Absorbent members containing interparticle crosslinked aggregates

An absorbent member comprising a mixture of fiber material and a particulate, absorbent, polymeric composition, said polymeric composition comprising interparticle crosslinked aggregates, said interparticle crosslinked aggregates comprising (i) substantially dry precursor particles of substantially water-insoluble, absorbent, hydrogel-forming, polymer material;

• said polymer material of said precursor particles being selected from the group consisting of hydrolyzed starch-acrylonitrile graft copolymer, partially neutralized starch-acrylonitrile graft copolymer, starch-acrylic acid graft copolymer, partially neutralized starch-acrylic acid graft copolymer, saponified vinyl acetate-acrylic ester copolymers, hydrolyzed acrylonitrile or acrylamide copolymers, slightly network crosslinked products of any of the foregoing copolymers, partially neutralized polyacrylic acid, and slightly network crosslinked products of partially neutralized polyacrylic acid;
• and (ii) an interparticle crosslinking agent reacted with said polymer material of said precursor particles to form covalent crosslink bonds between said precursor particles;
• said interparticle crosslinking agent being selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohol compounds, polyglycidyl ether compounds, polyfunctional aziridine compounds, polyfunctional amine compounds, and polyfunctional isocyanate compounds;
• said interparticle crosslinked aggregates being present in said polymeric composition in an amount such that said polymeric composition has a mass average particle size at least about 30% greater than the mass average particle size of said precursor particles.

An absorbent member having a back section and a front section contiguous with said back section, said front section having an end region and a deposition region contiguous with said end region and said back section so that said deposition region is positioned between said end region and said back section, the absorbent member comprising:

• a mixture of hydrophilic fiber material and a particulate, absorbent, polymeric composition, said polymeric composition comprising interparticle crosslinked aggregates, said interparticle crosslinked aggregates comprising (i) substantially dry precursor particles of substantially water-insoluble, absorbent, hydrogel-forming, polymer material, said polymer material consisting essentially of slightly network crosslinked products of partially neutralized polyacrylic acid;
• and (ii) an interparticle crosslinking agent reacted with said polymer material of said precursor particles to form covalent crosslink bonds between said precursor particles;
• said interparticle crosslinking agent being selected from the group consisting of glycerol, trimethylol propane, ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, or 1,3-propanediol;
• said interparticle crosslinked aggregates being present in said polymeric composition in an amount such that said polymeric composition has a mass average particle size at least about 30% greater than the mass average particle size of said precursor particles, the mass average particle size of said precursor particles being less than about 500 microns;
• and said mixture of fiber material and particulate, absorbent polymeric composition being distributed in zones of different densities, such that the absorbent member comprises:
• a storage zone positioned in at least said deposition region of said absorbent member;
• and
• an acquisition zone positioned, in at least said deposition region of the absorbent member, said acquisition zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than said storage zone, said storage zone at least partially laterally surrounding the perimeter of said acquisition zone as to be in liquid communication with at least a portion of the lateral area of said acquisition zone.