Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Jaehong Lee

James Hongxue Wang

Vasily Aramovich Topolkaraev

Neil T Scholl

YoungSook Kim

David William Koenig

Gregory James Wideman

Bo Shi

KyungSik Jang

Justin M Mueller

Blake A Hondl

WenTong Lay

Dianna L Ambrose

Gabriel F Botero

Youngsook Kim

A wipe containing a fibrous web on which is coated an antimicrobial composition is provided. The composition includes a botanical oil derived from a plant (e.g., thymol, carvacrol, etc.). Because the oil is volatile and tends to evaporate and lose efficacy prior to use, a protein is also employed to enhance the composition's long term stability and antimicrobial efficacy. The protein tends to form a substantially continuous film when coated onto the fibrous web. Because such proteins are typically stiff and brittle, a continuous film would restrict the ability of the fibers to move and bend, reducing web flexibility and drape. Thus, it is typically desired that the antimicrobial composition form a discontinuous coating on the web. In this regard, the present inventors have surprisingly discovered that the addition of an organopolysiloxane can help achieve a discontinuous coating without adversely impacting the ability of the protein to stabilize the oil.

Wipe coated with a botanical composition having antimicrobial properties

An absorbent article having a front region, a back region, and a crotch region extending between and connecting the front region and the back region generally includes an absorbent assembly extending longitudinally between the front region and the back region, and a waist assembly attached to the absorbent assembly along the front region and the back region. The absorbent assembly includes an inner layer for facing a wearer, an outer layer for facing away from the wearer, and an absorbent structure disposed between the inner and outer layers. The waist assembly defines a waist opening of the absorbent article when the article is in a wear configuration, and includes an elastic laminate including a non-apertured body-facing layer, an apertured garment-facing layer, and an elastic layer disposed between the body-facing layer and the garment-facing layer.

Waist assembly having apertured layer and non-apertured layer for absorbent articles

A method and system for melt processing a thermoplastic composition that contains a starch and plasticizer is provided. The composition is melt blended and extruded through a die to form an extrudate, which is thereafter cooled using a multi-stage system of the present invention that includes at least one water-cooling stage and at least one air-cooling stage. More particularly, the extrudate is initially contacted with water for a certain period time so that it becomes partially cooled and solidified on its surface. After the water-cooling stage(s), the extrudate is also subjected to at least one air-cooling stage in which a stream of air is placed into contact with the extrudate.

Method for forming a thermoplastic composition that contains a plasticized starch polymer

A method for forming an antimicrobial composition that includes mixing an antimicrobially active botanical oil (e.g., thymol, carvacrol, etc.) and protein within a melt blending device (e.g., extruder) is provided. Despite the problems normally associated with melt processing proteins, the present inventors have discovered that the processing conditions and components may be selectively controlled to allow for the formation of a stable, melt-processed composition that is able to exhibit good mechanical properties. For example, the extrusion temperature(s) and shear rate employed during melt blending are relatively low to help limit polypeptide dissociation, thereby minimizing the impact of aggregation and embrittlement. While the use of such low temperature/shear conditions often tend to reduce mixing efficiency, the present inventors have discovered that a carrier fluid may be employed to enhance the ability of the botanical oil to flow into the internal structure of the protein where it can be retained in a stable manner. The composition is also typically anhydrous and generally free of solvents. In this manner, the protein will not generally disperse before use and prematurely release the botanical oil.

Protein stabilized antimicrobial composition formed by melt processing

Growing community of inventors

Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Jaehong Lee