Absorbent Article Containing A Particulate Superabsorbent Polymer Composition Having Improved Stability

An absorbent article comprising:

• a topsheet;
• backsheet;
• an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet, the absorbent core comprising a particulate superabsorbent polymer composition, the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition comprising:
• a) from about 55 wt % to about 85 wt % of polymerizable unsaturated acid group containing monomers selected from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, or mixtures thereof;
• b) from about 14 wt % to about 45 wt % of an alkali base selected from sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to neutralize the polymerizable unsaturated acid group containing monomers of a) to from about 50 to about 80 mol %;
• c) from about 0.001 wt % to about 5.0 wt % based on the weight of a) of an internal crosslinking agent, wherein the components a), b) and c) are polymerized into a hydrogel which is granulated into particulate superabsorbent polymer having a surface;
• d) from about 0.001 wt % to about 5.0 wt % based on the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition weight of surface crosslinking agent applied to the surface of the particulate superabsorbent polymer;
• e) from 0.001 wt to about 5.0 wt % based on the particulate superabsorbent composition weight of a neutralized aluminum salt applied to the surface of the particulate superabsorbent polymer, in the form of an aqueous neutralized aluminum salt solution having a pH value from about 5.5 to about 8;
• wherein the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition has a Centrifuge Retention Capacity of from about 25 grams to about 40 grams of 0.9 weight percent sodium chloride aqueous per gram of the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition, wherein the CRC is measured either before or after subjecting the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition to a Processing Test, and an original Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability (FSGBP) of about 20×10−8 cm2 to about 200×10−8 cm2 prior to subjecting the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition to the Processing Test;
• and subsequent to subjecting the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition to the Processing Test the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition has a permeability stability index of from about 0.60 to about 0.99.

An absorbent core for use in an absorbent article, the absorbent core comprising a particulate superabsorbent polymer composition, the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition comprising:

• a) from about 55 wt % to about 85 wt % of polymerizable unsaturated acid group containing monomers selected from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, or mixtures thereof;
• b) from about 14 wt % to about 45 wt % of an alkali base selected from sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to neutralize the polymerizable unsaturated acid group containing monomers of a) to from about 50 to about 80 mol %;
• c) from about 0.001 wt % to about 5.0 wt % based on the weight of a) of an internal crosslinking agent, wherein the components a), b) and c) are polymerized into a hydrogel which is granulated into particulate superabsorbent polymer having a surface;
• d) from about 0.001 wt % to about 5.0 wt % based on the particulate superabsorbent composition weight of surface crosslinking agent applied to the surface of the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition;
• e) from 0.001 wt % to about 5.0 wt % based on the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition weight of a neutralized aluminum salt applied to the surface of the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition, in the form of an aqueous neutralized aluminum salt solution having a pH value from about 5.5 to about 8;
• wherein the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition has a Centrifuge Retention Capacity of from about 25 grams to about 40 grams of 0.9 weight percent sodium chloride aqueous per gram of the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition, wherein the CRC is measured either before or after subjecting the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition to a Processing Test, and an original Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability (FSGBP) of about 20×10−8 cm2 to about 200×10−8 cm2 prior to subjecting the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition to the Processing Test;
• and subsequent to subjecting the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition to the Processing Test the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition has a permeability stability index of from about 0.60 to about 0.99.