absorbent products, such as those disposable absorbent products that are used to absorb body liquid.
Claims10
An absorbent structure having an upper surface, the absorbent structure comprising:
- a) a water-swellable, water-insoluble polymer having acidic functional groups, wherein the water-swellable, water-insoluble polymer has at least about 50 molar percent of the acidic functional groups in free acid form;
- and
- b) a polymeric basic material that is not water-swellable and water-insoluble;
- wherein the absorbent structure exhibits a Wicking Capacity value that is at least about 5 grams per gram of absorbent structure and exhibits a pH on the upper surface that remains within the range of about 3 to about 8.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.