Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Gabriel Hamman Adam

James D Cotton

Michael Tod Morman

Ali Yahiaoui

Eric Edward Lennon

Leon Eugene Chambers, Jr

Loyd G Kasbo, Deceased

Christopher Peter Olson

Andrew Mark Long

David Martin Jackson

Bryan David Haynes

Shirlee Ann Weber

Sridhar Ranganathan

Jark Chong Lau

John Herbert Conrad

Jeffrey Lawrence McManus

Davis Dang H Nhan

Donald F Durocher

Robert G Geer

Richard M Peterson

Jerome Joseph Schwalen

Christopher Laslie

H Edmund Clark

Disclosed is an absorbent article including a temperature change member. The temperature change member includes a matrix of fibers and temperature change material intermixed within the matrix of fibers.

Absorbent article featuring a temperature change member

An in-line formed, non-laminated web is suitable for use as a composite fluid distribution and fluid retention layer in a disposable absorbent article. The web can be formed by selective deposition of airlaid materials including absorbents, such as pulp and superabsorbents, together with binder fibers. The web so constructed will have a plurality of intermingled lower basis weight areas and higher basis weight areas coexisting and distributed in at least a central region of the web, the alternations crossing the X axis or Y axis, or both, of the web, with the higher basis weight areas being a greater thickness in the Z-direction than the lower basis weight areas. The web so constructed will further have no discrete material boundaries between the lower basis weight stripes and the higher basis weight stripes. Further the necessity of later processing on the web to achieve a ridged structure is removed and the fibers will remain whole and undisturbed. The selective vacuum manipulation in conjunction with multiple fiber deposition heads, and appropriate timing of fiber addition therefrom, will yield a variety of useful composite webs having multiple layers thereby forming an economical single web which may be easily incorporated into an absorbent garment or article.

Composite fluid distribution and fluid retention layer having selective material deposition zones for personal care products

A nonwoven web contains an even distribution of its composite materials by the separate application of particulate material such as superabsorbent particles into a forming head outside the air stream for deposition of thermoplastic fibers in the forming head. The thermoplastic fibers are distributed by air entertainment through tubular forming screens having rotary distribution members therein. The particulate absorbents are generally placed in the forming box by distribution units which may have metering devices and outlet chutes extending into the forming head.

Particulate addition method and apparatus

A versatile sorbent material is provided comprising a fibrous sheet having applied thereto a wetting chemistry comprising (i) a poly glycoside; (ii) a fatty acid ester ethoxylate; and (iii) one or more surfactants selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl alcohol ethoxylates, alkyl sulfonates and sulfates, alcohol ether sulfates, alkyl phosphates and phosphonates, alkyl sulfosuccinates and sulfated fatty acid esters. A sorbent material is provided having excellent electrical resistivity and good absorption properties for a broad range of liquids including paraffin oil, water, sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide.

Multi-functional sorbent material

A surfactant composition useful for imparting durability and wettability to a substrate includes first and second surfactants in combination. The first surfactant includes a compound selected from ethoxylated hydrogenated fatty oils, monosaccharides, monosaccharide derivatives, polysaccharides, polysaccharide derivatives, and combinations thereof. The second surfactant includes an organosilicon compound. The surfactant composition can be applied as an aqueous emulsion to a substrate such as a nonwoven web, to provide enhanced wettability after repeated washing cycles.

Method and composition for treating substrates for wettability

Disclosed is an improved high sorbency nonwoven fabric and its use particularly as an oilsorb material. The high sorbency nonwoven is preferably made by multi-bank meltblowing and different perturbing thermoplastic fibers of, for example, propylene polymers in separate banks to provide a fiber density gradient through the thickness of the fabric. The sorbent nonwovens have high bulk and strength, oil capacity and oil absorption rates making them particularly suited to such applications. Treatments and additives for such materials are also disclosed.

High bulk nonwoven sorbent with fiber density gradient

There is provided an abrasion resistant, oil absorbing fabric comprising at least one layer of fine microfibers having an average diameter of at least 10 samples of between about 1 and 7 microns bonded with at least one layer of coarse microfibers having an average diameter of at least 10 samples of between about 8 and 23 microns wherein said fabric has a basis weight between about 190 and 407 gsm and has not been secondarily bonded, except, if desired, the fabric may be pin bonded. Such a fabric has been found to be well suited to use as an oil absorbent floor mat. It has further been found that such a fabric has sufficient integrity to withstand wringing out in order to reclaim absorbed fluids.

Oil absorbent material with superior abrasive properties

Disclosed is a hydraulically entangled, autogenous-bonding, nonwoven composite fabric composed of a matrix of substantially continuous, thermoplastic polymer filaments and at least one substantially non-thermoplastic fibrous material integrated in the matrix so that the composite fabric is adapted to autogenously bond to itself upon application of heat. The hydraulically entangled, autogenous-bonding, nonwoven composite fabric may be suitable as infusion package material for applications such as, for example, tea bags and coffee filter pouches. Also disclosed is a method of making a hydraulically entangled, autogenous-bonding, nonwoven composite fabric.

Hydraulically entangled, autogenous-bonding, nonwoven composite fabric

There is disclosed an animal litter composition and a package for the composition. The composition constitutes decorticated flax straw which as been screened to particle sizes between about 10 and 22 U.S. Screen Mesh. The litter further includes a virucidal composition and a fragrance. The virucidal composition includes from about 0.05 to about 5 percent by weight based on the dry weight of the decorticated flax straw of a preferably anionic surfactant, and at least about 2 percent, based on the dry weight of the decorticated flax straw of at least one acid selected from a group consisting of citric, malic, and mixtures of the acids. The animal litter package constitutes a bag formed from a web of film, nonwoven/film laminates, film/paper laminate or wax/paper laminate in which the animal litter is contained prior to use. The bag can then be opened to serve as a litter box liner. Once the litter has been used, the edges of the bag can be regathered to form a bag for disposal of the litter.

Growing community of inventors

Alpharetta, GA, United States of America

Gabriel Hamman Adam