Diaper and/or sanitary napkin

A process for making an absorbent article comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a first outer layer which is permeable to aqueous solutions;
• (b) providing an absorbent inner layer, the absorbent layer comprising a zeolite-coated expanded grain composition prepared by the steps of heating grains and then coating the expanded grains with an inorganic powder material of zeolite in a range of 3-50 parts thereof for 100 parts of the grains, wherein the grains are pretreated by the steps, in the following sequence, of:
• (i) drying the grains, thereby reducing them in size;
• (ii) adding water to the dried and size reduced grains to obtain a paste;
• and
• (iii) passing the paste through a fine sieve and heating the sifted paste at a temperature in the range of 120.degree.-150.degree.C. to transform the paste into a plurality of lumps having a diameter in the range of 1-2 millimeters;
• (c) providing a second outer layer;
• and
• (d) securing the first and second layers to each other, with the absorbent layer residing therebetween, and the first and second layers are co-extensive and secured to one another at least on one side.