Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Nancy Birbiglia Lange

Jian Qin

Scott J Smith

Lawrence Howell Sawyer

Sridhar Ranganathan

Fu-Jya Daniel Tsai

William Grover Reeves

Cathleen Mae Uttecht

Richard Norris Dodge, Ii

Jayant Chakravarty

Shannon Kathleen Melius

Michael John Niemeyer

Xiaomin Zhang

Mark Joy

Sandra Marie Rogers

Markus Frank

Whei-Neen Hsu

Steven Michael Hurley

Kenneth Raymond Schueler, Jr

An absorbent structure made at least in part from a superabsorbent material having a retention capacity (CRC) as determined by a Centrifuge Retention Capacity Test of at least about 25 g/g and a free swell gel bed permeability (GBP) as determined by a Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability Test of at least 575&#xd7;10cm. In another embodiment, the absorbent structure is made at least in part from a superabsorbent material having a retention capacity (CRC) as determined by a Centrifuge Retention Capacity Test of at least about 25 g/g, an absorbency under load (AUL) at 0.9 psi as determined by an Absorbency Under Load Test of at least 18 and a free swell gel bed permeability (GBP) as determined by a Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability Test of at least about 350&#xd7;10cm.

Absorbent structure with superabsorbent material

An absorbent composite that can handle complex fluids and maintain high absorbent capacity under high loads even after the material has been subjected to rigorous processing conditions. The absorbent composite includes an inhomogeneously crosslinked superabsorbent polymer having a highly crosslinked outer shell. The surface of the superabsorbent polymer includes a protective fibrous coating material and an association agent.

Material enhancement to maintain high absorbent capacity under high loads following rigorous process conditions

Disclosed are absorbent composites, useful in an absorbent article, having high liquid intake rates. The absorbent composites may also have a rapid liquid lock-up. Absorbent composites of this invention have an intake rate of at least about 1.9 cc liquid/second at an 80% absorbent composite saturation level and a liquid lock-up fraction of at least about 0.70 at 50% superabsorbent material saturation. The absorbent composites of this invention can be a freeze-dried composite, an airformed absorbent composite, or other fibrous or non-fibrous absorbent composites.

Absorbent materials having improved fluid intake and lock-up properties

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Oshkosh, WI, United States of America

Nancy Birbiglia Lange