Cellulosic fibres

An absorbent personal product comprising at least one absorbent layer consisting essentially of a mixture of (a) between 10 to 50% by weight of a first textile fibre, which is a carboxymethylated solvent-spun cellulose fibre having a degree of substitution of from 0.2 to 0.5 carboxymethyl group per glucose unit, an absorbency of at least 30 grams of a 0.9% saline solution per gram of fibre as measured by the free swell method, and a tenacity of at least 10 cN/tex, and (b) between 90% and 50% by weight of at least one second textile fibre.

An absorbent personal product comprising at least one absorbent layer consisting essentially of a mixture of between 10 and 50% by weight of absorbent fibre and between 50% and 90% by weight of fluffed wood pulp, wherein said absorbent fibre comprises carboxymethylated solvent-spun cellulose fibre having a degree of substitution of from 0.2 to 0.5 carboxymethyl group per glucose unit, an absorbency of at least 30 grams of a 0.9% saline solution per gram of fibre as measured by the free swell method, and a tenacity of at least 10 nN/tex.

A process for producing carboxymethyl cellulose fibre, said process comprising the steps of

• wetting solvent-spun cellulose fibre with a solution comprising an alkali metal hydroxide selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, and a monochloroacetic reagent selected from the group consisting of monochloroacetic acid and a monochloroacetate salt thereof, and
• heating said fibre in the presence of said solution at a temperature of at least 50.degree. C. to provide a reaction between said solvent-spun cellulose fibre and the alkali metal hydroxide and the monochloroacetic reagent in said solution,
• said process producing carboxymethyl cellulose fibre having a degree of substitution of from 0.2 to 0.5 carboxymethyl group per glucose unit and an absorbency of at least 30 grams of a 0.9% saline solution per gram of fibre as measured by the free swell method.

A process for producing carboxymethyl cellulose fibre, said process comprising the steps of

• wetting solvent-spun cellulose fibre with a first solution of an alkali metal hydroxide selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide and separately with a second solution of a monochloroacetate salt, and
• heating the wetted fibre to a temperature between 80.degree. and 150.degree. C. after it has been wetted with both said solutions,
• said process producing carboxymethyl cellulose fibre having a degree of substitution of from 0.2 to 0.5 carboxymethyl group per glucose unit and an absorbency of at least 30 grams of a 0.9% saline solution per gram of fibre as measured by the free swell method.